October 25, 2024– Midnight
Gannon University, Erie campus — Gannon University is full of clubs and sports organizations that are always looking for new members. While football, basketball, and acrobatics and tumbling are some of the more popular sports at Gannon, there are many that don’t get enough recognition– including the women’s rugby team.
The club started a few years ago and has stayed strong even after the men’s club rugby team disbanded. The sport consists of a fall season of sevens and a spring season of fifteens. Even with the fall season underway, the team is always looking for new members.
Gannon senior Katlynn Kyle recently joined the women’s rugby team this season. She was eager to try a new sport that would fit within her busy schedule. With only two practices a week before the game, she was able to focus on her studies while participating in the sport. She says that “the team atmosphere is great and a lot of fun since I joined!”
For anyone who is considering joining the team but is worried about the physical nature of the sport, she mentioned, “it sounds rough, but it really isn’t as bad as I thought. For the most part you can hold your ground and there’s rules and regulations in place.”
The team is coming off an incredible spring season, which saw the girls fifteens take a trip to the Nash Bash Rugby Festival in Nashville where they finished in second place, losing in the championship game to Purdue.
Gannon junior Rebekah Young joined the rugby team her freshman year when the team was ranked ninth in the nation. After spending so much time and effort during the regular season, she admits it was tough to stay motivated at times.
While she and her teammates expected to have a quick exit in the tournament, the surprising victory motivated her team to keep fighting for a chance at a championship. “We won our first game, then second, then third and all a sudden, we’re playing under the bright lights. Everything we put into that finally paid off.” She says it felt very rewarding after finishing runner–up in Nashville. “We were on Cloud 9.” she said.
So, what is the goal for the upcoming season? Katlynn says the team is pumped about going back to Nashville and bringing home the championship. With a mix of newcomers and experienced players, building chemistry this season has been challenging. With endless support for each other, the girls know that anything is possible, and they hope that their story can spread the word about rugby and even inspire someone to restart the men’s club rugby team.
The Gannon Golden Knights club women’s rugby team is actively looking for new members. They even take students who only want to participate in practices. Anyone who wants to join can directly message their Instagram @guwomensrugby page, or email to join.
