Charlotte Tigress added another 15s win to its makeshift spring season, claiming a 90-15 win against South Greenville in Greer, S.C. The team then played a 7s match against East Cobb (Ga.) in preparation for next weekend’s Tropical 7s in Orlando.
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“Before we play, I do a guided meditation with the girls,” Tigress coach Alicia Tice noted. “[Saturday], I asked them to set small goals for themselves, things beyond ‘score a try.’ We went a step further and asked them to put those goals on paper. Happy to report that we’ve overwhelming achieved the goals the girls set for themselves.”
The mental exercise allowed players to stay goal-oriented during a game that required some shared numbers. South Greenville was a little short for a 15s match, but Tigress players were happy to make the most of more minutes on the pitch.
“Leah [Atkins-Bostic] helped fill in opposition numbers and easily played one of her best matches thus far, with stellar defense and grinding runs on attack,” Tice praised. “It is wonderful to see her come into her own!
“Our future is so bright,” Tice looked deeper down the roster. “London Key, a fifth-grader who has been training with us, talked her parents into driving two hours each way to Greenville be part of the team – running water and tees – all to turn around and play in her own U12 matches back in Charlotte later in the afternoon.”
Ultimately, Charlotte directed the flow of the game, and got up early.
“We were strong on both sides of the breakdown and started to utilize our structure and ease out of smash-and-bash into more elegant, clean lines [and] crisp balls,” Tice talked difference-makers in the match. “The added strong wind gusts forced the ladies to make passing and kicking adjustments – they rose to the challenge.”
Senior center and Queens University of Charlotte commit Maddie Hughes accounted for 29 points on five tries and two conversions. Co-captain and flyhalf EC Cantrell added 26 points on two tries and eight conversions. Co-captain Lennox London and Katelyn England scored two tries apiece, while Gabby Alegria, Caroline Cook and Dylanne Savage dotted down a try each.
“We played them multiple times in past seasons. They’re always the ones we have our eyes on the most,” junior London said. “South Greenville is great competition. They’re aggressive and tackle well, and I like that for the new girls or anyone who hasn’t experienced true rugby yet. They can see for themselves that they can play against an aggressive team and still come out and be safe and have fun.”
London, along with fellow co-captain Cantrell, knows she’s a role model to the newer players, and prioritizes support and positivity in the leadership position.
“When things get stressful or the team gets tired during a game, I remind everyone to take a deep breath, take it slow, and remember everything we’ve learned,” she said.
That calm has developed after such a short time in the game. London had been playing middle school football with the boys, but she knew her time was limited within the sport, and by 7th grade was looking for options. The 2016 Olympics put rugby 7s on t.v., and London was immediately intrigued. A family friend connected her with CJRA, and London booted up freshman year of high school.
The game clicked pretty quickly for London. With a football background and a family who does Crossfit together, London slotted easily into flanker and later No. 8. She was happy in the loose forwards, but then a trip out west expanded her outlook.
“Over the winter I got the chance to go to Arizona and train with EIRA,” London said of the December 2020 camp in Casa Grande. “Over there, they played around with me as center and it worked really well. I understood it, and so I told the [Tigress] coaches in December that I wanted to try center.
“The back line is great,” London enthused. “I’m fast, so it’s great to be able to use that. There’s more footwork, more adjusting to different plays. It’s switching off the go-and-smash mentality, and remembering to stop and pass the ball.”
London will further experiment in the open field as she’s been selected to the Tigress team heading to Tropical 7s the first weekend in April. She was supposed to attend in 2020, but obviously that event was canceled by Covid-19.
“I was pretty happy with how the game worked out,” London said of the 7s game that followed the South Greenville match. “The girls on our team are so talented and amazing. We all push each other. After just one practice together, you could tell that the passing and communication are better. The game Saturday gave us confidence.”
Tigress has talent, but the team also has a good amount of field time together during an otherwise quiet Covid-19 era. That chemistry should go a long way, and will be tested against select sides from as far as Alaska, Hawaii, SoCal and Utah, as well as ARPTC, Celtic Barbarians and Panthers Academy.
As for London, she still has another year with the Charlotte high school squad, but she’s definitely thinking about college rugby. She’s already started talking to Dartmouth, Brown, Queens and Harvard – all members of the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association – and thinking about where her game can go from here.