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South Buffalo Opens With 1-Pt Win

  • 08 Sep 2021
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South Buffalo and North Buffalo began their fall 2021 season against each other, and accounted for the closest match across the country’s senior 15s games last weekend. South Buffalo came away with a 36-35 win, and North Buffalo banked two important bonus points in the close loss.

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Laurie Bedford picked up rugby in 2006 as a means to makes friends in Charleston, S.C. Back then, Charleston often combined with Savannah to get game-day numbers, and pulling players located two hours away was normal. When Bedford returned to Buffalo, she joined North Buffalo.

“It was a lull in the North Buffalo timeline,” Bedford said in a things-have-since-changed tone. “They were getting five players to practice and canceling games before trying to get the numbers. It just wasn’t that serious. I wanted to do more than practice; we wanted to play games.”

Joanna Heary (Gabbey) felt similarly and broke off from North Buffalo. In January 2012, the duo started organizing a squad for a tournament in Buffalo, and then the South Buffalo men’s team approached them. They were looking to partner with a women’s team and first approached North Buffalo, but when they declined, the men gauged Bedford and Heary’s interest. South Buffalo offered infrastructure, funding, kit and more, and the duo signed on.

“We can help you get on your feet,” Bedford recited the men’s team pitch. “And we wanted to do it. We worked hard to get our name out there – made calendars, were in the local newspaper. We played in the NYC Liberty Cup – just some fun games – and any tournament, even college tournaments, knowing that we had players who had never played before.”

With the backing of an established club, South Buffalo was in good position to join the Empire GU and now plays in the Midwest’s Allegheny union. Heary stayed on for approximately five years, and Bedford is still going strong after 10 and while having three children in that time. The team had its ebbs and flows, from playing in Division III to winning its Midwest DII East pool.

When Covid-19 hit in winter 2020, South Buffalo kept in touch via Zoom happy hours and virtual workouts, but there were no in-person training sessions or games through spring 2021.

“There were some girls who might not have come back [this fall] because Covid is still lingering, but after having a whole year off, others lose some momentum,” Bedford said. “One of our players just had her baby this weekend. So some have moved on from how much time and energy they put into rugby.”

To boot, South Buffalo also pulls players from Canada, but the border situation with Covid-19 prevents the reunion. So the team needed to rebuild its numbers and create some momentum of its own, especially as a fall 15s season was confirmed. Playing flag rugby in the summer provided that opportunity.

“It’s keeping that positive attitude of, ‘We’re still going to play and continue to recruit,’” Bedford said of staying active. “And in women’s rugby, you’re always recruiting. No matter what time of year or how many you have at practice, you have to actively recruit. The number one lesson I’ve learned from doing this 10 years: If you think you have enough players, you don’t, especially by the end of the season.”

Bedford credited the work of Elizabeth Schaefer, who is also the club’s interim treasurer and women’s team officer on the board. She tore her ACL during the flag summer season, and upped her contributions by organizing socials, referees, porta potties, “and herding the men,” Bedford laughed. “She’s the right-hand man that you’d want.”

Today, there are approximately 25 players on the roster, and there’s a lot of new, fresh talent. Mike Anderson is also new, and the head coach rekindled that competitive mindset from his arrival.

“Our coach expects us to win everything,” Bedford said of season goals. “That’s how he came out. ‘I expect us to win and be playing in playoffs.’ There was no question, so that’s our ongoing attitude.”

Rhiannon Filer and Kelly DeGrood captain the squad. Filer plays No. 8 and also coaches the South Buffalo girls’ high school team. She’s aiding that feeder system and now has teammates who are her former players. DeGrood came up through the Western New York high school scene and flourished at St. Bonaventure University. The flyhalf has also brought some of her former high school teammates to the team.

When game day finally arrived on Sept. 4, everyone was just grateful to be on the pitch and reuniting with the rugby community. The men’s team was present, along with lots of alumnae and their families and pets. It was a beautiful day, with a good ref, and friendly sidelines, laying the stage for a memorable homecoming.

But there were still the traditional season-opening nerves before kickoff.

“Our scrumhalf was nervous. Bella [Drago] told me, ‘There are a lot of pieces that have to fall into place,’” Bedford said of pre-game conversations. “I told her, ‘You have the pieces, and this is the place.’ Since we came out strong and got a try in the first 10 minutes of the game, that helped us move it into the right direction.

“And the vibe of our new coach is very positive, and powerful,” Bedford said of Anderson. “He is a big man – 6’8”, just a giant human being. And seeing him excited helps motivate the girls, too.”

But North Buffalo was up for the fight as well and matched South Buffalo’s five tries heading into the fourth quarter. The Ninjas also connected on all of its conversions, affording a 35-29 lead as the game neared its end.

“It was a good fight,” Bedford said. “The Ninjas have become a very strong team so we knew it was going to be tough. We have strong athletes, even though the majority have never played together. Our knowledge and athleticism and good energy ended up being enough.”

South Buffalo added one more try and DeGrood nailed the extras for a 36-35 lead that held through full-time.

“It felt amazing – I’m not going to lie,” Bedford said. “We dumped our coach with ice. This man knelt down and was still as tall as me, and we dumped ice on top of him.”

Amanda Lenau scored four tries on the day and was named Player of the Match.

“She’s our fullback, who likes being a fullback, which is always a miracle,” Bedford said. “‘Oh you want to be the fullback? Then you’re a fullback forever.’ She was rewarded with four tries, but it’s great game play when you have forwards who can slow the ball down and backs who can get her the ball and she can stretch her legs.

“Everyone kept telling me that they felt like they didn’t play hard enough,” Bedford said of post-game chatter. “I told them that that’s when you know it was a good win, because you don’t feel like you had to carry the team. That’s what it feels like when your teammates are doing what they’re supposed to.”

North Buffalo will receive two bonus points for losing by fewer than seven points and scoring more than four tries. The regular season is more condensed this year, as normal opponents Buffalo and Pittsburgh Forge were cherry picked for the new DI/DII hybrid pool. South Buffalo has scheduled a friendly against Buffalo during the league-wide bye week, so it can gauge the level of competition that will await in the playoffs.

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