By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
Girls' rugby is a sport characterized by camaraderie, passion, and grit, emphasizing teamwork and resilience on the field. Above all, it fosters a deep appreciation for the game, which holds a special place in the hearts of many athletes. The Needham High School girls' rugby team returns for its second season, promising an exciting journey as these young athletes grow more confident in their abilities.
While the history of the Needham girls' rugby program may not be as extensive as other varsity sports at the school, it holds the potential for long-lasting impact. Dina Hannigan and Sara Rawan, who initially met while coaching Needham soccer and field hockey, discovered a shared background in collegiate girls' rugby, igniting an instant connection. Their friendship evolved into the creation of a girls' rugby varsity program in 2023, with both coaches aiming to instill a love and dedication for the sport, drawing from their own cherished experiences as players.
Beginning a new varsity team however is never easy, and head co-coach Sara Rawan shared what it was like starting up a team from scratch: “It was, I mean, it came with these challenges, but we used a different variety of things to get the team together like social media. We used our teams, like I used my soccer team and Dina used her field hockey team to just get the word out to those athletes first. And then the word kind of spread. So we each got a group of each of our own girls, I got a few soccer girls and she got some field hockey girls to join. And then, they told their friends. We held prospective player meetings as well as parent meetings, which helped, and that's how we started. And that was season one. Season two, we had a lot of retention, so a lot of the girls from last season decided to return and play this season. We had a few that decided it just wasn't for them, and the ones that did return kind of spread the word to their friends and told them how awesome it was. So, we have those new girls,” said Rawan.
In their inaugural preseason, coaches Hannigan and Rawan assembled a squad of 23 girls and commenced instruction on the fundamentals of girls' rugby. Witnessing the progress of each player and fostering an understanding of the sport's basics marked a successful season for the coaching duo. Returning for their second season, the girls' rugby team now consists of 21 players, with 17 returning from the previous year.“We judged our level of success based on whether the girls were safe, whether they were having fun, and whether we were able to retain them throughout the season. And also, fast forward to this season, how many of them were interested in coming back, and I would say that's how we judge our success. I think they're coming in more confident too because they know what to expect in terms of the rugby stuff. They don't have to learn from zero. And the returners are really stepping up and acting as leaders for the new athletes and really helping them out and teaching them the foundational things that they need to learn too,” said Rawan.
This season, coaches Hannigan and Rawan are making it their goal to hone in on the team’s foundation of skills, from effective communication to safety and more. Aside from just the coaches, each rugby referee is certified specifically for rugby which gives Hannigan and Rawan the peace of mind knowing that the referees are there to help each player learn the game more every game.
“I would say the refs are unique in rugby. They are rugby-only officials, and they're experts in their fields,” said Hannigan.
While discussing rugby, Hannigan and Rawan emphasized the passion and camaraderie for the sport, and how this passion starts just by supporting one another.
“What creates the passion in the player is that everyone is working so, so hard out there and equally as hard as you. You can be really confident that the player next to you is working just as hard. And you know, the other team is tired too. So everyone is giving their best effort and the camaraderie is built on the amount of work that's done and how hard you know your team is working for you and knowing that you can trust them when you're out there. It's a huge part of what makes the sport different and it can just be for myself, but that's what gave me a lot of the passion,” said Rawan.
Come and support the girls rugby team by cheering them on at their first game on March 28 at 3:45 PM against Brookline High. Another match to watch out for will be against Lincoln-Sudbury on April 26. Hannigan and Rawan hope to spread the word as much as possible about girls rugby and to build a community to support the passion of the game.
“I would say our goal is to grow the program as much as possible, get the word out. And not just for the school, but as a whole, these girls are experiencing rugby for the first time and they're seeing how awesome the sport is. And our goal is to just grow it in the school, but also let them talk about it with their friends and let them talk about it with their families as well,” said Rawan.
If you’re interested in learning more about girls rugby, please contact: needhamgirlsrugby@gmail.com.
