Kristi Schnepp / Photo: Rick Comisky (link to original)
The Florida Rugby Union will hold its women’s DII club semifinals this Saturday, and with the event being held in Indian River, all five teams will have the opportunity to see each other in one setting. Tampa Krewe (#2) will play Jacksonville (#3) at 1 p.m. ET and Orlando (#1) will face Ft Miami (#4) at 3 p.m. The victors will advance to the state championship on April 24.
RELATED: 2021 Women’s Rugby Calendar
“It’s kind of exciting to have all four women’s teams there, and since [the games are] in Indian River, I expect those players will be there helping the event. It’s almost like a reunion,” said Orlando captain Kristi Schnepp, who up until two years ago was playing for Ft. Miami. “Yes, there are rivalries on the field, but a lot of these women on these teams are friends. There’s no animosity between the players themselves.”
Ft. Miami was Schnepp’s very first rugby team and she spent six years with the team, even as she moved to Orlando for work. But a year of not being able to actually practice and connect with the team outside of games allowed Schnepp to see that she was doing herself and Ft. Miami a disservice. So in 2019-20, Schnepp aligned with Orlando.
“I had worked with Raoul [Besse] on some [Florida High Performance Program] groups before,” Schnepp said of the Orlando head coach. “He definitely has a different style of coaching, but at those HPP practices he had brought some things to my attention that no one else had before. He’s very rugby smart and deeply vested in the Orlando and also UCF women’s teams. It’s why he’s still around and coaching. So it was a new opportunity to play for someone I knew and that I very much respected.”
The first time Schnepp had to play Ft. Miami as an Orlando member could have been awkward, but it ended up being a charming bonding moment with the team.
“We all got together before the game and someone said, ‘We’re going to do this for Schnepp,’ because they knew it was my first time playing against my old team,’ Schnepp remembered. “It was really nice. And after one season, I felt completely engulfed in the Orlando rugby culture.”
That season was cut short due to Covid-19, and Schnepp’s sophomore season with the team was made even more interesting as she was named captain.
“That came as a surprise,” Schnepp said. “It wasn’t ever officially announced. Raoul nominated me and there was a vote, and then he told me before one game, ‘You’re captain today.’ Part of that was the old captain unfortunately hasn’t been able to be around this season or make a lot of games. Gio [Medell], she’s great. Super encouraging, lights a fire under your butt. Stinks not to have her around especially during games but we might have her for playoffs.”
Schnepp had served as president and captain of Ft. Miami, so she was comfortable in leadership roles.
“We have a lot younger of a team than years past, so it’s nice to come in as a veteran player and guide them. It’s what I like to do,” Schnepp said. “There are a lot of good returners who help everyone. Jamie [Vance] is more of a player-coach and has a wealth of knowledge. She’s played at a higher level. It’s great for me to work with her because prior to this season I was always in a forward position.”
Schnepp alluded to her move from the pack to flyhalf this season.
“I probably don’t want to admit this, but I like it, actually,” she confessed. “I’m getting older – and know I did the reverse thing: Usually backs go to the forwards when they age. But it’s nice to not have to go in and slam down the field, even though I end up doing that [at flyhalf] anyway because that’s my nature. Now I’m more of a facilitator, and I can use my vision of the field to see different opportunities and set up some of these younger girls in the back line.
“It’s definitely been an adjustment,” Schnepp continued. “As a flyhalf, I might take the ball in more than I should, but the back line and I have a lot of respect for each other and they’ll communicate with me and let me know if I’m doing it too much. I’ll ask the centers what they see and what they want to run because it’s still new for me. The forward is concerned with breaking the line and the goal is always to go forward. It’s a lot different having to call plays and facilitate the field more.”
Fortunately, Schnepp has good personnel working around her, and several of the voices belong to really young players. Gabby Pennino, for example, is 21 years old and holding down the scrumhalf position.
“The amount of heart that this woman has is phenomenal,” Schnepp said of her fellow halfback. “She’s not very big but she is solid, and not afraid to take the ball in contact. She’s very outspoken and communicates with everyone really well, and that helps direct what’s happening on the field.
“Maddy [Ross] had hurt her hand in the [regular season] game against Ft. Miami but she came back to play Tampa [on March 27],” Schnepp said of the 21-year-old inside center. “She is a great, solid player and has just great vision. She, too, isn’t afraid to crash through the line and take on a forward. That’s one of the biggest upsides of our backline: They aren’t afraid of contact.”
Emily Rahija is a collegiate freshman and causing damage from outside center.
“She has just time-after-time had outstanding games,” Schnepp said of the teenager. “She has speed on her side so she can outrun a lot of people. She helps me with play-calling because even though I’ve played in the centers before, I’m new to this decision-making capacity. She’s played at a higher level, too, so it’s cool to have that experience in such young players.”
Dasha Plotnikov is 22 and a great presence in the back three and off the tee. Lindsey Perkins is also a reassuring force in the back field, nailing her tackles and amplifying the outside attack with equally good speed.
