Caro Fowler has a dangerous hobby. "I hit my head on a regular basis, but I usually donÕt notice until later when IÕm like, ÔHey, where did that bruise come from?Õ"
Fowler, who lives in Leesburg, is one of more than 60 women who compete for Northern Virginia WomenÕs Rugby, a club program that has seen its membership explode in recent years.
Vicki Bolton, a fellow player and a team liaison, said NOVA is the only womenÕs rugby program in the country to play Division 1 and Division 2. She attributed the 17 new members the team has this year to growing popularity for the sport at the college and high-school levels.
The players range from college-aged to players in their 40s. "ItÕs suitable for all shapes and sizes. IÕm relatively short and slow, but I can hit people hard," said Bolton. "And then there are the tiny, little people who can run around the outside and people like me canÕt catch them."
ItÕs also a great way to stay in shape while playing a challenging game. "Our coaches have always said, ÔYou donÕt play rugby to get fit, you get fit to play rugby.Õ During the season, weÕre practicing twice a week and playing on the weekend. You definitely get more fit," said Bolton. "RugbyÕs a great all-around sport. ItÕs exactly the game that the men play, which is attractive to [women] because they donÕt want to play a watered-down sport."
THE TEAMS PLAY two seasons Ñ one in the spring and one in the fall Ñ competing against teams from around the U.S. Their "home field" is Gravelly Point in Arlington, under the flight path from Reagan National Airport, but will travel to matches in places like Nashville, where theyÕll be the weekend of March 23-24. They practice twice a week at Oakton High School in Vienna. Visit www.novawrfc.org for full schedules and times.
Fowler, who played rugby at Wellesley College, said sheÕs seen different levels of experienced players come out for the NOVA team. "Since we donÕt have rugby in the States, people regularly show up not knowing much about it, spending the first year not really knowing whatÕs going on," she said. "You have to be dedicated to it. ItÕs when you hold back that you get hurt."
Lizzy Zacharias of Arlington is in her first year with NOVA. Although she played in college, she said the program is perfect for rookies that havenÕt been exposed to rugby before. "TheyÕre very open to people who are brand new to the game. You just jump in and learn. There are different levels, so you can still come to practice every week. ItÕs fun."
Fun, in the end, appears to be at the core of the NOVA WomenÕs Rugby experience. Bolton said the team will celebrate wins and mourn losses together at the same bar and they keep in touch during the off-season.
For Fowler, thatÕs exactly what she was looking for in a hobby.
"I didnÕt want to hang out in random bars to find friends. So this gives me a set bar to go to [each week]," she said with a laugh. "This teamÕs very friendly when weÕre not on the pitch."