Radcliffe Rugby Gets Ready to Soar Again

"Repeat is sweet," as the saying goes, but making this maxim come true is a difficult task. The Radcliffe rugby team, national champions in 1998, learned this lesson the hard way, as the team failed to qualify for this year's national tournament.

As the team learned, dynasties require a certain attitude, and the squad used the spring season to regain that crucial component. Radcliffe was a perfect 11-0 in its spring season, which included a decisive victory at the inaugural Ivy League Championship Tournament.

In rugby, the fall season determines who advances to the national finals, held at the end of the spring games. Radcliffe, reeling from the loss of eleven seniors and struggling to refocus after last year's successful title run, dropped two key games to Dartmouth and Amherst, which ended any chance of defending its title.

"It was hard to get our bearings after Nationals," Coach Lisa Gartner said. "We'd achieved our goal, and then it was like 'Now what?'"

Despite the disappointing fall, the team successfully rebounded this spring, in part by welcoming a promising group of rookie players. The team is now setting its sights on recapturing the national crown next year.

Defending the Championship

Just one year ago, Radcliffe rugby was untouchable. Loaded with experienced seniors, the squad rolled over its competition and won the national championship with a thrilling 12-10 victory over Penn State.

Despite gaining valuable experience and confidence, Radcliffe struggled this fall to remain focused.

"We were used to blowing past everyone," fall Captain Erika Lundquist said. "It was frustrating; we could have done better."

The season began on a high note as Radcliffe won the competitive Beantown Tournament, dominating Smith, Bowdoin and Amherst, before gaining a solid victory over arch-rival Penn State, 10-5.

"We came out of the starting blocks well," senior flanker Haley Steele said. "But then we started coasting."

Personnel issues were a big factor for Radcliffe--three of eleven members of the class of '98 were All-Americans--but players also sensed a changed attitude.

"It was a weird team dynamic," sophomore hooker Bernadine Han said. "We were focused to win again, but it didn't happen. We tried to refocus, but never did."

Even though Radcliffe tallied three convincing victories in the following weeks over Bowdoin, Yale and Boston College, the team fell in crucial match-ups versus Dartmouth and Amherst.

In early October, with Radcliffe seemingly in control of the Northeastern Rugby Football Union, the league the team competes in, Dartmouth scored an upset 12-8 victory.

"It was a hard adjustment to not be the underdog," said junior Lori Rifkin, the spring captain. "It was harder to prepare for each game, and we started to take it for granted."

For the shocked Radcliffe squad, a victory against the traditionally weak Amherst squad the following week would have preserved a No. 2 ranking, good enough to qualify for Nationals.

It was not to be, however, as Radcliffe fell once again in a heartbreaker, losing 22-19 to the Amherst upstarts.

"That was an awful game," Steele said. "Nothing went right and our momentum was off all day."

With the two late-season losses, Radcliffe was unable to qualify for the national tournament. Dartmouth became the No. 1 seed from the Northeast and was joined by UMass and Yale.

"Women's collegiate rugby in the Northeast is one of the most competitive regions," Assistant Coach Mary Dixey said. "We need to play our best each weekend."

A New Attitude

After realizing that for the first time in four years they would not be contending for a national title, Radcliffe regrouped for the spring season.

"There was a 180-degree attitude change," Lundquist said. "We wanted to be serious and prove that we were a good team, but we also had fun without the pressure of Nationals."

Motivation was easy to come by for the dethroned champs, especially for the team's eight seniors.

'The fall stung," Steele said. "It really hurt, and we wanted to play well in the spring."

To prepare for the spring season, the team raised money and organized a spring break trip to Italy. While overseas, the team faced stiff competition, including Italian national team players. Radcliffe went winless in three outings on the trip but felt confident about its play.

The spring squad faced a major test early in the season. For the first time with a complete field, the Ivy League Championship Tournament was held in Princeton, N.J. Radcliffe thrashed Penn in the opening round, 33-0, then scored solid victories over Dartmouth, 10-5, and Princeton, 15-7, to win the league title.

"We had something to prove at Ivies," Dixey said. "It was about pride and being competitive."

The victory also marked the realization of a team goal.

"We took it very seriously," Lundquist said.

