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Autumn 2013 CalWRA.org
Introducing Cal Women’s Rugby Alumnae Chapter
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Welcome to our first digital magazine!
Our first e-zine is coming to you at a turning point for the Cal Women’s
Rugby team. Long-time head coach Ellen Owens has stepped down and will
pass the baton to Brandon “Do Work” Sparks, who has served
as assistant coach for the past two years. We are excited to
welcome Brandon on board! Ellen will continue to be involved
as the program’s Director of Rugby. In that role, she will work
on the varsity initiative (see page 12) and ensure that the team
has a strong administrative culture for years to come. Without
Ellen and her tireless commitment, there would be no Cal
Women’s rugby, so thank you Ellen on behalf of all CWRA
members!
Women’s rugby in general is also at an exciting crossroads.
With the inclusion of 7s rugby as an Olympic sport, the
opportunities for female ruggers in terms of competition,
visibility, and sponsorships have grown exponentially. We are
extremely proud of Irene Gardner (‘07) who competed as a
member of the USA Eagles 7s team at the World Cup in Moscow last
month. Check out Julie (JQ) Kieu's interview with Irene on page
10. Irene is not the only Cal rugger who wore the USA jersey this
summer – current players Stacey Wong, Genevieve Ireland, and
Lauren Butler all competed with the Collegiate All-American Under-
20 squad. The future of Cal Women’s Rugby is bright!
In this issue, you can read about the homecoming and anniversary
party we held last January (p. 8) and learn about our upcoming
events, including a big ball 7's fundraiser and alumnae-sponsored BBQ in
Berkeley on November 16! I hope to see all of you there, no matter what
shape you're in or how long it's been since you played. The "big ball" is a
great equalizer and it's going to be a fun event to support the current team
and get back in touch. Finally, save the date
for the homecoming event next year - March
1, 2014. Make your plans now to be there!
Go Bears!
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Mission of CWRA 6
Meet the CWRA Board 7
2013 Cal Women’s Rugby Reunion 8
ALUMNA IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Irene Gardner 10
HEALTH: Sports and Concussion Guidelines 11
POLITICS: Equality in Women’s Athletics 12
2014 Cal Women’s Rugby Schedule 13
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CWRA's mission to support the current team can best succeed if we can provide financial
support. Emotional and psychological support is important, but we all remember
fundraising and scraping together the money for boots, sweatshirts, bags, travel, practice
gear, game-day gear, pizza and beer! The endless list of things that go into making a
single game—much less a season, or post-season playoffs—happen. The current team,
like us when we were playing, has to face the same financial demands, and is operating
with a pretty steep deficit this year. CWRA is planning to help them out by raising
money to give the team enough to satisfy some short-term needs for balls and practice
pinnies (you know, those tank top things).
To help ensure Cal Women's Rugby players have a chance to compete on a bigger stage, CWRA is also raising money to provide a
small scholarship to a promising player who has been selected
for the Grizzlies or the U-23 team, but who is having trouble
meeting the financial demands for playing at the next stage of
competitiveness.
So, skip those Pumpkin Spice Lattes for a week, and donate
$20. Buy your next pair of shoes on sale, and donate the $50 you
saved. Dig deep, remember what it was like to be at Cal,
running between class, practice, games, and fundraisers, and
how incredibly grateful you'd feel to have someone sweep in and
take care of a single expense related to the game you love. Donate now, donate a little more than you think you can. These
awesome women, our legacy, deserve it.
All donations will go directly to the team, and you can earmark your donation to go towards a $1,000 "Competitive Player"
scholarship, or towards the "Everyday Operating" fund. To give a gift visit CalWRA.org.
...skip those Pumpkin
Spice Lattes for a week,
and donate $20...
“ “
© Nennanenna | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images
Donate Now
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I graduated in 2011 and played from 2008-2011. I was
president during the 2010-2011season and during my rugby
career started off as hooker and ended as scrumhalf. Favorite
rugby memory was tackling a girl 2.5x bigger than me.
CWRA Vice President It is my absolute pleasure to serve you
as executive vice president on the
CWRA board! I played rugby for Cal
from 1999-2003. I played tight-head
prop and hooker (that is the front row,
for all of the backs out there J). I also
served as Vice President and President my senior year.
After several years in the school of life, I decided to go to
pharmacy school…in Hawaii…because if you have to go
back to school, it might as well be in paradise!
