By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."

By Nicole Jacovino

Special to the Gazette

Players on this team go by names like "Niffer" and "Haxo." They're not your typical college nicknames. But then Jennifer "Niffer" Esty and Heather "Haxo" Phillips are not players on a typical college team. They're members of the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, which is going to the Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Teamwork, practice, and three dedicated coaches are taking them there. The rugby team is a club, rather than a varsity sport, so everybody who wants to play can. Most of the funding for the team comes from dues that players pay and donations from the coaches. These circumstances have helped to build unity.

In many ways, the team mirrors the sport -- in rugby, to score a "try," which is the rugby term for a goal, the whole team has to work together.

"They put their whole hearts into the game," says Lisa Gartner, the head coach. "They really have a good esprit de corps, they really have a feeling of team effort. It's not about stars. When they work together, they will score."

The rugby team's record this year is close to perfect. The team has won every game except one, and at its most recent game, on Saturday, the team clobbered Dartmouth in two games: 42 to 0 and 15 to 7.

A Growing Game

Women's rugby is the fastest-growing women's collegiate sport, especially in New England. Women's rugby at Radcliffe College started in 1982. According to the statement on the team's Web page, "Although Harvard and Radcliffe are no longer separate institutions, Radcliffe Rugby has chosen to maintain the Radcliffe name in the spirit of women's achievement and empowerment."

Coaches Darlene "Bubba" Connors and Mary Dixey are former members of the USA Eagles Squad; and Gartner, Connors, and Dixey are veterans of the Beantown Rugby team, which is based in the Greater Boston area. Beantown travels nationally and internationally to compete, and has won six national championships. All three women have coached Radcliffe Rugby for several years and they are impressed by the intensity of the Radcliffe Rugby players.

"I think it's a really great opportunity for women to express their strengths, it's a sport where you can really go right out," says Gartner. "It's a very aggressive sport, a sport where strength is an asset. Strength, endurance, and speed. A lot of women have never tackled before. They've never tested themselves in that way before."

Playing by the Rules

Whether men or women are playing rugby, the rules of the game are the same. Before the game starts, both teams meet with the referee to check the equipment for safety.

Teams line up at the 50-meter line for cleat inspections and salutations, but the action begins with a kickoff, which is taken at center field. Rugby games have two halves that are 40 minutes each. Anybody may play the ball. A player may run with it, pass it, or tackle an opponent who has it, provided that she is behind the ball.

Jennifer "Niffer" Esty is the center around which the team revolves. Her position is called the scrum half, which means she's the team's "fearless leader." It's an appropriate role for Esty, who has been on the team for four years. She's seen the team go to Nationals once, and is looking forward to going again.

When the rugby team played at Nationals for the first time last year, it was defeated by Princeton. This season's team plans to play for the No. 1 ranking.

"Last year, the team didn't think that they should have been there," said Gartner. "This year they realize that they do belong there and they are pretty convinced that they can take the competition."

Heather "Haxo" Phillips, for one, is certainly charged up for the Nationals. Every day for 15 days before the competition, she plans to wear a rugby T-shirt. "I have been wearing a T-shirt every day to inspire our teammates to rugby greatness," Phillips says. "Next week we will be visualizing ourselves in the No. 1 place. It's about leadership, and team bonding."