My path to rugby wasn’t because of my intended career, but I spent my first 3 years of college trudging along the path laid out for me as a pre-med student and was in desperate need of a release.

Several of my friends were a part of my college’s rugby team and told me to join. I had many frustrating days and moments where I considered changing my intended career altogether. but I made excuses for not joining the team--my course load, my other two jobs, a lack of game knowledge. When my senior year fall came, I told myself that I wanted to have a year of no regrets, and rugby had always been something I wanted to try.

I showed on the team’s second day of practice. Everyone was very excited to have me, and I soon came to discover that it was exactly what I needed in the midst of my crazy academic schedule. I found myself looking forward to daily practices following my very stress filled days. Rugby became my outlet as a way to relieve my anxieties, release my frustrations, and to vent to my teammates. And, not only did I fall in love with the sport, but I fell in love with rugby culture too.

This is the only sport that I know of where you go out onto the field giving everything you have and are still friends at the end of the game. Everyone is tackling, rucking, basically fighting to the very end, and after it all you connect not only with your team, but often with the opposing team too. You might have just lost to them or beat them by a huge margin, but everything is truly left on the field.

I think culture like this is why even though I’ve played sports before, I was never as connected to those teammates as I was to my fellow ruggers. And, the club kept me coming back. The coach was extremely open and further fostered the welcoming environment, and the club was filled with women who loved being around each other. So when I graduated college, I was heartbroken to leave my rugby team behind, and desperately wanted to find a team that held similar values and embodied what I considered to be the rugby spirit. I came across the DC Furies.

I was drawn to them. They had a rich history and a familial feel. Naturally I was slightly nervous and unsure of myself during the first practice, but I got the same guidance and encouragement from my college team that I valued so much. As a young player and young person, being surrounded by so many people that I can look up to and grow from has been an amazing experience. The team dynamic and connectedness extends outside of games and practices, to everyday life.

It’s for these reasons that rugby gives me an outlet from the stresses that accompany life, even today. While I might not be pre-med, I have a lot on my plate and I still make time for rugby. The Furies give me joy and instill a sense of belonging, something I don’t think I could have found on any team.

The Furies have a cheer that they use before games, after every practice, in email signatures: “Proud to be a Fury!” and I can honestly say that I mean every word of that statement. I am so proud to have found this club, and so glad I didn’t let other parts of life get in the way of finding this team.

PTBAF

Sapphire R. Tubbs

Player Perspective: Tackling Academics and People