Women's Rugby hosts tournament

The Southern Miss women's rugby team hosted their first invitational tournament on campus Saturday, finishing second.

The round-robin tournament had teams from Memphis, Baton Rouge, La. and Georgia Tech. It was the first invitational tournament held on campus this year.

"People are intimidated," said Young. "There is no middle ground. You either love it or hate it."

Women's rugby at Southern Miss began in 1991, but men's rugby is the oldest sport on campus, starting in 1973.

While the team has been around for over a decade, they are fighting to stay afloat. The school cut the funding for the team this year.

"We were practically broke," Young said.

The team raised around $3000 to help pay for equipment and travel expenses through various fundraisers and T-shirt sales.

While it looks like chaos, the sport is more along the lines of organized chaos.

"It's actually very controlled," said Candace Young, president of the Southern Miss Women's Rugby Club. "It's not just people just running at each other."

The sport and rules are relatively simple.

Rugby is a cross between soccer and football. The object of the game is to carry, pass and kick a ball so you score more points than the other team.

The kick-off begins the game, and each game is divided into two halves that are no longer than 40 minutes each.

Anybody can play the ball and the game is constantly moving. There are no time-outs except when players get hurt.

Unlike soccer and football, blocking is not allowed.

The members of the women's rugby team are a mixed bag. With over 20 members on the roster, the team is made of a variety of players with different backgrounds.

"We have tree huggers, prissies, sorority girls," said Tabitha Davis, one of the two team captains.

Rugby camaraderie is a big part of the sport.

"We're like a big family," said Young. "You hit each other all day long, then you get together later and have a party."

Results: First: Memphis Second: Southern Miss Third: Baton Rouge, Louis. Fourth: Georgia Tech