The women’s rugby team celebrated a big 38-0 win against George Washington University last Saturday, also the team’s senior night. 

The game of rugby is a close-contact sport that requires tackling, passing and running with a ball. Although originally designed in 19th century England as a men’s sport, women’s rugby has become more popular over the years.

Class of 2023 Women’s Rugby seniors during their senior recognition, were escorted on the field by some of their teammates. Photo Courtesy of Kelys Richardson, PR Committee member for the club.

Prior to the start of the game, each graduating senior was honored by teammates, coaches, parents, and other students for their contributions on and off the field with flowers, a personal rugby ball, and handmade posters. The excitement was undeniable as the team gave a formal farewell to the women who will soon graduate from college. 

Among the graduating seniors are Nia Moten, Sienna Fatuesi, and Wesleigh Gomes who were all ecstatic about their Howard rugby experience. 

Fatuesi is one of the founding members of the women’s rugby team and watching the number of players grow over time has been quite an impactful experience. “The highlight of my rugby career has definitely been playing for Howard,” says Fatuesi, a health science major from Seattle, Washington. She recognized senior night as a moment much bigger than the seniors. She emphasized the  “joy in seeing how much the team has grown.” 

Although the Howard women’s rugby team means a lot to its members, its existence is also history in the making. Howard is the first historically black college/university to have a competitive women’s rugby team. Because of its legacy, all team members hold their membership in very high regard.

“We are trailblazers in the sport, in the DC community, and the rugby community,” says Gomes, a political science major from Hampton, Virginia.  

Moten, a psychology major from California, describes rugby as the most fun she’s ever experienced in a sport, but she details how the grueling 80 minutes of the game can be 

“I tore 2 ligaments in my ankle and [had] a bone bruise.” Such an injury caused her to sit out of the sport for around five months in 2022. Despite such a traumatic event, Moten plans to continue her rugby career post-graduation and hopefully, bring the game to other BIPOC communities near her.

Learn more about the women’s rugby team here.