With their 2016 season quickly approaching, the Anne Arundel County Rugby program looks to recruit more and more players to maximize their chance for success, as well as to spread the word about rugby to a younger audience as its popularity begins to grow. “I began playing rugby my freshman year of college back in 1996. After graduating, I joined two teams” said Anne Arundel County Girls Rugby Coach Kelly O’Brien, who moved to Maryland back in 2012 and began coaching locally. Although O’Brien expects commitment from her players, she does not discriminate against newcomers to the game. “I am very flexible with the requirements of my players. Not everyone is coming from the same situation so it depends on the person and their schedule. Basically, I want each athlete to know that the more she puts into rugby, the more she will get out of it. I want players to learn and love the sport. We [only] have two practices and one game each week scheduled during our season.”
Club rugby demands a significantly small time commitment in comparison to most high school sports, which require four to five practices and multiple games a week. O’Brien even opens registration to busy high school athletes, as she feels the sport can benefit anyone. “For current athletes, it is a great way to keep and gain skills for other sports during your off season or even during your other sport’s season. For non-athletes, it is a great sport to start with because practically no one knows how to play when they start with the team. All athletic abilities, skills, and body shapes are appreciated and have a place on the team. No one gets benched.” Severna Park High School senior Emily Robinson is an example of someone who benefited from and enjoyed playing rugby while being involved in an outside sport. “I used to do cheerleading and play rugby. Surprisingly, they complement each other very well because both build a lot of muscle and keep you in shape for the next season.”
Robinson will begin her fourth and final season as an Anne Arundel County Girls Rugby player this year. “To me, rugby means that I have a second family. We go through practices and games together, we win and lose together, we struggle together, and we learn together. I’ve met some pretty amazing people from joining the team and I wouldn’t change the experience for anything.”
Ellie Leikin, who recently passed away, was a teammate of Robinson’s. Her death had an enormous impact on the organization as a whole. “Ellie was such a sweet girl who was willing to try anything. My coach would ask her to try a new position that she had never before tried, and she would jump right in. I remember countless practices where I was really not in the mood to be there but Ellie never failed to make me laugh. Our organization really came together and showed that family aspect [of Rugby]. We’re all there for each other, learning, growing, laughing and crying” said Robinson.
“When Ellie passed it was difficult as a coach in two ways. First, I had the same struggle many of you had, asking why and if I could have been more involved in her life to help her” said O’Brien. “Second, I worried about the other girls on the team and how they would cope with the loss of a teammate. I am also a mother, when I think of her parents, I cry every time. I am trying to stay positive and think of it as a season we can dedicate to Ellie, to feel her smiling down on her team.”
If you are looking to join an exciting and engaging activity that offers tons of fun and bonding with teammates, Rugby may be the sport for you.
Contact Kelly O’Brien at [email protected] if you have any interest in joining Anne Arundel County Rugby for the 2016 spring season.
