Fifteens is in short supply for high school girls playing in Arizona, but the Bobcats Rugby Academy values the additional opportunities that the traditional version of the game can provide. After a full club 7s season this spring, the Bobcats took U15 and U18 teams to play the San Diego Mustangs and Thunder Rugby in what was hopefully the first of many 15s tours. All photos: Jessica Brandt)
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“Almost none,” Bobcats coach Ted Brandt said of the players’ exposure to 15s. “Some who have moved to Arizona from out of state might have played some, but locally in Arizona, we tend to just stay in the 7s mode. They’ve seen 15s on t.v., and the boys play 15s, but the girls didn’t have an opportunity to play themselves. It was something we had to take an active part in – let’s do this – and the girls bought in immediately. They were hungry for it.”
The Bobcats is a non-profit, representative entity that focuses on Arizona athletes only, and no kid is turned away for financial reasons. Deirdre Colao is the president, and she oversees a cast of volunteer coaches like Brandt, who has been leading the U14 girls the last few years. Tim Pappas coaches the U18 girls and Tami Thomas works with both age grades. The group holds ID clinics around the state, a player pool is formed, and then kids are selected to tournaments in the, generally, southwestern quadrant of the country.
After polling the region for opportunities in mid-June, the Bobcats set up a three-day tour to southern California for a U18 game against the San Diego Mustangs and U15 match against Thunder. The itinerary also included the Perry Baker clinic, beach rugby, team dinners and all the fun stuff that comes along with a rugby road trip.
“The interest was really high,” Brandt said. “You can only go to so many 7s tournaments and play 7s for so long before you need something else. Having the girls get exposed to what is next in [their rugby] lives and to go build a little culture and a little bit of camaraderie – it was a big deal in Arizona.”
Twenty-nine players headed west on Friday, June 11 and attended the Perry Baker and Charlie Purdon Rugby clinic that same day. Saturday, June 12 was game day. Aspen Wrzesinske was named U18 captain, and she’s one of several players who has grown up on the sidelines of her parents’ rugby games. She is a strong, emotional leader, and was setting the example until approximately two-thirds through the game, when she broke her nose.
Perry Baker clinic
“The games went really well,” Brandt said. “The U18s had a very solid 30 minutes against the Mustangs and the scoreline was tight at halftime. But in the second half, the Mustangs’ class definitely took over. Those girls were really well drilled and good athletes.”
But the game was so much more than the scoreboard, and the 15s game allowed players to apply their attributes in new ways.
“It was almost intuitive to some kids. ‘I can maybe contribute a little more here,’ or, ‘I have this opportunity there,’” Brandt said of the 15s first-timers. “They are hungry to learn. There are only so many rugby skills in 7s you can teach before it becomes a track meet. Coach Tim would be upset that I said this, but I think 7s is checkers and 15s is chess, and I think the girls, the high schoolers anyway, know this. They’re understanding of the 7s game is good and they needed something more, more knowledge.”
Flanker Honey Cabrera showed well. She’s a work horse who loves to tackle and get involved in the breakdown. She carried well throughout the game, as did Elanna Field. The No. 8 put in a Player of the Match performance.
“In my humble opinion, she was the best player on both sides,” Brandt praised. “She covered a lot of ground and was a good link between the forwards and backs when they needed it. She played the whole game and contributed throughout.”
Lock Sinele Tongauiha was a massive contributor on both sides of the ball – strong carries, strong defense – and shored up the scrum. Defensively, the coach called out Autumn Coppock, who was playing out of position – as is the nature when 7s players transition to 15s – and adapted fantastically. Divina Sainz, too, stood out on defense and saved 3-4 tries on her own.
Lily Carlson also blossomed during the U18 match. She’s a back during 7s and showed well at hooker, handled the lineouts, and worked hard throughout.
“She took everything we threw at her and really came out as a top-class hooker,” Brandt said. “You get lucky when you get a player and put them in a position that is out of their comfort zone, and they just blossom. She comes from a rugby family so it’s hard not to think it’s genetic.”
With only 14 players who were designated as U18 players, some Bobcats were asked to play up, with fantastic results.
“Adanya Nicoson is another girl that 100% deserves recognition,” Brandt noted. “She is one of our younger players but practiced and played her way into the U18s match and played a fantastic 45 minutes at blindside flanker.”
Had Abigail Stafford played, then the young flyhalf would have also featured among the standouts, Brandt asserted. The North Valley player is a difference-maker but regrettably broke her nose during the Friday clinic and could not play in the U18 game.
The U15s match followed and, given numbers, the Bobcats played a 10s match against a mix of Thunder and Mustangs players. The motley side scored early and the visitors had to chase, but given a little more time, Brandt was certain it would have been more of a nailbiter.
Meleane Aonga was the Player of the Match and earned that distinction with hard carries and tackles. Ariana Thomas controlled the game from scrumhalf.
“She’s our half-pint powerhouse,” Brandt said. “She led the team and was not afraid to carry or get into contact.”
Zoe Schuster was also a big contributor and scored one of the Bobcats’ tries. And the coach also called out 14-year-old Charlotte Brandt, his daughter, who got around the park and had a high tackle count.
“Some of the U15 girls have been with us since they were eight years old,” Brandt said. “They’re our youngest group and have been playing since they were tiny. To see them have the opportunity to expand their rugby horizons and see the greater picture was fantastic. Girls that are not stereotypical 7s players had the opportunity to do some things.”
Brandt’s 12-year-old daughter, Lucy, was also on tour.
“My girls have been playing since they were babies and obviously part of my involvement in this is so they continue to play and to give them opportunities,” Brandt said. “But we know all these girls, and we’ve known them for years. At some point, they’re all kids I want to give opportunities to.”
Brandt indicated that the tour was a big “lightbulbs on” experience – but not just for the players.
“Tim Pappas has coached with the Bobcats for years, but this was the first time with the girls,” Brandt said. “His daughter, Kylie, was the scrumhalf in the U18 match, and she put on a Herculean defensive effort. She was excellent in the pocket tackler role and did all the work you expect of a scrumhalf. We didn’t get our offense rolling in the second half as much, and that would have given her more moments to shine. You could see that Tim loved it. It was one of those things where even he got rejuvenated. It was fun. It was good for everyone.”
And that’s what drives the Bobcats’ operations. Brandt and fellow staff want the players to experience the full depth of what rugby offers, and those lessons occur away from the pitch as well.
“My goal is to have lifelong rugby players and lifelong teammates,” Brandt closed. “We have this hardcore habit of rushing kids to exclusivity into an academy or hyper-elite matches and forget this is a culture-heavy game. You want these kids to contribute and be good people and give back. Bobcats does a really good job creating a team atmosphere for these girls and a place where they feel comfortable and have a base.
“We push the culture,” the coach continued. “The kids have a team game night where we might play game shows or do skits and have to perform with each other. We have a dinner night – phones down, everyone dresses up. Sunday, we went to Mission Bay, played touch in the sand, had a BBQ, we’re by the ocean. It’s about being a club and having a good time. We want them to see they can be lifelong teammates and also be competitive.”
The Bobcats will have the chance to continue that process at the NAI 7s in Salt Lake City, and the program is again bringing two sides. After that trip, the group will start talking about 15s opportunities in the fall.