Photos courtesy Bloomsburg Women’s Rugby
Bloomsburg returns to the USA Rugby College 7s National Championship after a year off, an absence that reflected the ongoing changes in the competition structure and not a dip in performance. The Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) champion is slated for the Open division, which features eight DI and DII teams.
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The fact that there are DI teams in the Open division doesn’t bother Bloomsburg coach Kevin Castner. The gap that might exist between DI and DII programs in 15s can shrink in 7s, and Bloomsburg has been playing up all spring. In addition to winning the DII MARC qualifiers, the Pennsylvania side played at the Princeton, West Chester and Navy tournaments.
“We’re definitely a better 7s team than a 15s team. We can play with the Penn States in 7s,” Castner said. “That’s why we go to all these other tournaments. We’ve had great opportunities to play and be challenged – and lose. You learn so much more about your team when you have to push and pull an opponent instead of walking over them. It’s one of the best learning tools.
“They like having that chip on their shoulder, knowing they’re playing against better funded programs when we’re running on fumes. And yet we get to travel all over because of their dedication to get there,” the coach added.
The team heading to Colorado is a nice mix of the classes, and approximately half played in 2016 national tournament, where Bloomsburg finished runner-up to Davenport. It’s derived from a big pool – mid-30s at training – and players take turns rotating into the captainship so they can get behind the scenes and understand what a tournament outing involves. In Glendale, Colo., Atalyia Eisenhauer and Shannon Bradley will be leading the squad.
“Atalyia’s overall work rate is unbelievable,” Castner said of the scrumhalf. “She puts in the hard work as a forward, back, everything that’s needed to keep the team constantly moving. She’s always distributing and leading by example.
“Shannon’s a multi-dimensional player who’s played hooker, scrumhalf, flyhalf, sweeper – wherever we need her,” the coach continued. “She’s also a vocal captain on the field and leads from the front. She’s not afraid to put herself on the line.”
Players like Selena Hernandez, Megan Reilly and Michelle Ronayne will also be familiar to viewers, while sophomore Sarah Van Cise will be a new face worth noting.
“When she first came in, we said, ‘We’ve got a little Nikki [Synder],’ because of her build and all the potential she has,” Castner compared Van Cise to the Eagle alumna. “She’s had her ‘aha’ moment and has blossomed into a dynamic player.”
Bloomsburg has been fielding two sides all spring, and three on one occasion, and everyone’s building toward playing the same game.
“It all starts from just not forcing anything, letting the ball do the work, and finding the spaces. It’s about timing and patience,” Castner explained. “We want to play as little defense as possible, too. We practice a rush defense and putting pressure on the opposition, and just learning how to play off each other with good overall communication.”
Bloomsburg is amped for the trip to Colorado, and some of that fundraising stress has been eased by the university itself. The team wants to put in a top performance, but there is a little confusion as to what this title means.
“Two years ago, it was DI and DII – that was fantastic, it was for us. We went through all the steps and qualified,” Castner reviewed the changes in competition structure at nationals. “Last year [USA Rugby] did an ‘Open’ competition at Glendale. It was pretty much DI and we didn’t go. This year, it started as DI and DII – which was great and why we wanted to return – and then changed to DI Elite and Open. Which is … interesting.”
It’s interesting because winning an Open division at a national championship requires a definition every time it’s uttered.
“We’re out here to compete and play, and we’re not making any excuses,” Castner summarized.
The women’s divisions compete Saturday-Sunday, May 19-20 and will be live-streamed via The Rugby Channel. Visit www.usacollege7s.com for more information.
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