Empowerment On The Field
East Girls Rugby Players Never Underestimate Their Strength
By Reid Neureiter
For the GPHN
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It is not unusual to hear the sound of crunching tackles and fevered calls to pass the football on a late fall afternoon at Denver’s city parks. But the “football” players at Denver’s Cook Park on Oct. 20 were East High girls without protective pads or helmets, and they were playing rugby football against Summit County, running and hitting hard.
The girls rugby program, in existence for just five years, has 20 enrolled team members and is looking for more female athletes. According to founding manager and current Program Coordinator Keri Peacock Wilson, the program is on the upswing in terms of both player numbers and parent support. In fact, the East girls team just finished second in the season-ending tournament to rugby powerhouse Summit County at the Air Force Academy on Nov. 9.
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“I think that [a surge of interest] is due to the national growth, but also the culture of the team and sport,” says Peacock Wilson. “Rugby is an NCAA ‘emerging sport for women’, and we also now have young women [at East] who have been with the program through all four years of high school, which has provided a big boost in terms of experience.”
Peacock Wilson has had three step-daughters play East rugby, and herself played rugby starting at age 14. “There is a space for every kind of person on a rugby team, no matter the size or quickness,” she says.
One of her step-daughters, Celeste Wilson, a 2018 East grad, says playing rugby “gave me a new sense of confidence in my body’s strength, appearance, and capabilities.
“Rugby gave me a community of wonderful people to surround myself with — most of whom were badass independent women. The sense of empowerment I got from this sport was unmatched by any activity or community I’ve ever participated in.”
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At 5’2”, East senior co-captain Jade Crichlow originally was going to play field hockey, but heard about the rugby club and decided to give it a try. Now, she has been playing four years and was just named to the Colorado All-State team.
“It is really empowering,” says Crichlow, “to know that I am able to tackle people twice my size. I used to underestimate my strength. But now, I have much better body control. I have to think about how I tackle people in a more strategic way.” On the field, Crichlow also contributes with her pace, and during the Oct. 20 series against Summit County’s B-side, scored a number of “tries” (the rugby equivalent of a football touchdown) with long sprints down the sideline.
On the other end of both the experience and height scales from Crichlow is freshman phenom and Park Hill resident Lucy Walker who, at 5’11”, has been playing competitive rugby since age five, first encouraged by her rugby-playing father, Trey Walker. Lucy Walker, who also kicks for the East squad, was the only freshman named to the Colorado All-State team.
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“Everyone, no matter the body type, can play,” she says. “There is a position for everyone. It is very much a team sport.”
Like all full contact sports, Girls rugby has risks. Wilson highlighted the cautionary steps the program has implemented, with an emphasis on head and knee safety. Crichlow noted there is a respect for the opponent that is an integral part of the ethic of the game, so every rugby player makes an effort to tackle fairly.
“In rugby, there is a different level of respect for the other team, compared to other sports. You want to tackle safely for the sake of the other player,” she says.
Peacock Wilson strongly encourages any interested female athlete to try girls rugby at East, “The program gives an opportunity for a high level of play and competitiveness at the high school level and beyond.” Wilson proudly noted that one of East’s seniors has received a “likely” admission letter from Brown University as a rugby recruit.
Potential players or parents can contact the program via e-mail at denvereastgirlsrugby@gmail.com or visit sites.google.com/view/denvereastgirlsrugby/home.
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