CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Leaders of the rugby community in Pennsylvania are looking to take the next big step in expanding the sport.
Emerging Girls Rugby, a brand-new initiative by Rugby Pennsylvania, aims to promote and develop girls' rugby in high schools across the state in hopes of achieving emerging sport status with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA).
To be classified as an emerging sport by the PIAA, 25 high schools in Pennsylvania need to adopt a girls' rugby program. Currently, there are just nine in the entire state.
Cumberland Valley High School is the only school with a girls' rugby program in Central Pennsylvania.
Jennifer Stratton, head coach of the Cumberland Valley High School Girls' rugby team, is helping lead the Emerging Girls Rugby initiative. She says the growth in recent years has been rapid, a positive sign that the 25-school goal is achievable.
"Girls want it and it’s something that they are eager to participate in," said Stratton. "You can really see almost immediately how much they love it. It’s been really cool to see."
Leaders of the initiative say they are currently looking at different school districts that would make the most sense to implement a program that would be structured, stable and competitive. However, they need help from the community to find those interested in the sport.
"We definitely can’t do this by ourselves, it’s something that we need a lot of support," said Stratton. "We need to find those people in the community who are looking to get back into the game. Just anybody willing to have some sort of role in the community in this development we want them to reach out to us."
A foundation that may become even more important with big days ahead for rugby in the United States. The U.S. is set to host the men's and women's World Cup in 2031 and 2033, respectively. A competition that many girls who get the chance to learn and play rugby today will have the opportunity to be a part of in the future.
"Rugby Pennsylvania can really be a blueprint for how the rest of the country develops their high school programs," said Stratton. "I would love to see the United States win the 2033 World Cup here on home soil. That’s the long-term goal but we want as many people to be a part of that story as possible. If any of those girls have those types of dreams and focus to be advocating and playing and doing all the things they need to do to train to be a part of the women’s international team, they’ll have that opportunity."
It's development that all starts with programs like at Cumberland Valley High School. A program that has seen an increasing number of girls who you may see the biggest stage one day.
"We had exactly seven girls [when we first started] which was hard to play with," said Thalia Ibaraa, a Cumberland Valley High School girls' rugby player who has been playing for two years. "This year we have at least 25, close to 30 girls so it’s actually amazing and I love to see the growth of it."
Lainey Merrill, a first-year member of the Cumberland Valley girls' rugby team, is the newest example and has never looked back since trying out the sport for the first time.
"As soon as you get here and you start connecting with the team and learning a little bit more, all your nerves just go away," said Merrill. "You’ll get it over time and everyone should just come out and try it, it’s pretty fun."
It's a welcoming environment, that those in the sport say is embedded in rugby culture.
"I don’t know any team that’s not welcoming, especially to new players," said Stratton. "Take the risk, be fearless [and] just have fun. Don’t stress over making a fool out of yourself or you don’t fit in because trust me you do."
"Don’t be scared and be confident. It’s an amazing sport," said Ibaraa. "It’s just so much fun you meet so many people and I just love it."
Whether it's using rugby to meet new friends or something even bigger, it's a rugby journey Stratton says you will not regret.
"It’s really what you make of it and I find a lot of beauty in that," said Stratton. "[You get] that freedom of, 'This is mine and this is my journey but I’m part of this story.'"
For more information on girls' rugby or how to join a program near you, head to Rugby Pennsylvania's website.