Former SFGG captain Lindsay Kinsler
Northern California has sent a representative to the DII Club National Championship for four of the previous five years. Sacramento and Life West have won the title, and San Francisco Golden Gate (SFGG) finished one point short of Milwaukee Scylla in 2017. SFGG has started well this season and, alongside Berkeley, is 2-0 so far.
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Emma Hadfield is in her second season as head coach but has been with SFGG since the women’s team inception six years ago. The Canadian had spent 10 years playing with Burnaby Lake in the B.C. Premier, and represented the BCRU provincial side for five years. Hadfield moved to the Bay Area for work and that hard break from rugby produced a void. That’s when the retired player sought out SFGG and joined the women’s coaching staff.
“Gate attracts great players from the East Bay and San Francisco but tends to be very transient. Every year we have fresh, new players,” Hadfield said of the fluctuating player pool. “This year, in comparison to previous years, we have a ton of girls who have never played before.”
The team worked hard to recruit players from other sports and also attracted those who were interested in the community. Hadfield indicated that the return of a substantial summer 7s season helped recruitment for the 15s season as well.
“We definitely took a step forward from last year, and the difference was the return of the summer 7s program,” Hadfield reflected on last year’s 1-5 regular season. “It is a really great recruitment tool. New people think, ‘OK, maybe I can try that,’ and that hooks them.
SFGG at the 2019 Pacific North 7s Championship
“Rafi Alami led 7s and is involved in 15s, too,” the coach continued. “They spent the summer working on ball-handling and running fitness and playing a couple of tournaments, and that gives players confidence to broach 15s. Without 7s, last year was a real struggle. We had 6-7 players to practice sometimes. This year we have 15-25 at every practice.”
The new players bring good energy and some natural talent, and as they find their places on the team, they rely on the steadfast returners to lead the way. When games start to loosen, Hadfield credits these veterans for grounding the team with example-setting play. Leading the way is captain Morgan Wisehart.
“Morgan showed up to the club three years ago and was definitely a second-string player,” Hadfield said of the prop. “She is an example of a player who has absolutely changed her work ethic, and the off-the-field effort is 100% reflected on the field. She’s more fit and more agile around the field, and has incredible field presence. She’s our leader this year.”
Wisehart is following the example of Lindsay Kinsler. The flyhalf has a decade-plus of experience and applies it at flyhalf.
“She’ll come off the field and laugh: The old girl’s still got it,” Hadfield said. “She was our previous captain and this is the first year she’s taken a step back. You want to breed someone else because she probably has 1-2 years left.”
Everyone’s working hard, and players like No. 8 Bria Shelley, newcomer Aimee Pierce on the wing, and second-year Hashma Shahid emblematize that commitment.
“When Hashma came out – she’s a little, little thing, really teeny and very timid, and really sweet,” Hadfield recalled first impressions. “I remember her first game and wanting to put her in against the Amazons [in 2019]. If you know the Amazons from Sacramento, they are a very strong side and very big side. I remember looking at Hashma, ‘I’ll put her in for five minutes.’ Afterward, she was, ‘OK, what can I do get better?’ The progress she’s made – there’s nothing she won’t put herself in front of. She’s a tenacious, phenomenal tackler.”
The team has also inherited some standout collegians who have graduated recently. Jillian Eicher and Hannah Twomey, for example, led St. Mary’s College during its rise in the DII West Coast and have found starting positions on Gate.
The season opened on Jan. 18 against San Jose.
“In typical fashion it was a lot of disorganization, a lot of people figuring out what they’re doing and where to be,” Hadfield said of the season-opener. “I told them: It doesn’t matter if you’re in the wrong position; all that matters is you take the ball, hard three steps, and let’s call it a day. Just don’t lose the ball.”
The vets stepped up and were good about go-forward ball, and a 33-17 win resulted.
“It showed the coaching staff that we have a really great platform to grow from,” Hadfield said.
On Jan. 25, SFGG and Life West met on Treasure Island. Hadfield admitted that there was an intimidation factor, so she emphasized the mental aspect of the game: 2020 is a new year.
“We had one girl practice with us all last year, but she’s in the Navy and was never able to make games,” Hadfield said of Simone Coles in the back three. “This year she played fullback and she has speed we’ve never seen before. She scored right off the bat and that put momentum in our favor.”
Gate went up 10-0, and as expected, the Gladiatrix battled back to tie. That said, SFGG never trailed.
“Life West surged at times,” Hadfield said. “They have experienced players who know the game. They pressured us at the ruck, and their strong ballrunners exposed our tackling and ability to take girls to deck.
“At the half I told them: You’re 90% there and it’s the last 10% where we’re forcing passes, doing just a little extra, and we’re losing it and turning over the ball,” the coach recited.
The team tightened up and Kinsler scored an important try that put Gate on top 15-10. Good fitness helped the team add another two tries in final quarter. Life West closed the game with a third try, and the 25-15 decision went to SFGG.
“A win always gives you confidence: We just did that. We have a lot of potential,” Hadfield said. “There was a lot of excitement on the players’ faces but it was tempered by the fact that we have a lot of things to work on. … Our girls are very humble. They know they have to come back and work harder to maintain [this success].”
Aside from the vulnerabilities that Life West highlighted, Hadfield indicated the team will be working on a faster, more organized transition from defense to offense, and vice versa. The team can test those adjustments against Santa Rosa this weekend.
“It’s a full-team effort,” Hadfield closed. “When we first started, Naima Reddick was one of the people responsible for building the program. She’s a superstar; she played in a couple of World Cups. We don’t have that [superstar today], but I don’t think you need that. We have enough girls with enough want and strength to continue to go. At this point it’s just about keeping everyone fit and managing injuries.”
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