The larger world of women’s rugby
This past winter break, Caitlin Schirmer, a sophomore biology major here at SUNY Geneseo and one of our very own women’s club rugby players, had the chance to play with an all-star collegiate rugby team for Upstate 7s. Schirmer got to compete with this team in the Collegiate Rugby All Stars National Cup. The Upstate 7s team that Schirmer had the pleasure of joining were the Upstate 7s Snow Leopards; they achieved third place last year in the same competition that they traveled to this year. The Snow Leopards were voted “most spirited team” for many years prior to this one, which is why Schirmer made a perfect fit. The entire Geneseo rugby team is immensely proud of her, her hard work, and training to get this opportunity.
In order for Schirmer to be specially chosen for this chance, she had to endure a rigorous yet educational tryout that 70 rugby players attended; only 26 were chosen for the elite team, which is a major accomplishment in collegiate rugby. The Snow Leopards made their way to Austin, Texas to compete with 6 other collegiate level rugby teams in a tough competition that demonstrated skill, talent, teamwork, and hard work.
After trying out for this select team, Schirmer trained for two and a half months before heading off to Austin to participate in a pool play of games. The competition moved on to playoff games that gave teams the chance to win first, second, or third place. Schirmer and the Upstate 7s team competed in a total of six games over the course of two days and won two of the six. This experience has given her a chance to further her rugby career through a more advanced skill set, connections, and a new mentality for teamwork.
The Snow Leopards held their heads high as they were ecstatic to play against such amazing players and show her what it is like to play real rugby. Schirmer even scored her first all-star collegiate rugby try! Her first year on the team, as well as one of the youngest, she played with an aggressive attitude and an excited spirit.
Schirmer described her time with the team as “an incredible experience that challenged [her] and increased [her] love for rugby,” as this larger community helped to better her as a player and a person, even while being met with challenges which forced her out of her comfort zone. As she comes back to reality, she looks forward to sharing the skills she learned and stories of the people she encountered, as well as bringing back the spirit from her Snow Leopards to her beloved Geneseo team and family; she is ready to shed her leopard print skin and rejoin the Warthogs in their fight this semester in hopes of dominating on the pitch.
Geneseo Women’s Club Rugby is looking forward to their spring season this semester, and hope to gain more excited players ready to become a part of the family of Lady Warthogs and play an enjoyable competitive game. You never know—you could achieve what Schirmer did and discover a newfound passion.