Photos: John Mudano, Simsbury HS Rugby Booster Club President
The players in the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup pool are valuable assets – not only as the upcoming tournament is concerned but as resources for the future generations of the sport. Eagle second row Alycia Washington applies her elite experience to high school and college teams in Connecticut, serving as coach and referee, and her first season with Simsbury High School yielded a state trophy. Now, Washington is in Chula Vista, Calif., for the USA long camp, and she keeps her pupils in mind as she builds toward the final selection.
The UCONN undergrad returned to the state after earning her graduate degree at Ohio State University. She works at the University of New Haven as the Assistant Director of Operations and Student Development at CENTERS, LLC, and funnels free time in the fall to coaching the women’s DII college team. This spring, Washington took over for Simsbury High School coach Dennis Horrigan, who had approached the Eagle lock with an already healthy program. Rugby is treated like a varsity sport – overseen by the high school athletic department, with access to all resources, and supported by a booster club. It draws committed athletes, who drove this year’s successes.
“The common denominator was them wanting to express themselves on the field,” Washington compared her coaching experiences with high school and college rugby players. “But having rugby in the high school [like a varsity sport], that made them much more serious. The school’s dedication of resources [to club sports] is the only difference, not the athletes.”
Thirty-six players filled varsity and JV sides this season. Fitness was a big focus – for both the team and Washington, as the coach readied for USA call-ups – as well as defense later in the season. Simsbury went 6-0-1 through the regular season and had an opportunity to revisit that 12-12 tie against Southington in the state final.
Both teams were eager to prove themselves in the state championship, and the first half confirmed as much. A back-and-forth affair between the 22s, Simsbury took a 5-0 lead into halftime.
“I knew, just by looking at them from the sideline, that no one cheering for Simsbury needed to worry,” Washington said. “They had missed the championship last year, and the seniors came out with their game faces on, and the other girls just rallied behind them.”
Washington heaped praises on the four captains. Flyhalf Miranda Livingston, who won the team’s MVP for attack, “could make fireworks out of nothing on the field,” the coach said. She got the offense moving forward and did well to set up her teammates. Prop Shannon Frasca served as the “soothing voice of the team,” according to Washington, and was the rock in the front row. In the set pieces, she was propelled by lock Erica Shulman, who was one of the main go-forward ballcarriers along with Katherine McDonough.
“When the ball is in their hands, we are going to gain some ground,” Washington said of Shulman and McDonough.
A hungry defense helped produce more possession, and first-year sophomore Bianca Ceolin led the way in work rate and tackle completion. Her efforts earned team MVP on defense. Team fitness became the decision-maker, and Simsbury pulled away for a 24-0 win and Connecticut state championship.
“I feel honored,” Washington said of coaching Simsbury. “When people started complimenting me that the girls looked great, and the team looked awesome, I feel like I’m just making a roster. I can’t take credit. I’m running through drills and fitness, but on the field, it’s all them. Their athleticism is so inspiring. They’re so dedicated and so amazing.
“The drive to Simsbury was an hour and 20 minutes one way, and it never felt like a day of work because the girls are so dedicated,” the coach added.
It’s safe to say the inspiration is mutual. When Washington first took over the high school team, she had to report to USA camps and the Can-Am games. She keeps that knowledge and experience gleaned from the elite levels in rotation – not only as a coach but also as a referee.
“I know they’re watching me and I know I’m playing for something beyond myself,” Washington said. “Having knowledge that these amazing athletes want to go on and do great things, and they’re watching me for support and inspiration – it makes me forget about all of the negative stuff in the game and to just play and have fun.”
Washington was in Chula Vista, Calif., for the mid-June Eagle camp and, thanks to a summer sabbatical from the University of New Haven, has remained in the San Diego area for more training. USA coach Pete Steinberg had been running the sessions at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, and Washington has been staying in a rugby state of mind by picking up the whistle on the weekend. You might have seen her officiating at the Beach City 7s (along with Eagle scrumhalf Jenny Lui) last weekend.
“We just want to get to work,” Washington said of the mood at the Eagle camp. “We want to do well this World Cup. We want to be very competitive in our pool, and everyone has their mind on it. It’s not like we’re training to just get better; we’re training to win.”
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