You’ve found rugby and are immediately hooked. You’re enamored by the community and camaraderie on and off the pitch, and the whole sport feels like a forever home. But what if your sector – say, girls’ high school – is in a vulnerable state? What if your enthusiasm wanes as numbers and competition options fade? How do you stay motivated and plot pathways to richer rugby lands?
That’s where Allie Gabbard found herself. The rising collegiate senior started playing rugby as a seven-year-old, back when her parents’ Tucson, Ariz., club added a youth program. But by 9th . . .