Oakland University will soon add another team to its growing roster of club sports.  The OU women’s rugby team is currently recruiting members for its first season.

Rugby is a game that mixes techniques used in soccer and football. Popular in places like Europe and Australia, the sport is played without protective padding or equipment. The ball used for rugby is rounder than an American football, allowing for easier scoring for players who drop-kick the ball.

Senior Marissa Vittands is the captain and founder of the team.

“There was already a guys’ team, and I had been thinking about starting a girls’ team for a few years,” Vittands said. “I’ve actually played with Wayne State but their team kind of dispersed so I decided to start a team (at Oakland).”

Vittands started playing rugby in high school and has been playing for six years.

“It’s like no other sport — you can kick the ball, you can throw the ball and you can lift people up to grab the ball,” Vittands said. “There are a ton of things people don’t know on average. People are like ‘what’s rugby? How do you play? What are the rules?’ It’s kind of unique.”

Vittands said friendship and camaraderie are huge factors in the sport of rugby.

“Rugby is 90 percent social and 10 percent rugby really,” Vittands said. “It’s meant for meeting new people.”

Vittands said despite tough competition on the pitch, building lasting friendships  is more important than winning.

“That’s the beauty of rugby — it’s social with a little bit of rugby in between,” Vittands said.

Interested students may contact the team through its Facebook group or they may contact Vittands at [email protected].

Practices will begin March 21. Vittands said the team is looking for several players, and no previous rugby experience is needed to join.

“We will show them what to do and how to play,” Vittands said. “Fifteen players are needed to field a team. But if we got 20 or even 30 that would be good.”

The team has tentatively scheduled five games. Home games will take place on Saturdays at the upper fields on campus.

Vittands said potential opponents include local colleges such as Michigan State University, Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University.