ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 TAG: 9703260010
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS LANG THE ROANOKE TIMES
Some think it's a man's sport, but women play rugby too, few better than Virginia Tech's club team.
Rugby is known as a rough and fierce sport, prone to random acts of mostly legal violence and bone-crushing tackling.
That description seems to fit a sport primarily designed for huge, muscle-bound men.
Don't tell that to the Virginia Tech women's club rugby team, though.
Led by All-American inside center Amy Porter, the Tech club team has risen to the lofty ranking of sixth in the nation out of 228 teams in its fifth year of existence.
"It's a contact sport," said Bob Urban, the club team's coach. "Women tend to play technically better than the men. You don't have to unteach American football. But they play just as intense ... technically they play it better."
The team's rise continued March 16, when the Tech women defeated No. 2-ranked Penn State 29-14. It was the first time a nationally ranked rugby team had come to play at Tech.
"Penn State was taken quite by surprise by the result," Urban said. "We scored 17 points in the first 20 minutes. They brought it back to 17-14, but we scored the last 12 points. They couldn't keep up with the pace."
The Tech club squad has just four seniors and five juniors. The rest of the 45-woman roster is made up of sophomores and juniors, an indication of the sport's growth at Virginia Tech in the past five years.
"A lot of women students at Tech are looking at sports," Urban said. "This is something new and athletic. It's tough and physical and when they come out and play, they get hooked. They tell their friends about it and more and more show up."
Urban wasn't involved in the forming of the team, but was approached to become the first head coach.
"A number of women on campus had watched the men and were interested," Urban said. "I was coaching the Radford men and the Blacksburg town team at the time and they approached me and asked if I could help."
Porter has been an important player in rugby's development at Tech. Porter and Kelly Mossey, who graduated last year, are Tech's first All-Americans. Porter, Melanie Dun Moodie, and sophomore Shannon Witte are considered the team's leaders. Urban is impressed with Witte.
"She started as a freshman and has learned really quickly," Urban said. "She's very aggressive. She's going to be our next All-American, I believe."
Porter, Witte and Dun Moodie were big keys in Tech's victory over Penn State.
"Shannon Witte had two scores," Urban said. "Amy and Melanie played really well. They created a lot of scores through their work."
The Tech women rose to prominence quickly. In its second year, the team won the Virginia Rugby Union state championship and advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Regionals, falling to Princeton.
The Virginia Rugby Union is made up of eight teams - Tech, William and Mary, the University of Virginia, Old Dominion, James Madison, Mary Washington, Radford and Longwood. The Tech club has won the state title for the last two years and three of the last four.
"In our first year of eligibility, we won the state title and finished fifth in the east," Urban said.
The team advanced to the national championships for the first time last season, making a trip to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Tech finished sixth out of eight teams, beating Florida State but falling to Air Force and Central Washington.
Losing can be almost as valuable as winning for a young team. Mistakes may be analyzed and players come back the next year hungrier and better.
"It was a tremendous experience," Urban said. "Each year we've made it a step further. We've grown and learned how to win. I know what it takes to win. In the past we've relied on one or three phenomenal players. Now we've got good players at each position and some depth."
The team raised close to $11,000 to go to Colorado Springs last year.
"This year, the nationals are at Penn State," Urban said. "So it won't be as crushing money-wise."
Tech again has its sights on Penn State and the national championships.
"It was a big, big win," Urban said. "It helps in confidence. It shows we're on the right track to play good teams and win."
If you have an idea for a story or note about recreational sports, call Chris Lang at 381-1664 in Montgomery County or Radford or 1-800-346-1234, extension 664 elsewhere or fax to 381-1656.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON THE ROANOKE TIMES. Led by All-Americanby CNBinside center Amy Porter, the Tech rugby club team is ranked sixth
in the nation.