UA Women's Rugby returns to scheduled practices, despite recent inconvenient weather.

By Tatumn Vaught on March 4, 2020

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- What has been an empty flooded field for the past month finally broke ground on Thursday afternoon, and UA Women's Rugby couldn't have been more thankful. The team has been forced to sacrifice their typical practice times due to the extreme amounts of rain Tuscaloosa has been experiencing. The current rate of rainfall is breaking records, while also set to surpass previous precipitation levels from the past three years during the spring season. While spring is known to be their competitive season, these ladies have had to work diligently to get out on the field whenever they can, even in brisk night time temperatures.

Data from https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/us/al/tuscaloosa/KTCL/date/2020-3

Once the spotlights were turned on and they laced up their cleats, the cold was no longer a factor and they began right where they left off. President of the club, Lexie Schomaker, started practice by recapping their most recent Mardi Gras Tournament in New Orleans, LA. While the girls won a majority of their games, Schomaker explained how their defensive game and passing needed work and how that would be the main focus of their practice today.

The team shared that their practices are usually run by their head coach, Eddie Buckner, who's been both the men's and women's coach for the past three years. He missed practice Thursday evening because he is currently in Los Angeles with the men's team at the LA Sevens Invitational College Division Tournament Championship.

Schomaker, and other team veterans, took charge by beginning with what the girls called, "an ultimate frisbee," rugby mashup drill to get everyone's blood flowing.

"That's not what rugby actually looks like, I promise," Schomaker explained with a giggle.

Next, the team separated into four lines and worked on passing drills. One girl would start with the ball and then everyone would proceed by running up the field and passing it across the line while moving, to simulate a game pass. The key to a good pass is the spin move that allows the ball to move in a straight line with speed so it can't be intercepted. Another important factor is that the ball must be passed backward, or behind the person with possession, in order to move it up the field without penalty.

While a majority of the team worked on the details of passing with movement, two new members were attending their first practice and learning the basics of passing. Women's rugby accepts members on all experience levels throughout the year, even mid-season. Freshman Amanda Korneghy explained how excited she is to be a part of a dedicated team.

"I just wanted to be a part of something where people were down to earth and not afraid to beat something up," Korneghy said. "This is my first time trying (rugby) out...so far I like it, there's a lot of little things to everything...but overall I think it's pretty great."

She also said that she plans to continue attending practices, travel with the team, and get better so she can compete.

Following passing, the Tide began scrum practice. According to the World Rugby training passport, a scrum, "is a means of restarting play after a stoppage which has been caused by a minor infringement of the Laws (for example, a forward pass or knock on) or the ball becoming unplayable in a ruck or maul." This is essential for a successful game of rugby, and what Schomaker explained the girls struggled with in the previous tournament. They also simulated fake rucks, which lead to better scrums and more movement with the ball.

To conclude, the team scrimmaged for about an hour, then finished practice slightly early due to the frigid temperatures.

UA Women's Rugby practices Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the lower recreation fields. Their next tournament is at Life University, located in Marietta, GA, on March 7th.