Photo: Ireland Rugby
Our Women’s Eagle correspondent, Sam Pankey, checks in from Ireland, where the USA Women’s National Team (WNT) is two days away from kicking off its Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign. The Eagle hooker reflects on the time since the four-week long camp – which she likened to “one big version of Navy Seal training” – touching on the inspirational weekend in Washington, D.C., to the run-up in Ireland, which is sponsored by Irish Rugby Tours.
D.C. SEND-OFF
The Irish Embassy welcomed us and the 1983 team, the first-ever USA Women’s National Team, to kick off our weekend in D.C. The highlight of the event for most of the players was getting a chance to meet the players who had played their position for the first time. Kit Kat (Katy Augustyn) and I got to meet Mary Money, the first hooker for the USA WNT, and I found out that we almost played together at a tournament last year at the DC Furies-hosted tournament, Ruggerfest.
We also had a fundraising event at Scion restaurant in Silver Spring, Md. If you’re thinking, “Isn’t Scion a rugby academy,” you’re right. The owner of Scion Academy, Joanne Liu, also owns two Scion restaurants. I’ve been playing for Scion for a few years now, and so of course I am biased in regards to both our brand of rugby and the restaurants’ menus, but I have to say, the food at the fundraiser was the best we’ve had thus far on tour.
Scion academy alumnae (l-r) Pankey, Parsons, Gustaitis & Rozier with Capital GU president Matt Robinette / Photo: Colleen McCloskey
The fundraiser also featured a Q&A with the current WNT, in which attendees were serenaded by Jordan Gray and her melodious harmonies, as well as Naya Tapper, and her glass-shattering screeching. There was also a photo booth and a myriad of props to entertain guests. And at the end of the event, Jillion Potter, Olympian and former World Cup competitor, gave the Eagles some well wishes and valuable advice.
We ended our stay in DC with a practice at the 15th and Independence field, under the looming Washington Monument, on a pitch, riddled with divots and lush with wiry weeds (the home pitch of Scion Academy—where, in the words of Sara Parsons, “champions are made.”). It was a fitting end to our D.C. leg of the World Cup tour, on a pitch like so many in this country, rugged and beaten, which is revealing of our squad—we play where we find the space to play, and we grind it out, despite the terrain.
SURREAL IRELAND
And now here we are, in the mist and the fog of a lush Irish landscape. It feels a little surreal, in part because the ending of the long camp felt like the end of the hard stuff, but there is more hard stuff ahead; it’s just a different sort of hard. It’s surreal because we’re in a country steeped in mythology and history—that dates back hundreds of years before the USA existed as a country—and looking around at the lush grasses, foliage, shrubbery, you can’t help but believe in fairies yourself. And it’s surreal because we are living our goals and yet there are more goals—so much more potential to live into.
Here in Ireland, the pitches are plenty and they are, for the most part, immaculately graded, trimmed and maintained. We started our Irish journey in Limerick, at the University of Limerick. In many Irish regions, Gaelic football rules, but in Limerick, rugby is Lord. It is refreshing being in a country that knows and loves the sport. An example:
After visiting King John’s Castle, and waiting on Catie Benson to fetch the proper change for our cab driver, the driver asked what position I played. I responded, “Hooker.”
He nodded, and looked at Dev Owsiany. “That’s your scrumhalf, eh?”
I confirmed and asked, “What about the other one? Where do you reckon she plays?”
“Let me see her come back.” And as Benson walked back down to the cab, he turned to me and said, “Loose head prop.” Spot on.
Of course our training has been the primary focus while here in Ireland. We’ve had some learning sessions, some intense sessions and a scrimmage against an all-star team based in Dublin. We’re happy, thus far, with how the sessions have been going, but we know we need all of the rugby we can get in the few days left before we take the pitch against Italy.
The pitch on which we trained at UL was also used by Munster while we were there, and some of us were able to catch their session. It was great to see a high-caliber team work, and work through their errors and faults as a squad. It put our trainings in perspective as well. Professional teams make mistakes, as any other team. Teams that succeed embrace their mistakes as lessons, and they learn to be better, not in spite of them, but because of them.
Rugby, of course hasn’t been our only pastime in Ireland. We had a day off and team trip to the Aran Islands, specifically Inis Oirr (Inisheer), the small island. The ferry ride over, on the turbulent Irish sea, was less than pleasant, to say the least. I’ve had bouts with seasickness in the past, and as the Doolan Ferry bounced around the waves, I had to make my way to the top deck so that my breakfast wouldn’t revisit me.
Photo: Irish Rugby Tours
Upon arriving on the island, we got into some carriages, driven by the locals. Our carriage driver, Morgan, gave us a few Gaelic words to remember as he coaxed his horse, Jack, up the green hills of the island. The western part of the country has poorer land, as evidenced by the stone walls, we learned. Irish farmers would dig up the rocky land and use the stone as fencing for their livestock, making the land richer with their backbreaking work.
On the island, we saw a mid-20th century shipwreck, a castle built by Cornelius O’Brien, and were treated to some delectable stew at Tigh Ruairi. We explored a bit, bought some delicious tiger fudge and then boarded the ferry to return to Doolan, but not without touring the base of the Cliffs of Moher, which were beautiful.
We were also able to visit Limerick for a couple of hours. Most of us went to the local sports store, where many bought rugby boots. We had to explain to the clerks that we don’t have rugby boots available at local sports shops in the States, so we tend to go a little crazy when we’re overseas and find them.
Photo: Irish Rugby Tours
King John’s Castle was another stop on our tour of Limerick. Built in 1210, the castle has seen multiple battles and sieges over the centuries, but the commissioner of the castle, King John, never actually made it to the castle. We were able to see the subterranean structure of the castle and climb the heights of its towers, where we took some great pictures.
Thus far, our Irish adventure has been productive, on the rugby side, and a lot of fun on the civilian side. We arrived in Dublin today and almost immediately had a scrimmage against a local all-star team at Malahide Rugby Club—another chance to immerse ourselves in Irish culture, while honing our skills. The scrimmage had its ups and downs, but in the end, we worked out some kinks and moved closer to our performance goals for the World Cup.
As I’m writing this, we’re all in our designated game room, recovering, playing games, laughing at random events of the day, and gearing up for our sessions tomorrow—just how we end most days.
#SamPankey WomensRugbyWorldCup