Photos courtesy Queens University of Charlotte Royals
In March 2017, Katie Wurst became the first Director of Rugby (DoR) for Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.). What followed was a perpetual sprint to recruit players for men’s and women’s teams, learn the intricacies of the athletic department, navigate the university – everything that comes with building a rugby program from scratch.
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“It helps to look back and say we’re past the initial benchmarks we were looking for,” said Wurst, after first laughing at the notion of having ample lead time to recruit players. “That was a lot of time and energy, and connecting with high school coaches and people who advocate for the students they work with.”
Wurst came to the position with a firm understanding of the country’s high school set-up, courtesy of a long-standing career with USA Rugby’s youth development department. She knew the state rugby organizations, and high school coaches and administrators who go the extra step for their programs. She got on the phone, hit the tournament circuit, looked on campus, and took a no-boundaries approach when looking for serious student-athletes.
Wurst also wasn’t looking for any player who’d sign the dotted line. The DoR promoted the motto, “Be both and be more,” which speaks to the equal weight placed on athletics and education. In addition to requiring the completion of two internships prior to graduation, Queens subsidizes students who want to study abroad – and there are faculty-led programs that occur during the rugby off-season. For Wurst, that was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the recruitment process, meeting families and getting in-depth knowledge of student-athletes’ aspirations for the future.
Approximately one-third of the team is comprised of high school recruits, and two serve as backs and forwards captains, respectively: Bridget Mielke (Hopkins, Minn.) and Bella Alanis (Woodlands, Texas). Both have all-star experience and beyond, and they’re joined by familiar names in Abby Tobias (West End, Va.), Onycha Pruitt (McMinn, Tenn.), Hannah Struzky (Armstrong, Minn.) and two Midwest players in Abby Berberich (Hinsdale) and MiKayla Tatum (Pike).
Another third of the team is composed of transfers, including former UNC-Charlotte student-athlete Asiah Peterson, the current Royals’ field captain. The final third is composed of on-campus students new to rugby. This group was fortunate to participate in a USA Rugby coaching clinic during the summer, hosted by Queens, and featuring an all-female cast of coach educators. Players not only banked two days’ worth of rugby knowledge and familiarization with the lingo, but it was an enriching environment for coaches to work directly with new players.
“I like that balance. It’s very helpful when you’re starting a brand new program, because when you have no one who knows what it’s like to attend the university, that’s a challenge,” Wurst said of the on-campus newcomers. “They’re returning students, so they know simple things like where classrooms are located, or where to register – things we take for granted. The incoming freshmen are looking to them for ways to life-hack college.”
It was an on-campus recruit, Ella Brucker, who scored the Royals’ first-ever try (Elon, Sept. 2). The junior got interested in the sport after serving as an intern in the admissions department. She led campus tours for prospective student-athletes, and did a phenomenal job selling the school. Wurst would always talk to her about rugby, and then Brucker finally asked what it’d take to play. Turns out she has a three-sport background, and has been a great addition to the team.
Wurst wasn’t entirely sure where the fall roster would land, but when it hit a sustainable number, she forewent a friendly season and opted for competitive play. Queens joined the DII Carolinas conference, which is 11 teams large and contests its matrix season across the fall and spring. That leaves a lot of room for non-conference games, and Wurst filled out the schedule with competitive friendlies against NSCRO, DII, DI, NIRA and DI Elite JV teams.
So far, so good. The Royals are 5-1, defeating Elon, Lander, South Carolina, Lee and North Carolina, with the loss coming at the hands of NIRA’s Notre Dame College (see full schedule). There are six more games before year’s end.
“The team saw it as a really great benchmark for the work we can put in,” Wurst said of the loss to the Falcons. “This is where we’re at with the top programs in the country. … They were also gracious hosts. It’s an eight-hour bus ride one way, so it was nice to use their locker rooms, see their trophy case, see where they’ve been. We wanted to see that it’s possible.”
Wurst confirmed that Queens is interested in NIRA, and that it’s a goal for the student-athletes as well. The athletic department already follows the NCAA guidelines because they’re best practices in terms of player welfare.
“If you look at the evolution of NIRA teams, they started as clubs and then were elevated. We shortened that process to one year of club, and then we’ll revisit what comes next after our first-ever year of rugby competition,” Wurst said. “We’ll be by-passing some of the tradition that club rugby builds, but we’ll also miss the growing pains of learning to elevate to NIRA. We don’t have to unlearn certain things.”
Wurst suggested that the creation of the rugby program is a case study in adapting. The coaches, athletic department, and players are all encountering new experiences and continuously having to adjust. That’s what makes Queens’ involvement in the larger rugby community even more impressive. It’d be easy to focus energies inward, but Wurst is eager to provide more opportunities and share resources beyond the current Royals.
In addition to the Level 200 and 300 coaching courses, Queens also hosted a referee course that produced the match official for the Royals’ first home game in packed stands. Queens is making plans to create player clinics to help new high school and college programs. When Wurst made time for this interview, she had just ended a phone call with an EIRA coach discussing the possibility of adding girls’ rugby.
The student-athletes also think beyond themselves – little things, like speaking to the elementary school girls who share field space during training sessions. They’re positive, athletic role models, and they could be influencing the next generation of Royals.
The story of Queens University of Charlotte is a young one, but it will be fun to watch. It’s led by a plugged-in, community-minded Director of Rugby; supported by the university; and drawing immediate interest from high schools. In terms of next steps, the Royals will continue its mix of matrix and non-league games through March 2018 before the DII Carolinas conference playoffs begin. If all goes well, then the team will feature in the USA Rugby DII spring championship playoffs. Stay tuned.
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