Photos: KJ Paynter Photography / Facebook / Instagram
One of the most significant events of the year occurred just last weekend, as the Women’s Rugby Coaches & Referees Association (WRCRA) held its very first Women in Rugby Conference. While inclement weather forced some early departures from Charlotte, N.C., the event drew approximately 120 women and men from around the country, all with an invested interest in advancing our great sport.
WATCH: Selection of WRCRA conference presentations
Heffernan @ 10 o’clock
Kerri Heffernan is at the heart of it all. In 2017, she brought the Women’s Rugby Forum to life, and the idea of a professional organization (now WRCRA) was one of the many action items that came out of that Providence, R.I., assembly. With the backing of the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation (USWRF) — in particular president Danita Knox, who was heavily involved in the conference’s realization — WRCRA formed in January 2018 and spent the year building its membership.
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Midway through 2018, momentum started building for the first of what will be an annual conference. Heffernan shaped a curriculum, seeking rugby and sports experts from around the globe to delve into the challenges and opportunities for women’s rugby. Knox and the USWRF board members went after sponsors — and they responded — and the team was grateful to land the beautiful facilities of Queens University of Charlotte, leaning on Director of Rugby Katie Wurst as host. The addition to Laura Gill adrenalized the movement, as she brought fantastic visibility and outreach and communication to a new level.
Flores & Orsini
As the list of speakers and agenda solidified and circulated (see the entire lineup), attendees committed to the trip to North Carolina. Check out the list below and note the amount of power and influence that funneled into one room.
Heffernan broke down the three days (read more), and host/speaker Wurst also added some takeaways, including mention of WRCRA chapters. One attendee, though, aptly summarized the empowerment of such an event. Ciara Lehane was the youngest panelist during the Saturday dinner presentation, Nevertheless, She Persisted: Five Stories of Life and Rugby. After listening to K.O. Onufry (70s), Vicki Hudson (80s), Kathy Flores (90s) and Phaidra Knight (00s), Lehane took the mic in representation of the 2010s generation.
“After dinner on Saturday, after all of the stories of women’s rugby through the decades were told, the [Old Girls] in the ballroom sang, ‘I Want to Go Home,’ by Johnny Cash, and for me, the weight of the history in the room came sharply into focus,” Lehane reflected. “I don’t think many of the younger attendees knew that song, I didn’t. It was like, all these trailblazers and traditions we — the younger generation — never learned about were the reason we were all together in that moment. It made me want to learn the song and carry on the tradition. It was beautiful.”
Today, WRCRA boasts 122 members and is looking to build even more collective power. Learn more: www.uswrf.org/wrcra.
ATTENDEES*
Kjrsten Abel Ruch — Kansas Women’s Rugby Club, Coach
Leanne Acton — Penn Mutual
Haley Aguiar — Potomac Society of Rugby Football Referees
Rosalind Anderson — Rugby Referee Society of NY
Bev Armstrong — USWRF Board (Beantown, Massachusetts Youth)
Johnathan Atkeison — Univ North Carolina, Coach
Katherine Aversano — Fort Hunt Girls & NOVA, Coach
Michel’Le Bennett — Southeast Rugby Referee Society
Christine Black — Kings College, Coach
Steven Bowden — Southern Pines, Coach
Katy Broerman — Carolinas Geographical Union
Jessica Burda — Madison United, Coach
Jamie Burke — Glendale, Coach
Emilie Bydwell — USA Rugby, GM, Coach
Nancy Campbell — At-Large, Coach
Becky Carlson — Quinnipiac University, Coach
Trevor Caterson — World Rugby Shop
Araba Chintoh — Rugby Canada
Rosalind Chou — Life University, Coach
Kristen Cogswell — Carolinas Geographical Union
Amanda Cox — Southeast Rugby Referee Society
Martha Daines — USA Rugby Girls HS All-Americans, Coach
Kate Daley — Penn State, Coach
Margy Dessypris Thomas — USA Rugby (NCC), Referees Society of Virginia
