A league of their own
by Arianne ScarnecchiaWomen's rugby has gained in popularity across the country. But here in Chicago, it has been a local favorite for years. The Chicago Women's Rugby Football Club is a non-profit organization that allows women to play competitively in rugby around the Midwest.
The team plays two seasons each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. They are now competing in the Midwest Women's Division I, which includes club teams from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Sue Oldenburg has been involved with the team since 1988, first as a player and later as a coach. Although she is taking time off right now, she still keeps up with the team.
"Chicago Women's is a great club," Oldenburg said. "Anyone can join the team who's interested. And everyone who shows up to practice gets to play. It's a lot of fun."
The Chicago Women's Club has been playing in Chicago for 25 years. According to Oldenburg, the club started in 1976 as an offshoot of the Lincoln Park Rugby Club, a men's team. The wives and girlfriends of the players decided to get together and play pick-up games after the men's games were finished. Eventually these became more than just pick-up games.
"As they started playing more games, interest in playing grew," Oldenburg said. "People who had played at the University of Illinois and [the University of] Michigan came to Chicago. They were looking for a place to play and as more people showed interest, the pick-up games turned into a club."
The Chicago Women's team is not only a lot of fun for those involved, it is also a wonderful opportunity for players who want to take their game to the next level.
Emilia Juocys, 23, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been a member of the team for almost a year. She has competed nationally with the U-23 national team and is now a member of the national 7's team. Sevens is a version of rugby played with only seven players instead of the normal 15. Juocys gives a lot of credit to the Chicago Women's Club for getting her to the level she is now playing at.
"Before I got to college, I had never played rugby," Juocys said. "The club used to come to our practices [at Loyola University] and help out. They essentially taught me how to play rugby, and look where I am now."
Playing for the club does come at a cost, however. Most of the players' equipment and travel expenses are paid for by the players themselves. Players are required to pay dues as well; they can be anywhere from $50 to $100, depending on the season, how many people are playing that year and how much, if any, money was left over from the last season. The money from dues tends to go toward field fees, referees and team functions. Fields cost about $180 for each season and the referees are paid $50 a game. The club is also sponsored in part by a local bar, which provides the club with a place to have post-game parties.
"We used to do a lot of fundraising," Oldenburg said. "We volunteered for CARA [Chicago Area Runners Association] and a couple of other organizations for a while. They'd, in turn, help us out with money or donated equipment. But now, it's mainly out-of-pocket for the players."
The club is in the midst of its spring season. The home games are normally held at Rogers Park, on Rockwell Avenue, just north of Touhy Avenue. The Chicago Women's team encourages everyone to come out to see them play.
"Rugby is a fun sport to watch, even if you don't fully understand the rules," Juocys said. "The games are always a good time and the parties afterward are usually better."
PHOTOS:
The women of the CWRFC in action on the field.
All photos courtesy of Chicago Women's Rugby Football Club.
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