Farm strong and rugby tough: OSU women's rugby team competes with grit
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu
The crisp air swirls as the players take their positions on the pitch. Cleats dig into the turf as they wait for the whistle to blow.
The referee steps forward, whistle in hand, and the air tenses. A deep breath. A final glance across the pitch. A sharp whistle pierces the silence. The ball is dropped and takes flight with one swift kick.
In a rush of bodies making calculated movements, the ball crashes into waiting arms. The first collision is swift — a clash of bodies with opposing missions — to move the ball forward and stop the opposing team from gaining ground.
A ruck forms as players dive for possession, working together to secure the ball, and the match begins.
Oklahoma State University is home to a women’s rugby team as well as a men’s rugby team. The women’s program was established in 2016 but was disbanded in 2019.
However, in 2021, a group of determined players brought the sport back to campus, said Taylor Massie, president of the OSU Women’s Rugby Team and animal science senior.
The team had a humble restart, Massie said. The first practice drew in only four players, but over time, the team grew.
“The first practice for someone new can be really intimidating,” Massie said. “You kind of just have to jump in head first and learn as you go.”
Now, the team hosted its first women’s tournament in February 2025, bringing 11 rugby teams from across the nation to Stillwater.
Rugby has two seasons and two ways of playing.
In rugby, sevens or 7s, is played in the spring, and fifteens, or 15s, is played in the fall.
The OSU Women’s Rugby Team only competes in 7s, but the members’ goal is to grow their membership enough to have a 15s team, said Kylie Johnson, the women’s rugby coach and animal science alumna.
Despite the team’s growth, recruiting new members remains a challenge, Johnson said.
“The lack of knowledge of the sport and how it’s played is our main problem,” Johnson said. “Potential players may see a clip of the sport and just think it's people running around and hitting each other.”
Rugby is a popular sport worldwide but was mostly unknown in the U.S. until the 2024 Summer Olympics, Johnson said. The sport has since gained traction. The OSU team has seen more interest as people become familiar with the sport, she added.
Rugby is a physical game with limited padding for players, which can intimidate those unfamiliar with the sport, Massie said.
“There are no helmets and no pads — just your boots and your mouthguard,” Johnson said. “That’s why we work so hard to learn safety. It’s actually a very safe sport.”
Players learn proper tackle and falling techniques, Johnson said. All tackles are done at waist level, and the tacklers must fully wrap their arms around a person and go down with her, reducing impact and risk, she said.
Unlike many who hesitate to join because of fear of injury, Massie sees rugby differently, she said. Instead of worrying about the risks, she focuses on the sense of belonging and purpose the sport provides, she added.
“The transition from home to college can be really tough,” Massie said. “I didn’t want to go through that alone, and I knew I’d need an outlet. Being around the team helps take away the toll that life can have on you.”
Balancing school and sports is no easy feat, especially in a demanding major like animal science, she said. Massie prioritizes school over sports, and rugby has served as a motivator to limit procrastination of schoolwork, she said.
“I learned taking a break is OK,” Massie said. “It’s 14 minutes per game. When I’m out there, I don’t allow myself to think about anything other than the game.”
For Emma Fox, animal science sophomore from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada, rugby is not only a sport but also a personal growth tool, she said.
Fox started playing rugby in fourth grade while also helping with the daily operations of her family’s Angus, Hereford and commercial sheep operation. Rugby has since taken Fox around the world — from her hometown in Canada to the green hills of Ireland and now to Stillwater.
Sports often teach competitors valuable life lessons, Fox said, and rugby is no exception.
“One of the best things I’ve been told is the team that wins isn’t the team that makes no mistakes,” Fox said. “It’s the team that makes better ones. That doesn’t just apply to rugby.
“You are going to make mistakes in life, in sports and in agriculture,” Fox added.
“Just try to make the
better ones.”
In Fox’s mind, rugby and agriculture are similar, she said, and the skills she gained from working in agriculture have helped her. On the field, she can visualize her opponents’ next move, much like anticipating animals’ movements when handling them, she added.
“Agriculture sets these players apart,” Johnson said. “Their work ethic is incredible. They get up with the sun and don’t stop until it’s down. During the time in between, they just work hard and get the job done.”
Rugby 101
Objective
- Score the most points by carrying, passing, and kicking the ball while avoiding tackles.
Types of Rugby
- In sevens, or 7s, teams have seven players on the pitch, and games consist of two seven-minute halves, making for a fast-paced, high-energy match.
- In fifteens, or 15s, teams have 15 players per side, and matches last two 40-minute halves, allowing for a more traditional strategic style of play.
Terms
- The field is called the pitch.
- A ruck occurs when the ball carrier is tackled to the ground and both teams compete for possession.
- All passes must be made backward, or behind the ball carrier.
- A try zone is similar to an end zone.
- A penalty kick is a kick awarded after the opposing team commits a major infringement.
- Drop goal is a kick taken during open play where the ball is dropped and kicked as it bounces off the ground.
Scoring
- Try — Ground the ball in the opponent’s try zone, worth five points.
- Conversion — Kick after a try through the posts, worth two points.
- Penalty kick — Kick through the uprights after a penalty, worth three points.
- Drop goal — Drop kick through the uprights during open play, worth three points.
Story by Payton Irick | Cowboy Journal