Claudia is now in her second year of uni and her second year in the Rugby Team! She’s been part of the club from the start of her time at UWL, and it’s helped her grow her friendship group and develop new skills.
Claudia rediscovered her interest in rugby when she joined UWL, after finding the Women’s Rangers. She played when she was younger and has now refound her passion for the sport. Claudia expressed how she’s noticed that not a lot of people typically think of rugby as a sport for women, and she feels like getting involved in the team and being surrounded by other women who enjoy rugby has built her strength; physically and mentally.
Joining a sports team has given Claudia the university experience she always pictured before she started at UWL. She has made some incredible friends through rugby and gets to have all the experiences she imagined about typical uni life. Having socials with different teams, watching each other’s games and competing in Varsity all build amazing memories she can look back on. Being on the team has also enabled Claudia to make so many friends, something she thinks she would've struggled with if she hadn’t signed up.
“Joining the team has really helped in making friends and getting the whole experience that you traditionally think going to university will be like”
One of Claudia’s favourite things about the Rugby team is how non-judgmental everyone is. Coming to training, no one expects you to know everything, and they are always ready to help. Coming into a sport that can seem aggressive can feel scary, but through learning how to play and practicing, it becomes clear that there’s a safe way to do every part of the sport. The team and coach take each player through every skill and make sure they know how to play, tackle, ruck (and everything in between), without getting hurt.
“It's very daunting when you come to training and you don't know anyone and you're trying something new for the first time - you're not really sure what to expect. Everyone's been really welcoming, and they let you learn and encourage you and give you tips.”
It’s not just the players on the women’s team that come together to support each other, the men’s Rangers are also always ready to help. There’s a strong collaboration between all the teams, and the women’s and men's Rugby Teams share a strong bond; they are always ready to support one another and demonstrate new skills that might be useful to the other team.
Joining the Women’s Rangers has taken Claudia’s time at university to the next level and given her opportunities to grow her social life as well as learn new skills and grow her love for sport.
If you want to join the Rugby Team or any other sports club at UWLSU, click here.