SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Tucked away on the south side of Syracuse University’s campus is Hookway field – home to the Syracuse Women’s rugby team. And despite just being a club team, the SU team captains think they need more recognition.
“I want this whole thing to be full. Like it would be so cool if we could get a bunch of people out here hyping us up,” one of the captains Katelyn Gates said.
“Especially this year like seeing the new girls and how much they’ve learned in like such a quick time,” another captain, Emma Samaniego said. “I wanna give them like a lot of recognition and stuff and also it’s a unique sport, it’s fun, I enjoy it so like I want other people to enjoy watching it too”
And just like any other sports team, winning games is important. That’s what SU did on Sunday against Binghamton. But SU team captain Emma Samaniego says it’s the connection and friendships that matter most.
“The girls that I just met a few weeks ago, now I’m so close with them already and I am trusting them to protect me on the field in these dangerous plays when ya know I just get tackled or I tackle somebody and I’m like people are running over me and I’m trusting my teammates to take care of me, make sure I don’t get stepped on and vice versa,” Samaniego said. “Like the connection that you form with these girls and stuff, because you’re playing such an intense, and dangerous game is like completely different than what you’d get from just like regular friendships or whatever.”
“It’s really a family. That’s my favorite part is like we’re all together, in the game we’re up together, when we’re off the field we’re together. It’s just – it really is a family,” Gates said. “And like it has to be when you’re on the field we have to play together and off the field we’re always together too”
A sense of unity is something that goes beyond the game of rugby. But no matter the crowd size, or coverage, or times when the other team scored, the friendships are what seems to make this whole thing worth it for the SU women’s club rugby team.
