By Emily Coughlin
Staff Writer
This weekend, the St. Bonaventure University women’s rugby team had a big win with a score of 97-5 against Canisius College.
Canisius is a very new team. Last year when the Bonnies played them they only had five players. So when Canisius showed up this year with a full team, the Bonnies went into the game understanding that it was going to be a learning experience, said junior Rachel Newton.
“We tried to use this game as an opportunity to really focus on good execution of our attack patterns and to get better at our defensive skills,” said Newton. “Game scenarios are very different than practice, so this game was a chance to calm down and implement practice skills well.”
A major part of Bonaventure’s huge win is the chemistry on the field. Between preseason and the first few weeks of school, the women’s rugby team has gotten to know each other very well, which helps with the flow on the field, said Newton.
“Half of our team this year consists of freshmen, so one thing we tried to focus on during preseason was creating and strengthening our relationships with one another,” said Newton. “Having good relationships with your teammates helps make communication easier on the field, as well as being more comfortable playing with one another.”
During preseason, the team does a lot of bonding outside of practice to build relationships, which helps during games because the players feel more comfortable talking and playing with each other, said sophomore Emily Sion.
“It makes playing fun when you get to play with your best friends,” said Sion.
The women’s rugby team’s relationship started during practices where the upperclassmen helped guide the underclassmen, which translated into games, said freshman Kelly Degrood.
“At our practices, we want to get the most out of them as we can, so we emphasize staying focused and getting our work done,” said Degrood.
Newton said that with strong team relationships and skills that flow, the team will have a very successful future.
“Keeping team relationships strong and continuing to work together and practice well will be key to future success,” said Newton.
This season is all about developing as a team, said Degrood.
“I am looking forward to growing together as a team and seeing how far we can go in our season,” said Degrood.
This coming season has a lot of positives, said Newton. The Bonnies are ready for hard competition and a great experience teaching the younger players lots of new drills and talents.
“This season I’m looking forward to a fun experience with a lot of new players,” said Newton. “As a captain this year, I’m excited to help the younger girls learn the fundamentals of rugby and just enjoy the season.”
This season, the Bonnies are looking forward to a fun experience with a lot of new players, said Newton.
“If we can continue to keep a positive attitude, communicate well, work hard and be dedicated, then I would expect ongoing success throughout our season,” said Newton.
Degrood said the freshmen can only improve because of their growing skills among the team, and their success on the field is a great reflection of what they will do in the future.
“I think the teams future is bright by our previous games because we have a strong foundation, and we can only get better from here,” said Degrood.
The women’s rugby team can be seen next this Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. at home on the turf against Alfred University.
coughleg16@bonaventure.edu
