Rugby is one of the world's most popular sports. Yet despite being the precursor to American football, it has struggled to find its audience in the States.
However, it’s gaining momentum as more and more girls are participating after the success of the U.S. Women’s Olympic team in Paris. And many Arizonans are hitting the pitch for its combination of fun, fitness, roughness and camaraderie.
Twice a week at Scottsdale’s El Dorado Park, both men and women toss an elongated oval-shaped ball, engage in scrums, rucks or mauls while attempting tries and kicking through an upright goal post.
It looks kind of familiar, but at the same time — very foreign.
“One of my bosses at work said, ‘Hey, do you play ball?’ You know, I played football and I ran track, like we all did in high school. And he asked me to come out and play rugby. … And man, I fell in love. And I’ve been here for 26 years. So that’s how long I’ve been playing rugby.”
Dolf Sanchez is a real estate agent by day and rugby ambassador by night.
“You can usually tell by the guy who shows up at the office with a black eye or walking a little funny down the hallway, that guy might play rugby," Sanchez says with a chuckle.
He believes rugby does as much for his mental well-being as it does for his physical health.
“It’s silly. You know, we’re running around, getting banged up. Sometimes in the summer, it’s 115 degrees, we’re still out practicing. And I’m like, why do I do this? This is dumb."
It’s the sport’s culture that helps his emotional well-being.
“No matter where you go in the world, knowing you find a rugby club, you’re gonna instantly have dozens of mates that you can go out and have a run with, have a beer with," Sanchez says.
The 19th century sport, which originated in England, is finally starting to gain in popularity on this side of the pond, with help from a new crop of girls and women like high schoolers Brooke Taylor, Charlotte Brandt and Tehani Tongaviha.
Taylor likes the aggression. “It’s something that takes my mind off of things. It’s like a therapy.”
Brandt says she found her people.
“It’s a certain kind of person that has to play rugby, and I think that’s just the group that I gel with. So, I really love it. It’s gonna take me to college," Brandt says.
Tongaviha delights in mixing it up.
“I just love the rough housing, the rough playing, I love tackling," she says with a laugh. "I just love being rough and I think that rugby is just the perfect sport for me.”
What kind of response do they get when they tell people they play rugby?
“Is that the sport with sticks? Where they throw the ball with sticks? Yeah, that’s the reaction I get,” Taylor says with a chuckle.
“Wow, you play rugby!? Or like they’ll ask me what that is, and I don’t really like breaking it down for them, so I’d just be like ‘It’s just football with no pads,” Tongaviha explains.
“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I never thought that. You look a little bit small,' but I think I’m just the right size,” laughs Brandt.
Taylor says the women’s team bronze medal in the summer games helped to skyrocket the sports popularity among girls.
“That was the first Olympic medal for a U.S. women’s rugby team. And I think that’s where it really started and people started idolizing some of those female rugby players and seeing wow, just because they play a sport that’s so 'grrr,' you can still be feminine,” Taylor said.
Brandt credits the team’s star and her hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
“I think it really owes a big credit to Ilona Maher and her presence, especially throughout the Olympics. She became this icon because she was really funny and then it drew attention to the game, and then they took third. It just brought attention to the sport and the hype around it," Brandt says.
Rugby is generally viewed as a rough and tumble sport. And it’s played with no pads.
So how can you avoid getting hurt?
“Everybody’s taught the way to fall, the way to hit, the way to get back up. So, you’re very mindful of your limbs and the hard parts of your body like your shoulders, your head and all that, so you’re aware of your teammates and other people,” Brandt says.
Tongaviha doesn’t even think about it.
“Honestly, I ... getting hurt isn’t really in my head. So I just play, and I just try to be safe while I play," she says.
And Taylor believes playing hard and staying in shape is all the protection she needs.
“The way to not get hurt is you play 100%. When you start slowing down, and just start really thinking about it, that’s where you’re more likely to get hurt. So, I mean I’ve gotten injured once, but it was because I wasn’t fit enough, so yeah — just play at 100%.”
The game has become so popular that it’s even got its own American pro sports league starting soon. Women’s Elite Rugby begins play in Boston, New York, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Chicago and Denver this month.
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