The University of Alabama offers a wide range of sports for students to get involved in regardless of athletic background. One of these sports, women’s rugby, has been a successful student-led program on campus.

The women’s rugby team allows any female student to come out and have a chance to be a part of the team, which looks to achieve a common goal of bringing wins and success to the University. The dynamic of accepting students of all kinds is important, said rugby vice president Katherine Ott.

“My favorite part about rugby is that anyone has the ability to succeed,” she said. “Even if the person does not have any athletic history, there is a position for her on the pitch.”

The team has been successful in recent semesters. In the 2014 campaign, the team finished second in its division and received an invitation to USA Rugby’s Sweet 16 National Playoffs.

The group has found this success through its ability to form close bonds. The strength of their friendships is illustrated on the pitch, and a close-knit team off the field brings chemistry on the field. Junior team member and match secretary Kourtney Davis said these relationships are a big reason for her playing the sport.

“It was the people that made me love the sport,” she said. “There is a feeling of camaraderie that I have never found anywhere else before.”

In the coming season, team members said they hope to continue building relationships on and off the field. Like most sports, the team loses important players to graduation and replacing key players in the lineup is important to continuing the success of the program.

“We lost several seniors, but we are a well-rounded team that plays from freshmen up,” Davis said.

The team has done just that this semester and is currently sitting atop its bracket in the Southern Independent Rugby Conference after a forfeit from Georgia Southern and a win 
against Emory.

The team will look to add another win in their 2015 campaign with a match against Kennesaw State University on Feb. 21 at 2:30 p.m.