Amidst the cold, rainy conditions of the morning of Saturday, Sept. 23, the Smith College Rugby Football Club took to the pitch for the first time this season. Taking shelter under their umbrellas, the crowd of friends and family cheered on the team as they tackled their way to a 72-0 win over Mount Holyoke College.
Smith made no hesitation getting down to business. Within the first five minutes of the game, Backs Captain Alex Francesconi ’24 sprinted yards ahead of the last of Mount Holyoke’s defenders and successfully scored Smith’s first try. (For rugby newbies, a “try” is the equivalent of a touchdown in American football.) From the sidelines, it was clear that Francesconi’s early score set the precedent for Smith’s high morale throughout the game.
Although the game against Mount Holyoke was perhaps one of Smith’s easier wins, B-side Captain Izzy Wade ’24 said that the team still used this opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the season. “This is what we want to continue seeing for the rest of the semester,” said Wade.
Club President Anna Gunning ’25 added: “I think there’s always a question, with the first game, of ‘how is this going to go, and what is the team going to look like this semester?’ And I was really happy with how we answered that question … We started off on the right foot,” Both Wade and Gunning were overwhelmingly pleased with how the team kicked off their season. “Not just winning, but coming together as a team and showing everyone what we’ve been working on, I think, was something I was really happy about,” said Gunning.
There was ample opportunity to show off that Saturday morning. In addition to the usual attendees of the team’s home games was Smith College’s President Sarah Willie-LeBreton. As Willie-LeBreton chatted, took selfies with fans on the sidelines and cheered on the team, she received many waves from the players, making it clear that her presence was a welcome sight on the pitch.
Even into the second half, Smith showed no evidence of slowing down. Although the roster for the game against Mount Holyoke consisted of no substitutes, and, according to Wade, the rainy conditions made it difficult to get a grip on the ball, the team persevered. The tackle progressions to prepare for games are equally tumultuous, especially for new players. “It is a rough two or three days of getting hit, going down, getting up, hitting someone else, going down and getting up,” Wade described.
Rookie players have a vital role on the team, and B-side Captain Wade is excited about the potential of getting the club’s numbers back up. Rookie Ami Del Bene ’27 scored an impressive four tries during her college rugby club debut, a feat which Wade highlighted. “That was really exciting for me to see as B-side Captain, to see one of our rookies playing in our very first game, scoring four tries … It was crazy.”
This year’s rookies are certainly making an impact, but it’s last year’s rookies who form the backbone of the team. “All the rookies last year who have stuck around are playing as our veteran players now. I’m seeing a lot of them come into their own as rugby players and show up on the pitch. To me, it’s such an incredible transformation to see what they started off as one year ago, not having played any rugby in their life, to killing it on the pitch and becoming integral parts of our team, both on and off the pitch,” said Gunning.
“We’ve got a handful of rookies from last year who are now on Board,” echoed Wade. “They’re really taking on the mantle of rugby, and it’s just super exciting to see them grow.”
While there were many high-scorers on Smith’s roster, everyone had a part to play. Kamali Williams ’26, a rookie last year, consistently deflected Mount Holyoke College’s advances throughout the game with tackle after tackle, leading Smith’s forwards through many a successful scrummage (think: the beginning of play at the line of scrimmage in American football). Williams was named Player of the Match for the Mount Holyoke game. Laney McDonough ’26, another member of the 2022 rookie class, received the same honor for her efforts during the Springfield game, the following weekend.
“Those are two people who have really shown up for rugby day in and day out, and have really proved how hard they’ve been working, in addition to everyone else,” said Gunning.
Smith Rugby kept their zeal going into the following weekend. They crushed neighboring Springfield College 41-7 on Sept. 30. This Saturday, Oct. 14, Smith travels to New Haven to face off against Yale. Many of the team’s rookie players will be eligible to play in the game against Yale, and the team’s Captains are excited to have fresh blood out on the pitch. The following weekend, Smith will be away against Wellesley. If they are able to secure wins in both games, the team will be granted an additional home game in the New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference (NEWCRC) Small College championship tournament.
Smith Rugby’s leadership is feeling confident about their future prospects. “I want to go to the Championship,” said Wade, “I want to be there on Nov. 11 … I am so excited to see us competitively. Every single day, I am so excited to see all of our rookies out there, giving it their all.”
In addition to the team’s athletic achievements, Gunning remarked that the club provides a space for students to experience a team community that brings in people from varying athletic backgrounds, particularly for students who never got to experience being on a team in high school. “It’s turned into something that’s bigger than the people on the team,” they said.
While the roster consists of a wide range of backgrounds and skill sets, Wade emphasized the feeling of mutual support and appreciation throughout the team. They said, “Being so incredibly valued on a team, regardless of your abilities … It’s a whole lot of SCRugby love.”
