After graduating several valued senior players following the 2022 season, Colgate University Women’s Rugby is raising a new team with a new coach for the 2023 season. As of right now, the team sits with a 1-1 record, including a loss to the University of Buffalo on Sept. 9 and a win over Binghamton University on Sept. 16. However, it is early in the season, and many of the players remain optimistic about what lies ahead.
Senior captain Ellie Humphreys has been playing rugby since high school and has played throughout her years at Colgate. Humphreys explained that despite arriving at campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team provided her with the welcoming environment she needed.
“Rugby gave me a sense of normalcy and community in a time when it was really hard to get that on campus,” Humphreys said. “Since then, this team has been my family, and I love seeing it grow every year.”
It is clear that the team values positivity and harmony as much as competition. Many players consider the close-knit environment of the team to be one of the sport’s most enticing qualities, and it is the reason so many people decide to play for the first time at Colgate. Colgate Rugby is one of the most welcoming and inclusive teams on campus, encouraging beginners and players with little experience to join. Humphreys is confident that the team will have success this year, even with a significant percentage of players being new to the sport.
“I feel like this will be a big season for growth and seeing how hard we can push ourselves and our teammates to just keep getting better,” Humphreys said. “Hopefully our outcomes from the games are able to showcase that.”
Humphreys described this year as a rebuilding year compared to previous years, due to the level of experience across the roster.
Junior captain Hannah Meyerowitz also described the team similarly and is excited by raising a new team and cultivating new talent.
“We have a lot of great new players who have so much potential,” Meyerowitz said. “I’m excited to train so many new players and see them grow.”
Sophomore Zja’Kyla Brumfield joined the team last year and hasn’t looked back since. She described this season as more developmental compared to last year.
“We are coming off a nationally-ranked high which we rode all of last year,” Brumfield said. “I can see the team being great again, it will just take time and dedication.”
As September wraps up, the majority of the season still lies ahead, which means time for practice and progression. Only a small percentage of the season’s matches have been played so far; the team is looking forward to several toward the end of the month and into October as well, including a Homecoming Weekend matchup against Cornell on Oct. 14. With such a positive and bonded team, this rebuilding season has the potential to turn into a winning season.
