By Georgina McCartney
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Grassroots women’s rugby has blossomed in popularity in the U.S. as thousands of new players lace up their boots after being inspired by the country’s stellar performance at the Paris Olympics last year.
Membership of women’s rugby clubs is already at 95% of last year’s total, according to USA Rugby, with a vast number more expected with the spring and summer seasons yet to fully kick off.
Membership is set to exceed previous seasons by a good margin after women and girls watched in awe as the U.S. women won the country’s first Olympic sevens medal, stunning former champions Australia in the final seconds of their playoff to claim bronze.
“Watching Team USA smash through those girls, it was just amazing,” said Jazzmin Jones, 28, who has signed up for her first season after watching the Paris Olympics.
“The way my body is built, you don’t see a lot of that in women’s sports, but watching Team USA, I saw that they look like me, they’re strong, and I’m strong too,” said the proud new member of Houston Athletic Rugby Club.
ILONA MAHER EFFECT
“When I was growing up, there were really no contact sports for girls, I feel like I lived in a rugby desert for my whole upbringing,” said former U.S. international, Alycia Washington, who started playing rugby at 17 and boasts 26 caps for the Women’s Eagles.
“I am in awe of the growth of the game,” said Washington, now retired from international rugby and playing at Stade Bordelais in Bordeaux, France.
One woman in particular has helped boost that growth, rising to international stardom after Paris. With more than eight million followers on Instagram and TikTok, Ilona Maher is the biggest social media star in the game – men or women.
“The Ilona Maher effect is a real thing,” Washington said of the player whose arrival at English club Bristol this year has sparked record crowds.
Whether she is scattering opponents on the pitch, wearing a sparkling dress on Dancing with the Stars or flexing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Olympic medallist Maher is a force to be reckoned with, on and off the field.
“Ilona is creating so much momentum for the sport but it’s not going to sustain itself,” Washington said.
Wendy Young, editor of Your Scrum Connection and involved in grassroots U.S. rugby for the last 24 years, said: “There are thousands of youth players headed for college and club level rugby hot off the heels of Paris 2024, but with teams few and far between in many states there is work to be done.”
ALL EYES ON LA 2028
“It is a day-in, day-out fight to grow the game here in the U.S., but we’re seeing growth and we have a lot of great support across the country,” said USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren.
The U.S. will host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031, and the women’s in 2033, sparking more investment in the country from the sport’s governing body World Rugby.
“You’re going to see more athletes getting into the game of rugby and competing at a world-class level,” said Goren.
They will be helped by the establishment of a new professional league, Women’s Elite Rugby (WER).
Starting in March and funded by small independent investors, it consists of six new teams based in California, Massachusetts, Chicago, New York, Minnesota and Colorado.
“When fans look at the WER players, the point is to see their sisters, neighbours, their gutsy best friends and everything in between in those athletes,” said Katherine Aversano, acting Vice President of the WER.
“The Olympics drew back the curtain to show people we’re here, we are accessible, authentic and raw,” Aversano said.
The trailblazers of the Paris Olympics helped to mainstream women’s rugby in the U.S., and from new players to veterans, the community is nurturing that momentum.
“If you have a ball and a patch of grass, you could start playing some rugby,” Washington said.
“The high schoolers of today will be playing in the World Cup of 2033, and we need to develop those athletes now to really push for the podium.”
(Reporting by Georgina McCartney in Houston; Editing by Toby Davis)
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