CMU women’s club rugby creates a welcoming space for all
Members of the Central Michigan University women's club rugby team pose for a photo. (Courtesy photo | Shelby Knoblock)
Central Michigan women’s club rugby was created in 1993 and has strived to become a safe place for everyone competing in the tough sport.
“Club rugby is a sport where everyone is welcome,” Match Secretary Shelby Knoblock said. “And everyone treats everyone like family. We're very close, and while it is a tough sport, most people never have played it in their lives before college.
"We love helping and learning together about what rugby is, and just the traditions and the friends that you make alongside with it.”
For Knoblock, it has become a community that has helped her at CMU and is one of the main reasons she stayed at the university.
“I actually almost transferred out of Central,” she said. “I just felt like there was no place on campus for me, and that I … couldn't find my people. ... It's really kind of helped me find my passion in teaching, along with finding lifelong friends that I've met going on my fourth year on the team. …(It’s) been a sense of community, a sense of belonging on campus.”
Rugby is a full-contact sport with two opposing teams of 15 players. The goal is to score in the opposing team’s end zone by advancing the ball through running, passing and kicking, according to North Carolina Rugby.
Knoblock said the sport has taught her about toughness, not only on the pitch but also in her life and future career. She plans to teach physical education.
“I have learned just how much grit it takes with rugby,” Knoblock said. “You might get hit hard, and you just keep going. It's kind of translated in my teaching, like you're gonna have those days, where things are hard, but it's just how you keep going.”
The team competes in both semesters, starting with six to seven games in the fall. They compete against different schools, including Western Michigan, Grand Valley State University and Oakland University.
In the spring, the Rebels compete in a variety of tournaments, including one in Nashville, Tennessee, and a national qualifier in Grand Rapids. They also host a tournament called Ruck the Mountain.
As the match secretary, Knoblock’s main responsibilities include scheduling fall games and practices, including figuring out which games will be home and away and on what days the team will play.
She is also involved in setting up the spring tournament and registering the team for the other tournaments they travel to.
One important aspect when it comes to club sports is funding. Most teams have to come up with the majority of the dollars themselves.
Knoblock says that the team’s treasurer goes to different businesses in the area to look for people willing to sponsor the Rebels. They are also responsible for coming up with different fundraising activities, including a can drive.
The Ruck the Mountain tournament is funded through donations and sponsors.
“Those sponsors help us not only put money towards the tournament to host -- we have to pay to put the tournament on and (to pay) for the field and all of that -- but it also helps us be able to pay for our refs in the fall,” Knoblock said. "Eventually when we want to buy new jerseys, or if we made no balls, all of that
Knoblock encourages people to come check them out, even if they are unsure about the sport. There is no experience necessary to join the team.
“Just come out to at least one practice,” Knoblock said. “It doesn't matter if you come to that practice and then the second practice, you decide that rugby is not for you. Just at least try one practice, see the team (and) meet everyone.”
If you are interested in joining the team, you can reach out to Club President Emily Jarrel at jarre1g@cmich.edu or New Member Representative Samantha Butcher at buth1s@cmich.edu.
