Roberts (l) and Strasko (r) with Alev Kelter / Photo: Max Rugby – mxfotos.com
Nicole Strasko and Morgan Roberts have played at nearly every elite level of the game, ranging from the national teams, to National Development Academies, to the Women’s Premier League, and more. But it wasn’t until March 2018 that the two competed as teammates, representing a CCIG-sponsored team at the LVI, and started to connect on off-pitch issues. Those conversations then extended to CCIG coach Adriaan Ferris and CEO Phil Tagami, and the quartet brought the non-profit fundraising organization, Women for Rugby, to fruition.
“We both love rugby and both tend to be determined, leader-type players. We’ve both also spent a lot of time and effort working towards elite-level rugby so we have experienced the financial burdens that come along with that type of rugby career,” Women for Rugby co-founder Roberts explained the genesis of the organization. “Once all of us met and began interacting, it started to become clear that we all meshed well and had similar principles and desires for the game, particularly the women’s game.”
The non-profit wants the pursuit of higher-level opportunities to be less of a burden to athletes who pursue them, and the USA Women’s 7s Team is not exempt from those financial hardships. As such, Women for Rugby’s first event (July 18, Oakland, Calif.) benefits the Eagle squad heading to the Rugby World Cup Sevens, and the catered meet-and-greet will feature the 7s Eagles, jersey ceremony and potentially other international team players. The fundraiser will kick off continual efforts to bolster the 7s Eagles’ financial and developmental support en route to the 2020 Olympics.
“We’ve asked that attendees donate – there are various ‘levels’ available,” Roberts explained. “And so it’s multi-faceted: Celebrate and welcome the Eagles, put our organization out into the world for people to know about and hopefully help contribute towards, and also raise some money for our cause.”
The more success that the organization enjoys, the further Women for Rugby will share the funds it generates. Following the kickoff event on July 18, the team will start assembling an executive board of volunteers and developing corporate alignments to expand funding options.
“We also have the help of Lloyd Gilmore, who has a lot of experience and expertise in forming sponsorship relationships, and Jen Lang is our event administrator,” Roberts continued. “From my standpoint, I don’t think you could ask for a better team – all hearts and minds in the right places, with the right priorities. We have every intention of remaining transparent in our development and of really seeing this organization come to life.”
For more information, kickoff event details, donation links and more, visit www.WomenForRugby.com.
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