Women's Rugby Remembers Its Roots

This fall, women’s rugby became Harvard’s 42nd varsity sport. Just this past weekend, the team claimed its first-ever Ivy League Championship title.

It seems like quite the meteoric rise. A little over two months removed from its first varsity practice, the Crimson found itself rightfully situated at the top of the Ivy League. But this wasn’t exactly the “rags to riches” season it may, at first glance, appear to be. That wouldn’t do the story, or the team, justice. It’s not for lack of success—Harvard shut out undefeated and No. 1 seeded Dartmouth, 29-0, in the Ancient Eight finals—but rather because the team didn’t really start off rag. They started off Rad.

The Harvard women’s rugby team owes its origins to the former Harvard-Radcliffe rugby football club. For nearly thirty years, the Radcliffe squad competed as a club sport, steadily working its way up the rugby ranks. The team established itself as a perennial threat in the Northeast and later captured the 1998 and 2011 national championship titles.

In 2012, the Athletic Department announced that the club team would make the transition to varsity the following year. The switch definitely brought its perks. It meant swapping midnight bubble practices for prime field time. It meant access to full-time trainers and the weight room conditioning staff. It meant department funding for transportation and hotels at away games. It gave the team the allure—and perhaps even credibility—of varsity status.

But all these additions didn’t change the foundation that was already there. The spirit of Radcliffe rugby—the dedication, energy, and overall camaraderie—persisted throughout the season even as the team took on its new form.

Nowhere was this more apparent than on the field during the Crimson’s 57-7 victory at Brown. The team entered that weekend’s contest coming off a demoralizing loss to Dartmouth the week prior. A lackluster performance had resulted in a 10-5 loss to the Big Green, the first real blow of the season.

The team wasn’t playing like they used to, and first year coach Sue Parker decided to send a message. Stripped of their varsity jerseys and gear, the Crimson practiced in old shirts and socks the week leading up to the Brown game. They walked onto the field to face the Bears wearing inside-out grey t-shirts, their numbers etched on their backs in black marker.

“I think that actually helped light a fire under some of the girls,” senior co-captain Xanni Brown said after the game. “We were out there like we used to be, that rag-tag Radcliffe team playing in whatever t-shirts and socks we could scrounge up.”

Harvard looked like a different team, and they played like it too. With a renewed fire and energy, the Crimson dominated Brown on all sides of the field en route to the commanding victory. Radcliffe alums could hardly recall the last time Harvard came out on top against the Bears. It had been at least a decade.

The victory at Brown marked a significant turning point in the Crimson’s season. Back in their new gear but playing with that same mentality, Harvard capitalized on its newfound momentum in the final three games of its season, outscoring its opponents by an average margin of 30 points. The Crimson dominated Princeton, traditionally a top Ivy competitor, in a 39-0 victory at home. With the win, Harvard secured its berth and locked up a No. 2 seed in the Ivy League Championships.

Faced with a rematch against the Bears in the first round, the Crimson once again came out on top, 31-5, in its semifinal contest. One shutout victory against Dartmouth later and Harvard had wrapped up a historic inaugural season by capturing the coveted Ancient Eight title.

After clinching the Ivy League Championships, @RadcliffeRugby tweeted, “#allforthealums.” It was a simple gesture to the legions of Radcliffe ruggers that had paved the way over the past three decades. It was a shout-out to the dozens of recent grads who flocked the stands at games to support their former team. But most of all, it was a testament to the spirit of Radcliffe rugby that continues to live on in the varsity squad.

—Staff writer Brenna R. Nelsen can be reached at brenna.nelsen@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @CrimsonBRN.