The Women’s Oakland Rugby Club was founded this spring. Marie Burchi and Rebekah Thomas combined efforts with the help of Devon Meadows and Hunter Michaels of the men’s team to do what has proven nearly impossible for the past few years.

The idea of a women’s team was something that was tossed around for years, but the required following and membership just couldn’t be gathered to support a full roster. Until now.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, it’s somewhat of a hybrid of Soccer and Football created in England in the early 1800’s. Described by some as football without pads or simply organized chaos, the theme that shines through all descriptions is the one given by Thomas, the club treasurer.

“It’s a family,” she said. “It changed my life for the better.”

“It gets you involved both on campus and in the community through fundraising,” Meadows said.

Meadows serves as coach of the women’s team and Club Sports President.

Rugby is a sport that emphasizes the social aspect of the game just as strongly as the competition. Not only do the men and women’s rugby clubs at Oakland operate closely together, but they also cooperate with the men and women’s Detroit Tradesman Rugby teams.

“This sort of interaction is something that creates more of a sense of community and family rather than just a team, Meadows said. “And the experiences are something you’ll never forget, tournaments in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Chicago, Cleveland, and those are just the Midwest.”

More information can be found online by joining the club’s Facebook group. No experience necessary to play, team dues for the sport are kept to a minimum and the sport takes place in the fall and spring, as well as over the summer.