On April 8, the Cortland women’s rugby team, the Peace Frogs, will take the field as Minions.
The University of Rochester will host the 11th annual tournament where rugby teams from the Upstate New York Collegiate Rugby Conference will play rugby 7s in costumes. Unique ideas in the past have included teams dressed as the seven dwarfs, superheroes, and Adam Sandler ruggers.
“You see every team’s fun side, which is rare to see on a rugby field playing against a team,” said Vice President Molly O’Connor.
Since the team originated, the nature of Peace Frog rugby has been to play fiercely while maintaining a fun atmosphere. However, the pressure will still be on as they try to get some wins under their belt, despite the costumes.
The team is looking forward to success as they approach this weekend. The Peace Frogs battled with the loss of veteran players at the beginning of the spring season, so now they are ready to ruck.
“I think we are hungry for a clean sweep,” said O’Connor. “This season has been a huge rebuilding season so I am hoping that our team is beginning to click, and we start connecting plays which will open up more opportunities to score.”
O’Connor will be attending St. Bonaventure University in the fall as a recruit to the now Division I squad. Her efforts as scrumhalf have been a significant asset to the team over the last two years.
“This weekend I am looking forward to pushing myself as hard as I can in order to aid my team’s success,” said sophomore and first-year rugger, Jamie Stahl. “I heard a quote the other day that said, ‘no matter how strong you think you are, you are always stronger,’ and that really resonated with me.”
The dynamic of rugby is a high intensity, high-speed sport with intense contact. While all of this may be true, most players remain respectful towards each other on and off the field and create lasting memories along the way.
Participating in a lighthearted tournament, such as Ruck Rochester, is the environment that the Peace Frogs have been looking forward to all season.
“The Peace Frogs fit perfectly into this tournament because we love to have fun,” said O’Connor. “We are always told to go out and have fun during games and the costumes and the environment of the tournament will give us the opportunity to have a good time and show other teams what Peace Frog rugby is about.”
Veteran Destiny Fix believes that rugby is full of people who are like your family, and she would recommend the sport to anyone that is interested. She discovered her love for rugby in high school and immediately knew she wanted to continue playing in college.
The Peace Frogs are grateful for the opportunity to be Despicable in this good-natured tournament. Ruck Rochester updates can be found on the Cortland Women’s Rugby Instagram.