BYU Women's Rugby
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| Full name | Brigham Young University Women's Rugby |
|---|---|
| Union | USA Rugby |
| Nickname(s) | BYU Cougars |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Location | Provo, Utah |
| Ground(s) | South Field & Helaman Field |
| Coach(es) | Tom Waqa, Tevita Atalifo |
| Captain(s) | Nicole McCullough, Grace Taito, Analise Arnold (2016-2017) |
| League(s) | USA Women's College DI Elite |
| Official website | |
| www |
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The Brigham Young University Women's Rugby team, formerly known as Women's Cougar Rugby Club, participates as an Independent Collegiate Conference rugby program in USA Rugby's Women's College rugby D-I Elite competition. BYU Women's rugby is a sanctioned team under Extramural Sports programs with the Department of Student Life at Brigham Young University. More recently, in May 2016, BYU entered its first National Championship Final ever as an extramural club on campus in Utah, and came in as runner-up to Penn State in the DI Elite Final.
“Women’s rugby at BYU began in February 2000, when Julia Hobbs, 19, a sophomore from Norman, OK, put up fliers on campus, asking girls interested in playing to call her.” “Over 100 girls called,” Hobbs said. Many have since dropped out or gone home for the summer — only 12 girls remain.” By Emily Bell – NewsNet Staff Writer – 31 May 2000. Women’s Cougars rugby tradition lived on; from those 12 dedicated girls, to a highly ranked team in the Nation today. To this day, BYU Women's rugby team maintains an average roster of 40 female students.
The Brigham Young University women's rugby team was founded by Shane Seggar, who is the son of John Seggar. John previously founded the BYU men's rugby team when he was at student at BYU in 1962. Coach Shane Seggar moved on from coaching in 2003, and John Seggar took over as head coach from 2003 - 2004. Coach Tom Waqa was given the reigns by the team's committee as head coach of the unofficial team, Women's Cougar Rugby from 2004 until it became an official Extramural Sport on October 8, 2015.
On October 28, 2015, Tom Waqa was selected as the new Women's rugby coach of the BYU Women's rugby team.
Prior to 2007, the National Collegiate Tournament changed the schedule of playing from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday. This change in schedule and the women's rugby team's affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints kept them from competing for a national championship because they would not compete on Sundays. Over the next few years, BYU Rugby continued to participate in regular season matches, but they participated in no post-season.
In 2008, USA Rugby returned women's rugby post-season tournament play to a Friday-Saturday format, and BYU women's rugby began playing under USA Rugby Collegiate Tournaments after a successful petition that granted Women's Cougar rugby club a waiver to participate in USA College rugby.
The women on Brigham Young University’s club rugby team made National News on April 16, 2010 when during their quarterfinal match which was scheduled on Sunday, due to an oversight by USA Rugby Competitions Committee, decided to forfeit the national college playoff that weekend in Florida. The Cougars advanced that far in last year’s tournament, losing to Penn State, the eventual champion. The team was ranked sixth in Division I and had a good shot. The Cougars defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee 46-7 on Saturday, however, B.Y.U. did not advance past the Round of 16 that weekend. All 35 team members of the team are Mormons, and because USA Rugby scheduled that round on Sunday, the team decided to forfeit the Sunday game against Penn State.
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