Caitlin Robinson was supposed to graduate last year, but she ended up spending one more year at Alabama. That gave her one more season on the women’s rugby team.
The women’s rugby team has never made it to the Division II Sweet Sixteen before, but on Saturday, the club will continue its undefeated season against Florida International at Furman University on Saturday. The team actually received a bid to play in last year’s Sweet Sixteen, but insufficient funds kept the team from participating.
“I’m really thankful that I got to be a part of it, that I got to witness it,” Robinson said.
Club president Tiffani McGronan said the club recently received $1,000 for winning their division as the No. 1 seed. She said earning the money to go one year later has made the trip even sweeter.
“Even if we win one game, I would still be really proud of how far we’ve come,” McGronan said.
Two years ago, the team could not even roster the required minimum of 15 girls. That forced the club to field smaller teams than their opponents, which led to plenty of losses.
The team is bigger now, but size is still an issue. McGronan said the team cannot substitute as much as others, but the team is used to playing more minutes than other teams. She said her teammates tend to play with more energy than their opponents do in the second half.
Senior Darian Woods said the team has fought for recognition in the past. She said the support teachers and students have given the team recently has motivated her.
“To see us get this far means a lot,” Woods said. “[It also means] a lot because club sports don’t get as much respect.”
Robinson said competing for a national title after the way last year ended, is special. She said she is confident the team will pick up where it left off.
“We beat them all,” she said. “I feel like the same kind of thing is going to happen in South Carolina.”
