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Women's rugby alive and kicl Rimnorc ovr?ii By Michelle Burchette Assistant Sports Editor Rugby is often thought of as a brutal sport not usually associated with women's athletics. However, through the cooperation of one woman rugby enthusiast, several men's teams and a horde of girls willing to learn the sport. South Carolina now has a women's rugby club. Lisa Croehan. a former ru^bv Dlaver at West Virginia University, now attending USC, established the learn with the help of USC men's rugby president Mark Morris and members of Old Gray, the Columbia rugby team. "We never could have done it without their help," Croghan said. "They help coach us, they refereed our first game, and they even gave us the rugby ball we use." ORGANIZING THE CLUB has been far from easy for Croghan < >f the 30 girls who make up the team, only three have had previous experience playing rugby. "Most ot the girls had never seen a game before last Saturday." Croghan said, citing the date of their first game. "So the first game they saw was the one they played in." "The\ caught on really well, though," she added. "A lot of the men came out to see our ganv. ui i said we did very well for our first game. We have a ioi < ! potential once we leai >11 he rules, plays and our positions." 1 -espite their Jack of experience, the girls in the club are enthusiastic about their season. They practice twice a week and sometimes more before games, Croghan said. TIIK HNAM1AI. burden of being a first year club sport la's also hampered the team. But, according to Croghan, the girls are willing to give "It takes a lot ol dedication to shell out s<> much money for a sport you're just learning," I* * * * 9 EXCITING DAYS **l T1 f ? ?- ? ? m II % i ' ESTATE neat I OCTOBER 17-25 ^ h COiUMBffl THERE'S MORE TV SEE THAT'S FREE! LI e vU IB I ^Vy* Featuring | y^ ^ Attractions *T > I ADMtSSIOHS ADMMtCIAPiillSIOMsl j To (abounds Adults ii iO N H Mulls ??00 *du?m6I7i lb Ytmth Ages h W SI 00 *??>?i??ii..c?.wim? t j > r "*7 . u,. w * * IAutcxTOOtie?. J? 00 Busts W 00 mmmmmmmmmammmmmmftmmmKBamammamtKmamBmmmmm In our spacious exhibition buildings p " ^ Fine Arts Swine Flowers Home and Cralt Poultry Commercial Displays fattln Annn iltiirn Inrtuctrial Hicnlauc Ir uciuib nynuunuiu iiiuuouiui Ej SMOMMYS gg??g School Oays Fridays Oct t7&?4 1; ) Special Kindergarten Tour Mon and lues Oct ?0 & ?\ [ j#' Farm Bureau Day lues Oct ?1 W ^ Conservation Districts Day lus Oct ?i u Senior Citizens Day Wed Oct ?? [ j S PRESIDENTIAL 48 |<r g; biB.it i-juk KALb gC LQ.mo IP 4 S.C. ORCHID SHCW JJg g CH1LDRETTS MRTHJ4RD E ENERGYTOCAY8.TOMORROW nBHHQHHBHHHBSHHHHHnflOHHnBBB m 01^^050^0 1 gl rbe iMxhm\ cjr^js fUJBg McCAWSHOW ISO MITCtSll RUKMETTES i EL X' NunirroNEws U ReBel Yell .ingatUSC 1 _ 1- - i J ea aoout ream she said. "I was surprised that as many girls stayed with the team." The thirty who have stayed did so for various reasons ? some because they wanted to play a club sport, and some because they thought rugby would be fun. Croghan feels that since everyone is still learning the sport it keeps the team together. "Everybody's new and everybody's learning so no one is better than anyone else," Croghan said. "They're really _i :i - : i i 1 :ii' A A 1 picking 11 up, gtHimg liivoiveu, anu are wining 10 pui me time into it. I'm real pleased with them." ADMITTING SHE doesn't know a whole lot about rugby herself, Croghan tried to find all the information she could to help teach her team the basic skills of the sport. "There was only one book in the library on rugby that was written in English," Croghan sighed. Despite their many obstacles, the women's club had their first game Saturday against Emory University. Although Emory left with a shutout victory, Croghan said her team came close to scoring several times. She added that while winning a rugby match is the ultimate goal, the score is never of much importance. "In rugby, after each game you have a party. Half of the sport is the social part," she said. "It's always been a tradition to have a party, because in Europe, where the sport originated, whole towns would come out for the games." The club's next match will be this Sunday in Atlanta against a team that has been together for nearly six years. T> >\ 111 r\ 111 i ?> r? ?-v f iii/\iyi Ati 4 rvi o ^ i r/t DctolUclII V L\ IICW o[JUl I IU1 WUH1CI1, lUUdl ICUllld 1IUVC UUCII around between four to six years although some were formed as many as ten years ago. The United States is also the only country that has any substantial amount of a omen's rugby teams. %&:S; ? ?fi ^ ff > * #? 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