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| I <3 Rugby |
The most constant and reliable source of social and physical activity for me has been rugby. I started playing rugby when I was 20 and haven't looked back. I have had to take a season off here or there because of work or illness, but I have been involved in some manner since 2001.
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| The awesome Danielle Miller with a stiff arm. |
It all began with a journalism assignment. We had to write a story detailing something about campus that people probably didn’t know existed. Had my friend Alicia not played rugby, I would have never known myself. Alicia had been trying to recruit me knowing my sports history and I was really thinking about it. The story was a great opportunity to cease the moment. I accompanied Alicia to an indoor practice at Withrow Court. I had my notebook in hand and was ready to get to know the team. I really enjoyed watching the practice and was excited to learn more. I introduced myself to the player/coach Danielle Miller and she asked me if I’d come back to play. I was hooked, so of course I wanted to come and play. She took one look at me and said, “You’d be a forward.” I was soon going to learn what that was and would learn to love being a forward. I would also learn to make fun of backs. Sorry guys, I kid because I love.
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| I want to say that we're playing Ohio U here. :-p |
I am so grateful for my Miami Ruggers. They are amazing people. Alicia, Paula and Lex visited me a few times when I lived in YS. They even helped me pack up my apartment for the great move out to Oregon. I have no words to describe how awesome they are.
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| Lex is my Hero!!! Here he is joining in on a rugby song! |
Having known a few Miami Alum who played for Cincinnati Dayton Women’s Team, I soon found myself scrumming with these awesome ladies. I played in the fall of 2003, but took some time off to find a job, and get medical insurance. It wasn’t long before I found myself back on the pitch and rejoined Cincy-Dayton. I missed some awesome moments, like going to Midwest and Nationals, but it was what I had to do at the time. I really didn’t get a chance to bond with Cincy-Dayton as a whole.
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| F Detroit! |
In 2006 the team had grown big enough to split to form 2 teams. I lived in Middletown and could pretty much choose any team I wanted. There was something inside me telling me to go with Dayton, so that’s what I chose. It was a good thing I did because my career took me to Dayton. I would be a member of DARC for 4 years and even serve on the Executive Committee of the club. More important than the skills I learned from Coaches Borg and Kraemer were the life long friendships that I made.
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| Grubb looking to pass to Erica. Knowing Grubb, I doubt she passed it. ;-) |
I have so many great memories of this team. There were amazing bus trips with the men's team. We rocked out at some awesome socials both home and away. The DARC Fish Fries were epic. I looked forward to that fundraiser as well as the Monte Carlo night every year. Our Banquet and Old Boys weekend were by far the best social events of the year. Rugby players may be rough on the pitch, but they look damn nice when they clean up.
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| Beautiful ladies at the 2009 DARC Awards Banquet. |
Ruggers have BIG hearts. When I was diagnosed with MS and lying in a hospital bed, I got numerous calls from teammates and they visited me when the weather permitted. (It was so cold and icy in January of '09.) I don't know what I would have done without them. They really helped me push through a difficult time. I worked hard on my recovery so that I could be back on the pitch again. I only played for 10 minutes my first match back, and I cried so hard when I walked off that pitch. I gave Coach Borg and Coach Kraemer BIG hugs because I was so happy to know that I could still scrum. It's when I knew MS would never tear me town. The next year the rugby club would rally around me to raise money for the National MS Society. KJ lead the MS Walk, Jill's DARC side. Thank you KJ and thank you DARC for being so supportive.
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2010 MS Walk Team, Jill's DARC Side. "Jill's MS Treatment: Take one dose of rugby 3 times a week and call me Sunday Morning. Afternoon." |
Rugby is truly amazing because you can move to an entire different state and as long as their is a club there, you have instant friends. When I was preparing to move to Oregon, at first the only club I could find was in Portland, which is nearly 2 hours from where I live now. It would be tough, but I would have made it work. It would have been funny because they are the Portland Pigs and they are red and black. They may not fly, but I am sure it would have been a fun team. Luckily the lady I contacted said there was a team in Eugene that was closer to Corvallis. Still, they were an hour away, but rugby is worth the distance. I contacted the Team President at the time, Amber to get more info.
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| Eugene Reign in their sexy new jersies. I have to admit, Ninkasi is a better beer than Amberbock. Sorry. |
I have a new favorite Rugby moment from playing with the Reign. We made it to the Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union DII Playoffs. We were playing Budd Bay who hadn’t lost a game all season. They hadn’t even had anyone score against them. We had actually played Budd Bay in a regular season game a week prior and we didn’t score. I had dreams of us scoring and I was going to make it happen. I was close to the try zone on two separate plays in the playoff match and would have scored had I not knocked the ball forward or passed the ball forward those two times. I was so frustrated with myself, so I decided the next time I was near the line of the try zone, I was going to set up the play of my dreams.
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| I was awarded the "Champion" Medal for being awesome. |
There we were, 10 meters away from the line. A ruck had formed, so I turned to our flyhalf Kata and told her to follow me. I began to yell at our scrum half, “GABBY! I want the BALL! Give ME the ball!” She began to dig it out and I screamed again, “GABBY! BALL!” Once I saw she had the ball loose, I ran forward to receive the pass. Kata was trailing behind me. There were three girls ahead of me on the fringe of the ruck. I wasn’t passing it, I got low and hit the first girl and pushed her forward. The other two bound on to her. I placed the ball on my hip and drove those women for a good 3 meters. I was determined to score! Kata understood what I was doing and came to get the ball. She hit me and drove us all forward again. She then broke off with the ball and touched it down in the try zone. We were the first to score against Budd Bay that season. We may not have won the match, but scoring against Budd Bay was a victory! I had scored before, but none of them felt as wonderful as setting up Kata to score. I received Woman of the Match for that play. I hope there are many more like that in my future.
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| My reward for earning Woman of the Match was to babysit Tiki. We're BFFs now. |
The Eugene women are SPECTACULAR! I knew I would make instant friends, and I have. I had only played with them for one season before I had the MS relapse, but Amber and Brittany came up to Corvallis to visit me in rehab. They brought me a basket of goodies and a signed photo of the team. I was so grateful to have met them and to find a team that embraces me. This is a true testament of the kind of people that rugby attracts. Corvallis is trying to form a team, and although they would be closer, I don’t think I could leave the Reign.
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| Rugby friends bring you beer when you're in rehab. |
I wish I would have gotten more serious about it sooner. If I would have been more driven and had more discipline, I could have been a force. Now my body has been rocked by age and disease. There’s still hope though. Although I took the last season off because I was in a wheelchair for most of it, I hope to play in at least one match this fall with the Reign. Spring 2011 was the first time in 6 years that I didn’t play in at least one game. I can’t let that happen again.
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| Spring 2008 DARC Women |
Please enjoy all of the awesome rugby photos. There are a LOT of photos. Hey, it was 10 years of good times and great friends. It's mostly DARC photos, because that's where the majority of my rugby career took place.
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| YAY Rugby Prom!! |
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| Alicia looks STUNNING for Rugby Prom! |
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| Miller teaching basics at rugby camp. |
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| Miller and Kit demonstrating proper tackling. |
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| Diet Jill and Hannah during the Rookie Skit. |
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| "Alicia" "Miller" and "Jill" |
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| LOVE Paula! She was my first hooker when I propped for Miami University. You always remember your first. |
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| I am a big fan of this guy! He was an awesome Swoop Mascot! |
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| Miami Props, class of 2003! |
sniffle. i miss the chuck-a-luck.
ReplyDeleteBEST. GAME. EVER!
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