Hong Kong photos: Gozar Images (see more)
There is so much movement this time of year. Graduations see players prepare for major shifts in their rugby careers, and the summer brings a wealth of athletes through a gauntlet of all-star, academy and national team assemblies. This quick change of pace is something with which Princeton standout Jessica Lu is familiar, although her path is unlikely to mirror many others.
Lu was born in Albany, N.Y., and moved to Shanghai when she was three years old. Rugby entered her purview during middle school, but it wasn’t until she enrolled at the Shanghai American School, a private international school, that she started playing contact rugby, in addition to soccer and basketball. In 2014, Lu returned to the states to pursue her undergraduate degree at Princeton University, majoring in Comparative Literature with a focus on the study of modern Latin America novels. She also saw rugby solidify as her main sport.
Lu literally burst onto the scene in her first Ivy League 15s season and was the fastest player on the team during her four years. That pace was particularly effective in the spring 7s season.
“Due to my speed, and relatively small size and weight, I’ve been told I’m more suited for 7s, and it’s true I enjoy the game more,” the 15s fullback and 7s wing explained. “I think my best assets are speed, agility and ability to side-step the defense, and spotting/taking the holes during rucks or in a regular passing line. On my team specifically, I also have the role of making chase tackles and being the main source of communication and last resort on defense as the sweeper.”
In Lu’s freshman year, Princeton finished third at the 2015 USA Rugby Collegiate 7s National Championship, which was still a single division.
“We had to beat South Carolina, Humboldt, Lindenwood, and UVA in the 3rd/4th game to claim third,” Lu reminisced. “It was an incredible beginning to my college rugby career and remains one of my best highlights.”
Lu then picked up and relocated to Little Rock, Ark., for a summer residency at the American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC), a National Development Academy.
“That summer I practiced numerous times in 100+ degree weather, trained for the first time in a full-time environment, and practiced with players much more experienced and skilled than I was, which was not an easy transition,” Lu noted one of the most challenging experiences of her career. “It was worth it though, when we won the national club [7s] championships that August and when I came back much stronger and smarter about my game.”
That summer Lu was also invited to the Atavus-sponsored Collegiate All-American 15s camp in Buffalo, N.Y., an assembly that culminated in a match against a Canadian senior club.
“As for 15s, I would also be interested in playing at a higher level and really appreciate the intricacies of the game,” Lu considered options. “I’ve been told that on a higher level I would be more suited to being an offensive scrumhalf who can attack off the rucks, but my experience in that position has not been very extensive due to the different needs on my team at Princeton.”
Another round of Ivy League 15s and spring 7s followed, and Princeton took an epic spring break tour to Hong Kong for more rugby (action photos). Again, Lu took to the road during summer 2016 and studied abroad in Buenos Aires, where she stayed active with the Centro Naval club. But then an unfortunate series of injuries, including an ACL tear, saw Lu miss all of junior year and her senior 15s season in fall 2017. Lu retook the pitch in March 2018 and counts the journey back from injury as her greatest highlight.
“After working on physical therapy, strength, and fitness almost every day since coming back to school, often doing extra sessions by myself in order to get my full speed and athleticism back, I truly felt like I reaped the rewards for my hard work,” Lu explained.
Lu recovered in time for Princeton’s spring break tour of Ireland, where the Tigers relished a tough win over Trinity College, and then the 7s circuit began.
“We still remain very competitive in 7s, due to our impressive 7s coaches [Chris Ryan and Emil Signes] and ability to attract good athletes ever year,” Lu contrasted Princeton’s standing in 15s with the Ivy teams in NIRA. “Without recruits and varsity benefits it is becoming harder to compete with the elite schools. This is why we are currently applying to become a varsity program, which may come into effect in the next couple of years. We wish to remain one of the top programs in the country, whether club or varsity.”
An injection of new speed saw Lu slide from the back field to flyhalf, where the experienced senior could better exert her leadership. Princeton won the Emperor’s Cup and Navy Legacy Tournament, and Lu was named MVP in both of those fixtures as well as the Ivy League 7s Championship. The Tigers then applied to the USA Rugby College 7s National Championship, and was placed into the Open division, which included DI and DII teams. Princeton finished third overall, Lu scored 50 points on eight tries and five conversions.
“I feel accomplished in not only my recovery but also the team’s success this spring after a challenging fall season with short numbers and a steep learning curve,” Lu concluded.
Lu graduated from Princeton this spring and will continue her education at Harvard Law School … eventually. She’s taking a gap year and currently training with the Chinese national team, for which she qualifies through residency and heritage.
“In the immediate horizon there is the World Cup 7s in San Francisco, but whatever the results of that I look forward to hopefully playing in high-level, competitive games this upcoming year,” Lu explained that she was unsure whether this current assembly has selection implications for the July tournament. “Once at Harvard for law school, I hope to continue my rugby career through either Harvard’s team or club teams around the Boston area. This is my plan for the next few years, and beyond that I’ll have to see where my progress takes me.”
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