CWRA President I played scrumhalf from 1997 until
1999, when I graduated. I was the
Treasurer and a Captain. My
favorite personal memories are:
Nina Wang scoring our first try for
the "new" team against Humboldt State; practicing
during "El Nino" on tennis courts and dog parks; and
playing on Santa Cruz's beautiful field overlooking the
ocean. What I love most about Cal women's rugby is
all the friends that I've made and knowing that the
team has played an important part in the lives of so
many people who have come through the program.
Julie (JQ)
Kieu
CWRA Treasurer I played rugby from 2009-2012 and
spent the majority of my time as a
weak-side Winger #11. Unlike the
stereotypical winger, I loved tackling
so all of my favorite rugby moments
involved me smashing the opposing
winger. Chase down a kick and go for the open-field
tackle? Don't threaten me with a good time.
I work in business development at
an investment firm. I co-founded
Cal Women's Rugby (version 2.0)
with Emily Nugent in 1997. I
played fly-half and was the President and a captain
from 1997-1999. Favorite memories: Lobbying the
university just to get sports club status and then
winning sports club of the year. Winning second place
in the Pac NW in our first season. Every road trip to
every game.
I played from 2000-2002 and the team was too smart to put me in a leadership
position ;-). I was always as a prop. My favorite rugby memory was going to Sweet
Sixteens in 2002 in Florida; it was an awesome way to finish up undergrad! I'm
currently an attorney specializing in civil litigation.
I played for the team from 2004-
2006 and had the honor of co-
captaining during the 2005-06
season. Favorite memories: seeing
the marked development of my
teammates throughout the seasons, playing DMX
before each game, the connections and laughs we had
during our away game road trips, and eating fiber
cakes on the buses. I am a business owner in San
Francisco, and am always working towards changing
the world in little ways... and some very big ways too.
Kanelle
Barreiro
From 2000-2003, I alternated
between inside and outside center
for the Cal Women’s Rugby Team. I
served as a team captain, and most
frequently I got to adorn the lucky number 13. Woohoo!
Playing rugby was amazing and is a memory I will
always treasure. The best part about the experience
was all the fantastic women I have had the chance to
meet because of it.
Sarah
(Xena)
Hemly
Katie Chou
Lau
ra Lo
ren
z
Karina
Johnson
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To start off 2013 with a bang, the Board Members of the newly formed California
Women’s Rugby Alumnae Group (a.k.a. CWRA) organized an inaugural event as a
way to introduce the organization, raise money for the current team, and gather past
and present Cal rugby players. It was held on a beautiful Saturday evening at
Cityline in Emeryville, CA.
The event was a smashing success with alumni coaches, and fans who traveled from
all over the country to show their support. At first, everyone stuck to their comfort
zones, socializing within their respective graduation classes. Yet, after bellowing a
few rugby songs together and lining hungry stomachs with food and drinks (I can
confidently report that a rugby player’s talent of consumption does not fade), the
boundaries progressively blurred as the bond from being a part of such a life-changing organization filled the air.
During the first hour, I went around the room and asked every single one of the ladies to describe in a few adjectives what words
came to mind when thinking about the Cal Women’s rugby team. Most alumnae were speechless and overwhelmed by the
unexpected request as a dream-like nostalgia glazed over the eyes of these women. I could see they wanted to say so much but
found it difficult to conjure up deserving words to give their flood of emotions and sacred memories justice.
After my data gathering was done and shared during the welcome speech, there was a group epiphany. Although the amazing
game of rugby, especially women playing rugby, is one key element of what makes our memories encased in platinum gold, the
more heavily weighted component is actually the people with whom we played, lived, laughed, and cried. By the end of the
evening, the energy in the room was radiating, filled with the glowing faces of several dozen stunning, strong, brilliant women
who were all eager to push the momentum of the team forward and the memories of the past alive.
Let us be reminded again that there is much to gain in keeping this network healthy and the current team well-supported. Now
how can you possibly miss the 2014 reunion to come?
