When it comes to traditionally masculine spaces into which women have begun entering, none stands out as much on a college campus as sports. And when it comes to sports, few are as traditionally masculine as rugby. Players stand in a line trying to push through the opposing line, bending low and aiming to take out an opposing team member by pulling their knees out from beneath them. Stories of broken noses, bloodied lips and, the most horrifying of all, torn ACLs are traded as badges of honor between players, who fit the description of “delicate flower” about as well as a ripping wind. The Fordham University Women’s Rugby Football Club (FUWRFC) provides a warm, welcoming environment for female college students to come together to play a fun, unique sport with a group of amazing people.
Club captains Maria Fournaris, FCRH ’22, and Kiara Marques, FCRH ’22, explained that they originally joined the club to push themselves as freshmen. “I joined FUWRFC to stay active in college and surround myself with other motivated and mentally and physically strong individuals,” said Fournaris.
“Rugby is a very new sport here in America and combines a lot of elements of other sports students may have played in the past, so I think it’s the perfect sport if you’re looking to try something new,” Marques explained. Yet, it’s the atmosphere of the club that convinces new players to make it a central part of their college experience. Marques continued, “We also have a very diverse team of people of many different identities and as we like to say, rugby is for everyone. We pride ourselves in having made an inclusive space where all identities are welcome on and off the field.”
This was the case for Marques, who explained that she joined the team when she first started college to try a new sport and challenge herself. Her favorite memory comes from freshman year, when she went to her first regionals tournament. “It was a weekend long trip and I really bonded with my teammates and felt truly a part of an amazing community afterwards.”
Fournaris and Marques have worked hard to maintain a welcoming environment. Fournaris explained she was thrilled to evolve through the different roles in the club, “One of my favorite memories on the rugby team was Kiara and I running our first ever captains’ practice together this year. Ever since we were freshmen on the team, we had hoped to continue the legacy of our amazing teammates before us and lead the future of the team as captains. It’s something I’ll always cherish.” Like so many organizations at Fordham, it’s this sense of community that makes the club such an amazing space for women on campus.
Outside the welcoming community of the WRFC, members of the team often face misogyny when it comes to the validity of their sport. “Myself and many teammates have often been asked, ‘Who do you know on the men’s rugby team?’ when wearing our own team’s merch, because too often people view rugby as a masculine sport. On our team, we try to challenge these views and gender norms and, in doing so, we support those who are gender nonconforming,” said Fournaris.
Safe spaces are essential for providing community to students who may feel unrepresented, as is the case for many women all across Fordham’s campus. However, the onus of creating safe spaces often falls upon the students themselves. Fournaris has no problem with that, as creating a welcoming campus is the duty of both the university’s administration and the student body themselves.
“No university is perfect, and Fordham definitely falls under that category. However, I think that the university can only go so far. More recently, club sports’ new leadership has done an amazing job in ensuring that women’s and men’s teams are both treated equally and given a fair shot to succeed. I feel that these small actions can go a long way, and real change can only be done when the student body grows and learns,” said Fournaris.
When it comes to what Fordham might do to improve, Marques argued for a more fair division of resources and attention amongst all of the groups that serve students. “Fordham definitely could do better in many different areas, and I believe it begins with administration actually listening to the student body’s concerns and meeting them with action. I think Fordham could also do better by not favoring organizations or groups of people over others, which in our case they often do with varsity sports over club sports. They could definitely do more to allocate resources more equally, and provide more resources to the clubs who are creating the welcoming and safe spaces on campus.”
Lastly, as a running feature of this series, I asked both Fournaris and Marques who their favorite feminist icons were. Fournaris answered Ilona Maher, “As an Olympic rugby player, she has brought so many people to the community while also advocating for women in sports and challenging society’s understanding of gender stereotypes.” Marques replied with Hayley Kiyoko, as, “Her and her music have broken down many barriers for women and the LGBTQ+ community and have helped me a lot in my own journey of self-empowerment.”
If you wish to try a new sport, get stronger and meet some amazing people, you can reach out to Fournaris ([email protected]) or Marques ([email protected]), as well as dming the FUWRFC Instagram (@fuwrfc).