The Chicago Rugby Club (CRC) formed its girls’ high school team, the Valkyries, in 2018. Led by head coach Michael Olson, the program made steady gains before really hitting its stride last year, when the team went 5-1 in the regular season. There was an element of frustration in how spring 2022 ended, but team repurposed that energy into back-to-back championship runs this season.
Olson’s been in the game since 2008 and remembers when 13 players would consistently report to training in the Valkyries’ inaugural season. Three more players would show up on game days so . . .