USA Rugby: More to do

By Wendy Young

Image: Wendy Young (middle) pictured with USA players Jenna Flateman and Lauren Shaughnessy

Ali at ScrumQueens asked me to write a blog introducing my own site Your Scrumhalf Connection many months ago, but lately I have been feeling that dreaded writer’s block.

Who knew that a small blogging project I started three years ago (has it really been that long?) would manifest itself in so many different ways?

I started the blog Your Scrumhalf Connection because I was incredibly frustrated with the lack of coverage for women’s rugby. The original form of YSC was a much smaller version only meant to cover rugby in the Western Rugby Union in the USA. But after a few months when I realised that most of my visitors were from outside the Western Rugby Union, I quickly branched out to include all women’s rugby.

While the focus of YSC is always changing, the main core has been to promote and evolve women’s rugby.

As a player, coach, referee and lover of the game I can’t imagine my life without rugby and my blog. But lets be honest, one girl and a computer can’t do it all!

That is why I was so excited when ScrumQueens contacted me and let me know that they would be starting a International women’s rugby site. The more positive sites out there with the same purpose to bring women’s rugby into the light means the more support we will have.

But where do we go from here?

We have a few moderately successful websites that have dedicated fans, but what is next?

In my opinion we need to do even more! Last year, my partner wrote a rather enlightening piece covering the fact that almost 45% of collegiate players never play beyond college (read the post here).

These facts are why we (the USA) are failing as a nation to bring women’s rugby to where it belongs. Our collegiate, club, regional and national teams will continue to suffer if we do not help them grow from the roots up. Club teams need to conitnue to reach out to their Collegiate sister teams and encourage them to keep playing rugby beyond college.

However, I don't think we can change the world by just going that deep. We have got to start digging even deeper and that means investing in youth.

There are hundreds of boys high school teams across the nation and men’s collegiate and club teams are already feeling the push as our little brothers learn rugby. We need to fall into the footsteps of the men and start women’s youth and high school leagues. We need to take our love of the game and infect the younger generation. We need to help little girls parents understand that rugby will be just what their daughter needs.

I hope you will take up the torch with me and start a touch, contact or other type of team in your area. Don't be afraid to ask the men for help, after all they already have established programs that you can mimic and follow if needed.

We all know that all it takes is a small ripple and we can start a revolution.