by Joanne O'Sullivan  .  photos by Matt Rose

Rugby has been called a gentleman’s sport played by hooligans. Morgan Rawls is neither gentleman nor hooligan, but the captain of the new Asheville women’s rugby team does acknowledge rugby’s reputation as a blood sport. Women who let that stop them from giving it a try, she says, are really missing out. Sure it’s aggressive, but it’s really fun. And in eight years of playing, she’s only gotten one concussion.

An Atlanta native, Rawls moved to town last August and didn’t waste any time in organizing a women’s team. While there have been women’s rugby teams in Asheville in the past, each has eventually disbanded due to players skipping town or dropping the team for other commitments. This time, Rawls says, she hopes the sport will stick. "My goal is to leave a team that’s not going anywhere."

With recruiting and training help from the established local men’s team, the women now practice twice a week at Walton Street Park, near A-B Tech. While they seem plenty enthusiastic, the seven-member team is currently short of the 15 players needed for a regulation squad. So the Asheville women, many in their 20s, combine forces with a Greenville group for matches. You don’t need experience to join, says Rawls, and in fact, much practice time revolves around basic conditioning and learning the game.

If you don’t know the rules of rugby, you’re not alone: some who play the sport aren’t overly familiar with them either. In the loosest sense, the idea is that players endeavor to get a large oblong ball into their opponent’s goal by throwing, kicking and carrying it down the playing field (called a pitch). Running is such a vital element that players typically clock around six to eight miles in a game, says City Bakery owner and rugby enthusiast Pat Dennehy, who’s helping the women train for their first season.

Central to the mystique of the tough "rugger" is the fact that—although they’re scrumming (crouching with interlocked arms) and mauling (piling on top of the ball carrier)—they wear no padding and very little protective gear aside from a mouthpiece. Team member Erin Herbst says that, while it’s not required equipment, a mouthpiece is essential "because I like my teeth and I want to keep them." She believes fear of injuries is one of the major reasons women don’t try rugby, but with proper training, players are far less likely to get hurt.

Rawls says one of rugby’s big draws—in Asheville and elsewhere—is the opportunity to meet people from all ages and walks of life. From college students to professional types, the sport draws a variety of women with a range of athletic skills and styles. Counter to stereotype, women ruggers don’t have to be big and burly. And regardless of how tough they may be on the pitch, once the match is over, they can kick back and have fun. "The camaraderie is one of the best things about the sport," says Herbst.

For more information about the Asheville Women’s Rugby Football Club, email ashevillewomensrugby@gmail.com or go to www.ashevillerugby.com.