mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Varsity sports on campus have been successful this fall, but they are not the only teams who have been thriving.

CMU women’s rugby club has been dominant over the past several years and continued that tradition so far this season. They currently sit at 2-1 after picking up a decisive win over Utah State Saturday at Dixson Field.

According to senior wing Jessica Willis, the winning mentality is just as strong on her team as it is on any varsity team at Colorado Mesa.

“We take it very seriously,” Willis said. “We put in just as much work as any other varsity sport, and we’re winning. For us only being a club sport, I think it’s pretty cool.”

Their schedule consists of nightly full-contact practices and lifting three times a week during both the fall and spring seasons. The members of the team pay for the equipment, uniforms, travel and other expenses because the NCAA does not sanction the sport. Willis explained that the school is very supportive of the club and does help in certain areas.

“The school has been awesome and has helped us out recently with finances,” Willis said. “They have been helping us out with transportation when we have matches that are more than six hours away, which has been a huge help.”

Since rugby is not a sanctioned sport, smaller schools get the opportunity to play better-known universities that also have club teams. CMU has had matchups against FBS schools like Texas, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Wyoming, and Colorado State. This year, women’s rugby has played Utah State University twice and has beaten them on both occasions by a combined score of 211-7.

As the sport continues to emerge on campuses around the country, there is a hope that it will become a sanctioned sport by the NCAA. The concern is that the number of concussions sustained by rugby players must come down before it can be accepted. Willis hopes that it will become another member of the successful CMU athletic program in the near future.

“We’re not the only school that is playing as competitively as we are,” Willis said. “I hope that the NCAA will be able to recognize that. I would love it became a sanctioned sport.”

They will continue their season on Nov. 3 in Orem, Utah, against Utah Valley State Univerisity and hope to represent the Mavericks once again in the National Tournament.