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`It has been four long years since the Millersville women’s rugby team has had a field on campus to call their home pitch.
The wait has been worth it and now come Saturday October, 3 the girls will host their first home match on Millersville soil versus Ursinus College.
Four years ago, the women’s team shared a rugby pitch with the men’s team behind Gaige Hall at what was then called Stayer Field.
A lot has changed since then there is a new baseball field, and a new parking garage have been constructed leaving the rugby teams without a pitch on campus to call their own.
In that four year stretch, both teams have been playing their home matches off campus on any large enough field they are lucky enough to be allowed to use.
Past pitches have been located behind Planet Fitness on Route 999 and at Centerville Elementary School, which is about a 20 minute drive off campus, on Centerville Road.
However, the teams patiently waited for space to become available on campus, and could not be more thrilled to have a brand new pitch in the center of campus at Brooks Field, located right next to the pond.
“It is important because we feel more connected to the university, but also because the pitch has helped us to show others what rugby truly is,” senior Colleen Harnish said.
Harnish believes having a pitch on campus is not only better for the team as far as traveling, but she hopes it will help attract more prospective players who may not have even seen rugby played before.
With the new field in the center of campus, Harnish hopes that students will take a few minutes to watch a portion of a game or practice and perhaps it will catch their interest.
“In the past couple semesters the Women’s Rugby team has been in search of new players,” Harnish said. “Already this year we have had over twenty new players come out and join.”
Harnish hopes this influx of new players will help improve their 4-1 record last spring.
The team participates in two seasons.
One in the Spring and one in the Fall. The Fall season is the one which is followed by the playoffs.
Spring seasons are generally a means to keep teams playing, improving and breaking in new players.
The Women’s team missed the playoffs last Fall, but hopes things will be different this time of year.
Millersville will have a chance to do so against teams such as Ursinus, St. Joe’s University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Bloomsburg University. Millersville will host UPenn on October 24 at 11 a.m.
Millersville is coached by Joe Capp. Capp has been the team’s coach for the last five years. The team practices four times a week, Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Harnish does what she can to let anyone who is interested know that not much is required to come out for the team.
The team accepts new players any day of the year and is very flexible with their practice schedule.
“No experience is necessary to play. Anyone interested in joining is welcome to come out to practice. Shorts, a T-shirt, soccer cleats, and a mouth guard are the only equipment needed.”
For more information on the team visit their website at www.villerugby.freehompage.com.
The site is currently a bit outdated but can provide valuable information for prospective players.