When Schnepp refers to the pack, descriptors like “solid” and “brick wall” enter the conversation much more regularly.
“Laurell – we call her ‘Pinky’ – Cuza had a hat trick this season,” Schnepp said. “She’s one who always wants to do well, wants to pick up her team and be one of those leaders in the forward pack – and she always is. She’s like hitting a brick wall, whether on offense or defense. She’ll knock you back.”
Cuza is 23 years old and still not the youngest in the pack.
“Christina [Norman] is our eightman, sometimes flanker. She’s just an athlete. She is solid, strong and her runs are amazing,” Schnepp said of the 22-year-old. “Her versatility is even more amazing. She came in on the back line against Tampa because we wanted a bigger presence. … The backs didn’t get as much exposure against Tampa than we would have liked, but she was there when we needed her and her defense was solid.”
Kayli Hannah (23) is also very good on defense, quick to the breakdowns and eager to poach. Donneisha Smith (24) is also noteworthy, driving that reputation for a contact-confident pack. Vance will take the pitch, too, and at 35 brings all that great game knowledge to the pitch, but still elicits, “She’s just a beast,” comments from Schnepp.
“China Davis, I’ve actually played with and against her for many years,” the flyhalf said of the 25-year-old. “I first met her when she was just starting in college, and it’s been great getting to see her growth through rugby. Her fitness, and just how far she’s come – she’s a strong individual. Again, she’s one of those girls who will try to get through everyone if she can, and it takes multiple people to get her down.”
Schnepp asserted that she could praise every single teammate’s contributions to the team. Everyone cares and wants to do well, and just plays hard.
“We don’t have a single star,” the captain said. “We have one-offs where someone breaks the line and has a great play, but I get excited when the entire team makes that try happen. That means we’re being cohesive and doing our jobs.”
Orlando’s regular season began on Feb. 6 and a 73-0 win against Indian River, but the team didn’t really get rolling until March. A month after the season opener, Orlando beat Ft. Miami 59-21, then Jacksonville 66-26. Tampa Bay Krewe was also 3-0 as it readied for its March 27 match against Orlando. But rather than take a bye week, Orlando drove to Life University in Marietta, Ga., for a non-league game on March 20.
RELATED: Marietta Friendlies Carry Weight
“In Florida, the teams change all the time so levels of play change all the time,” said Schnepp, who added that Covid-19 has put everyone into a rebuilding phase. “I’m not saying that teams in Florida aren’t challenging. We’ve had some very tough games, whether it’s reflected in the score or not. But Life University is a DI [Elite] team. It was a great opportunity to play and learn at a higher level, and their level of play forced us to up our level.”
Life ran out to 38-point lead, but that experience in itself was very useful.
“Early on they caught us on the wings and that’s because we weren’t shifting on defense,” Schnepp said. “But then we recognized what we needed to do and actually fixed it, and that made it much harder for them to score that way. … It’s not reflected in the score, but it was probably one of our best games defensively [from that point on].”
As halftime approached, Schnepp took advantage of a little space that opened up after a sustained forward attack and scored Orlando’s first try. After the break, Pennino caught Life sleeping, tapping quickly through the mark for a close-range try. The scrumhalf was equally opportunistic late in the match, stealing ball out the back of a Life scrum and racing across the try line: 52-17 the final.
“Working on fundamentals, sticking to our game and not getting sucked in [to our opponent’s game]. Life made us do that until we got our heads on straight,” Schnepp said of important take-aways. “We couldn’t rely on our speed or our fitness because they’re a DI [Elite] college – they have speed and fitness. You’ll break them with fundamentals. We did not win that game by any means but we definitely elevated our play. And we played through the adversity of being down and that shows the spirit of the team.”
That momentum carried into the March 27 Tampa match, and Orlando improved to 4-0 with the 38-19 win. Schnepp explained that Orlando employed similar tactics against the Krewe as it did against the Running Eagles – relying heavily on the pack to drive up-field and break the line. Orlando was in the lead for the entire match, but work-ons continued to evolve.
“Toward the end of the game we let up and they scored two tries,” Schnepp said. “Part of it was fitness and making sure we’re ready to play a full 80 minutes. Even I struggle with that sometimes. And it was hot; it was in the 90s. Overall, we won both halves but we let our guard down and that’s something we’ll be taking into playoffs.”
Leading into Saturday’s semifinal against Ft. Miami, Orlando is focusing on discipline, fitness, as well as quicker support to the rucks. Schnepp is also emphasizing a cool and collected mindset, and playing through to the final whistle.
“We don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch, but we’re confident – not cocky – in the group we have,” Schnepp said. “There’s a great dynamic within the team, and a lot of respect between the backs, forwards and coaches. It’s a great feeling to be on a team that feels like it’s operating so smoothly and naturally. We’re confident in our abilities and what we need to do, but we’re not going to walk out there like we don’t have something to prove. We’ll do our best so everyone knows what Orlando rugby is all about.”
Check out Rugby in Florida for the most current information for senior club rugby in the state.