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An interview with Irene Gardner
Irene Gardner (‘07), one of the superstars of USA Rugby,
recently came back from Moscow, Russia where she
helped the Eagles earn a bronze medal at the Women’s
Sevens Rugby World Cup. She’s been on numerous tours
around the world with the USA Women’s Sevens team,
and she’s also helped the Berkeley All Blues RFC win
four national championships, two in 15s (2011, 2012)
and two in 7s (2011, 2013). Aside from her commitment
to training for rugby, she’s also a dedicated dietician at
Kaiser. However, before becoming a leader on the
national team she was a leader on the Cal Women’s
Rugby team. I was fortunate enough to be able to catch
her in between workouts to reflect on her years at Cal
and on rugby.
What got you into playing rugby?
Irene: My sister Elaine played at UC Davis, so I knew about it. My second year at Cal I saw an ad in the Daily Cal for an informational
meeting. I grabbed my roommate, Julie Leong (who also played during the ’03-’04 season), and the rest is history.
What’s your favorite Cal Women’s Rugby memory?
Irene: Tournaments in general like Scrum by the Sea and playoffs were my favorite. The team environment, amount of fun it brought to
rugby… there was a positive attitude and a lot of excitement for rugby on the team. In college rugby, it’s so new to everyone that people are
excited to play. There’s a positive growth mindset and you’re constantly learning and challenging yourself. There’s also the potential to get
better and that’s the excitement.
What are your future endeavors/goals in rugby?
Irene: My personal goals in rugby are to continue growing as a player, to improve upon my skill and also my understanding of the game, which
is something I recently developed and has made me better as a player. I want to continue on the national team for the 2014 season and assist
the USA program in becoming the strongest and the best in the world. In the past four years, I’ve developed an enjoyment and passion for 7s.
It’s brought a sense of gratitude and appreciation for this type of rugby, and I want to be able to use this to maybe coach in the future. Sevens is
the rugby of the future. It’s the next Olympic sport that’s going to take off and really accelerate the growth of rugby in the US.
What do you want to see for the Cal team during the 2013-2014 season?
Irene: Beat Stanford and a top 4 finish in the country.
Do you have any tips for current Cal Women’s Rugby players?
Irene: Never stop challenging yourself. Challenge yourself as an athlete to be stronger, to be smarter, to be faster, to increase your
understanding of rugby. This goes for life as well. Challenge yourself to be a better person in every aspect of your life: career, hobbies, and the
relationships you pursue. Always stay positive no matter what you do, because a good attitude will allow you to achieve more. Be appreciative of
all the support that surrounds you especially within the Cal community for these are some of the friendships that I continue to maintain, and
those people are the people have pushed me to be where I am today.
Irene continues to impart her knowledge and skill on future rugby players. She captained the Berkeley All Blues Sevens squad to a 2013 club
national championship this past summer whose squad included alum Lucy Croy (’10), recent Cal alum Jenn Sever (’12) and current Cal player
Gen Ireland (’15). She will be leading a team from USA in mid-November 2013 as they compete in the Coral Coast 7s tournament in Fiji. As an
added bonus, Cal will have another representative as Lucy Croy was recently invited to go on tour as well.
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The headlines lately have been rife with instances of football players
attempting to sue the NFL for withholding vital information regarding
the consequences of suffering multiple concussions. 4,200 retired players
argued that they were not aware of the implications of continuing to
play a contact sport “too soon” after sustaining a concussion (Hoye).
Brains scans of players that had suffered multiple concussions showed
accumulations of tau proteins in the brain, a similar pathology to
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. The
symptomology matched the pathophysiology as well; players complained
of memory problems, dizziness, and trouble performing daily activities
(Hoye).
While these symptoms are very disconcerting, the biggest associated risk
is death. As recent as April 2011, a 19 year old University of Texas
Women’s rugby captain suffered a head injury during a match that led to
her passing in an intensive care unit (Sanders). It begs the question, did
she have any prior concussions, and if so, was it “too soon” for her to
resume play? Studies show that youths to young adults have a higher
risk of sustaining additional concussions and more severe symptoms
(Gilchrest). Could her death have been prevented by more appropriate
medical care?
A recent article in the Journal of American Medicine suggests that
concussion grading systems, established in 1997, are antiquated and
that the relative severity of a concussion is not the issue. Rather, any
level of concussion should result in abstaining from play until any and
all symptoms subside. Statistically, a concussed individual is more likely
to sustain a second concussion within ten days of the initial concussion
(Mitka).
When traumatic brain injuries are involved, your mental faculties, and
possible your life, are at stake, and that one arena where you don’t play
around.
