Last June, the relatively successful UCLA women’s rugby
team was in a bind.
It only had six players returning to a team requiring 15
individuals to compete, and there was much fear that the team would
be unable to compete.
A year and 19 new players later, not only are the Bruins
competing, but they are on the verge of becoming a Division I team,
having recently won the Division II Southern California
championship game over Claremont College.
How they got to this point is truly phenomenal.
With no recruiting power, the six returning players sought
incoming students by tabling on Bruin Walk and at freshman
orientations throughout the summer before the season started and by
asking friends to join in an effort to establish a team.
“It was really scary only having six players coming
back,” said Michelle Kwandham, one of the returning
players.
“We had to try to find more girls who would be interested
so we could actually have a team.”
The task was by no means easy.
The experienced players would not only have to convince more
students to play, but more importantly they would have to explain
the rules of rugby and teach them how to play the sport.
Kwandham and her returning teammates used various methods to
attract newcomers to the team, including creating a women’s
rugby Web site, a Facebook group and an AOL Instant Messenger
screen name.
“I saw a billboard sign on Bruin Walk that said something
about women’s rugby, and I said, “˜Wow, that sounds
pretty cool.’ So I decided to give it a try,” said
Jennifer Chase, one of the team’s new additions.
Chase, along with 14 other beginners (many of whom were
freshman), eventually caught on to the game and helped establish
yet another championship-caliber athletic team in Westwood.
The Bruins went undefeated in Division II play during the
regular season, winning two games and drawing ties in the other two
games.
After qualifying for the playoffs in their inaugural season, the
Bruins won their first-round playoff game to face rival Claremont
College.
The Foxes had just come off back-to-back Southern California
Division II titles and were making a run to win three straight
championships in the seven-team league.
Although the Bruin offense was only able to score 19 points, the
defensive effort was enough to contain the Claremont offense to
just seven points, leading the Bruins to a Division II Southern
California Championship and a trip to the nationals.
“Considering that so many of the people on our team were
brand new it was quite an accomplishment to get as far as we did
and to win the championship game against Claremont,” Chase
said.
But the Bruins aren’t satisfied with just a Division II
championship.
They hope to gain status as a Division I team during the summer
and attract the attention of respected national powerhouses.
At a conference that took place on June 26, two coaches and two
players submitted a petition seeking Division I status, which will
get a response by the end of the summer. This decision will be
based on the number of wins that UCLA has posted and the opponents
they have played.
Although the Bruins lost both of the games they played against
Division I schools in nationals, they have made a bold statement
and still have a high likelyhood of receiving the Division I bid to
compete at the highest level of the nation’s fastest-growing
collegiate sport.
“I think we have a really good chance at making it into
Division I with the wins we have had this year, especially against
Claremont in the championship game,” said Kwandham.