Part of the strength the team drew upon was its symbolic association with the now-defunct Radcliffe College. The team does not plan on changing its name in the near future.

While not drawing any funding from Radcliffe itself, the players and coaches value the ideals of empowerment that the name inspires.

With the Ivy win, the squad proved it still belongs among the nation's elite women's rugby clubs. Both Dartmouth and Princeton competed in this year's national tournament, with Princeton losing in the finals to Stanford 43-31.

"We showed that we're on an even playing field with teams that made Nationals," assistant coach Darlene "Bubba" Connors said.

More Than Wins and Losses

Radcliffe's successful spring season showed the nation that the team was still a force to be reckoned with. The team, however, is more proud of the change in attitude and team dynamics than any undefeated record.

"Rugby has a different sense of why you play from any other sport," Rifkin said. "You're out there because you want to be, and there's a real sense of community."

The team nature is what makes the game unique, players say.

"Rugby is the ultimate team sport," Gartner said. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

With the pressure of national tournaments weighing on its shoulders the past several years, these core values had been lost on occasion.

"This spring we came together as a team," Steele said. "We enjoyed it without the stress of Nationals."

Despite the disappointment, the team was able to see the positive side of the fall's struggles.

"In some ways the fall was a blessing in disguise," Connors said. "It opened us up to recruit more, enjoy each other and get back to the basics."

In rugby there are no star players, and team chemistry can make or break a team. For Radcliffe, recapturing the essence of team play allowed the defending national champs to redeem a season and win the first-ever Ivy League championship.

The End of an Era

Next year's quest for a national championship will be a little tougher for Radcliffe, though.

Gartner, who deserves much of the credit for inculcating the sense of community that has made "Rad-Rugby" so special over the years, recently announced her resignation. Gartner has guided Radcliffe teams for 11 years.

"I can't give Lisa enough accolades," Connors said. "She's been great to work with."

Connors will assume the head coaching duties, with Dixey staying on as assistant. Gartner plans to enter UMass-Boston to complete her bachelor's degree.

"We have fantastic, phenomenal coaches," Steele said. "They've all played at a high level with world competition experience, and we're fortunate to have them."

Many players have expressed their sorrow to see Gartner go.

"Lisa is amazing," Lundquist said. "She a balancing force for our team, a key to our dynamic. She will be missed."

In rugby, captains actually select who plays each game, and coaches act more as advisors and instructors rather than controlling the line-up.

"Lisa always knows what the team is feeling," Han said. "She coaches for us and we play for her."

Gartner is praised more for her psychological and emotional leadership than for her impressive winning percentage.

"Lisa brings character to the team," Han said. " She and the other coaches have created a great sense of acceptance of all types of people, athletes, and personalities."

Steele, a four-year veteran who has competed with the under-23 national team, agrees.

"Lisa gets our heads together," Steele said. "She takes care of the intangibles, especially in pre-game, and you can talk to her about anything. She's functioned like an advisor to all of us."

Looking to the Future

Despite a disappointing year overall, Radcliffe rugby has not only been able to muster up a successful spring season, but also has put itself in prime position for a strong season next year.

One of the keys to the spring turnaround was a promising crop of rookie players. Because the team was not preparing for Nationals, Radcliffe was able to give these new players more experience and will rely on them next year to regain the crown.

"Without the pressure of Nationals, we were able to devote more time to our B-side and rookies than we have been in past spring seasons," said sophomore Kelly Seary, also a spring captain. "We will need these players to step up next year, and this season will have helped us prepare for that transition."

The coaching change is another transition Radcliffe will face. Players and coaches alike, however, are confident that the veteran assistant coaches will assume control without a hitch.

"I don't foresee any big changes," Connors said. "It's a successful program, and there's no need to change it."

Players echo Connors' sentiments, saying success ultimately comes down to the team mentality.

"We'll miss Lisa a lot," Rifkin said. "But it won't change our attitude at all."

Attitude is the key for Radcliffe rugby, and this spring the squad got its winning attitude back. With a strong returning class, and the momentum of an Ivy title, the rest of the nation had better watch out for the team in black and white.

"We learned from this year," Gartner said, "and we won't take next year for granted."