Additional resources: www.cdc.gov/concussion
References
1. Gilchrest, Julie et al. December 7th, 2011. Traumatic Brain Injuries
Related to Sports and Recreation Activities Among Persons Aged ≤19
Years—United States, 2001-2009. JAMA. Vol 306, No. 21. Retrieved
from: http://sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/uhhilo?url_ver=Z39.88-
2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-
8&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid/
sfxit.com:azlist&sfx.ignore_date_threshold=1&rft.object_id=9549254662
70&rft.object_portfolio_id=110978537873265&svc.holdings=yes&svc.full
text=yes
2. Hoye, Sarah. April 10th, 2013. NFL Wants Player’s Suit Over
Concussions Dismissed. CNN Health. Retrieved from:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/09/health/nfl-lawsuit/
index.html
3. Mitka, Mike MJS. April 17, 2013. Guideline: Tailor
Appraisal of Concussion During Sports. JAMA. Vol 309,
No. 15. Retrieved from: http://
sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/uhhilo?url_ver=Z39.88-
2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/
fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-
8&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid
sfxit.com:azlist&sfx.ignore_date_threshold=1&rft.object
_id=954925466270&rft.object_portfolio_id=11097853787
3265&svc.holdings=yes&svc.fulltext=yes
4. Sanders, Ahsika. April 28th, 2011. Mens Rugby Head
Coach Calls Death Freak Accident. The Daily Texan.
Retrieved from: http://dailytexanonline.com/2011/04/28/
men%C2%92s-rugby-head-coach-calls-death-%C2%
91freak-accident%C2%92.
5. Thorndike, Augustus M.D. October 9, 1952. Seous
Recurrent Injuries of Athletes – Contraindications to
Further Competative Participation. The New England
Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/
NEJM195210092471504. Retrieved from: http://
cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2582/doi/full/10.1056/
NEJM195210092471504
6. Woo, Jonathan. April 20th, 2011. UT Women's Rugby
Player Dies From Head Injury. The Horn. Retrieved
from: http://www.readthehorn.com/sports/4087/ut_.
womens_rugby_player_dies_from_head_injury
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Led by Director of Rugby, Ellen Owens, the Cal Women's Rugby team made its case for varsity status to the Gender Equity and
Diversity (GED) committee on October 16, 2013. GED is part of the University Athletics Board that advises the Chancellor on
policy matters related to Intercollegiate Athletics. Joining Ellen were current players Lauren Butler ('15) and Stacey Wong ('16),
who spoke persuasively about the team's positive impact on their collegiate experience and the need for the consistent access to
fields, weight facilities, and medical care that would come with
varsity status. CWRA President, Emily Nugent ('99), addressed
the legal aspects of the team's elevation to varsity status and
the favorable implications such an ascension would have for
Cal's Title IX compliance. Tam Breckenridge, USA Rugby's
Associate College Director, flew out from Colorado to discuss the
rapidly changing terrain of women's collegiate and international
rugby. New coach, Brandon Sparks, also joined the group and
gave his perspective from years of coaching collegiate women's
rugby around the country.
This is the second time that the team has made a presentation
to GED. In 2007, GED voted against recommending varsity
status to the team based on a Title IX rationale. The committee
argued that another varsity team was not needed since Cal's
varsity programs already fully accommodated the athletic interests and abilities of Cal's female undergraduate population. This
time around, GED's questions did not focus on Title IX issues, instead touching on broader aspects of the team's appeal, including
women's rugby developments on the NCAA level and how many scholarships the team would have to offer. The committee's
questions indicated serious consideration of the team's proposal and figuring out "how" the team can make the varsity transition,
rather than "why." GED complimented the team's "polished" presentation, which included some killer video clips of Lauren and
Stacey torching the opposition. The committee met on October 29 to discuss the proposal and will issue its recommendation to
the University Athletics Board shortly. CWRA will keep you informed of all the developments.
GED’s...questions
indicated...figuring out
‘how’ the team can
make the varsity
transition...
“ “
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Date Home Away
February 1 Cal Stanford
February 8 Davis Cal
February 15 Cal Chico
March 1* Cal Davis
March 8 Chico Cal
Come out and cheer on our Lady Golden Bears this rugby season. Don’t forget that every day is a rugby day!
*March 1 is the 2014 homecoming game.
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