Kathryn Dowty — Dartmouth College, Coach
Matt Drewello — Rugby South Carolina, Coach
Donna Duffy — UNC Greensboro
Lisa Durham — USWRF Board (Atlanta Harlequins), Taco Mac
Katie Dyke — USA Rugby Training & Education
Marjorie Enya — Brazil Rugby
Annemarie Farrell — IIthaca College, Coach
KJ Feury — Rugby New Jersey
Kathy Flores — Brown University, Coach
Karen Fong Donoghue — The Rugger’s Edge
Kenny Forehand — USA Rugby Training & Education
Jamie Frech — University of Michigan, Coach
Koma Gandy Fischbein — All Navy Rugby, Coach
Kerry Gholson — Rugby South Carolina, Coach
Fran Gilbert — FSU
Laura Gill — Rugby Americas North
Jen Gray — World Rugby
Mark Griffin — USA Rugby
Bethany Guimond — USA Rugby
Tania Hahn — ARPTC
Hannah Harper — Girls Rugby, Coach
Carly Harrington — WPL (administrator), Atlanta
Kirstin Hartos-Maurer — UC San Diego, Coach
Kerrissa Heffernan — USWRF & WRCRA Board (USA Eagles, FSU, Beantown, Brown)
Jenn Heinrich — Girls Rugby
Katherine Henderson — Curling Canada, Rugby Canada
Emily Hsieh — Potomac Society of Rugby Football Referees
Vicki Hudson — NorCal RFU, Coach
Carol Isherwood — World Rugby
Patty Jervey — Atlanta Harlequins
Jami Jordan — Former Player
Marlena Kauer — Potomac Society of Rugby Football Referees
Nancy Kechner — University of Virginia, Coach
Erin Kennedy — Girls Rugby
Bryanna Kerbuski — Coach
Phaidra Knight — USA Rugby BOD, USA Eagles
Danita Knox — USWRF & WRCRA Board (Atlanta Harlequins)
Pam Kosanke — USA Rugby BOD, USA Eagles, 24K Brands
Julie Lau — USA Rugby BOD
Sharon Lau — Atlanta Harlequins, Coach
Nicole LaVoi — Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport
Derika Legg — San Diego Surfers, Coach
Ciara Lehane — Jacksonville, Coach
Jeff Leinen — Penn Mutual
Matt Leonard — Fairfield Yankees, Connecticut Grey, White Plains
Stephen Lopez — Pleasanton Cavaliers, Rugby NorCal, Coach
Jenny Lui — Glendale, USA Rugby, coach/player/ref
Michael Luke — World Rugby
Stacey Markovic — Boston Women, Coach
Rebecca Martin — ATL Youth Harlequins, Bucks, UGA, SIRC, coach
MaryBeth Mathews — Bowdoin College, Coach
Alex McCulloch — Panther City Rugby & Fort Worth Independent School District
Krista McFarren — USA Eagles, MD Stingers, NO Halfmoons, Washington Furies
Vanesha McGee — USA Eagles, APRTC
Ed McKenna — Montana State, Coach
Laura Miller — Alderson Broaddus University, Coach
Mikayla Miller — Queens University of Charlotte
Mary Money — USWRF Board (Tufts, Beantown, Atl Harlequins, USA Eagles)
David Morris — Carolinas Geographical Union
Jeff Murphy — TC Williams HS, Coach
Derek Nellmapius — Rhinos Rugby Academy, Coach
K. O. Onufry — Middlebury College, Coach
Candi Orsini — Bay Area Pelican Men, Coach
Kent Oszmanski — Rhino Rugby
Robert Owens — Eno River
Robin Pace — Florida State University
Kim Perritt — Rugby South Carolina, Coach
Theresa Pitts-Singer — Utah State University, Coach
Ashley Potvin-Fulford — University of New England, Coach
Emily Record — Queens University of Charlotte, Coach
Chelsea Renoe — Coastal Carolina University, Coach
Lisa Rosen — USA Rugby Training & Education, Air Force Women’s 7s, Colorado Sports Ranch, ARPTC
Suzanne Rosen — USWRF Board (FSU)
Katie Sadleir — World Rugby
Kelly Sager — Queens University of Charlotte, Coach
Sarah Sall — Women in Rugby
Milla Sanes — Women’s Premier League, President
Cheryl Saunders — Southeast Rugby Referee Society
Laura Sayabouth — Raleigh Venom
Jennifer Sinkler — USA Eagles
Jennifer Stratton — Harrisburg, Eastern Penn Rugby Union
Mary Swanstrom — Chicago Lions, Coach
Christina Swift — American Rugby Pro Training Center
Bridget Tannian — New England Rugby Referees Society
Victor Thomas — Ruggers Rugby Supply
Carol Trammell — World Rugby Shop
Andreea Trufasu — Rhinos Rugby Academy
Monica VanBuskirk — Glendale
Kitt Wagner Ruiz — USA Rugby, ATL Harlequins, Life University, The Rugger’s Edge
Lindsay White — Atlanta Youth Rugby, Coach
Morgan Whitehead — USA Eagles
Mo Williams — Queens University of Charlotte, Coach
Katie Wurst — Queens University of Charlotte, Coach
Ross Young — USA Rugby
Wendy Young — YSC Rugby and Texas Rugby Union
* five attendees were either no-shows or canceled for weather
WRCRA #201819Top10