Rugby History - A Woman's View

8.10.06 - by Petri Quigley
Good thing about women's rugby in the 21st century is that we now have some perspective on the past. Although to some the 70s & 80s seems like yesterday, to others it is a chapter in women's rugby history beyond their memory. Since the past is the pathway into the present I wanted to blog something about rugby powerhouse Florida State University during those years. I solicited one elite player, the current backs coach of the Village Lions, for her memories of rugby yester-year and her views on today. Her name is Mary Holmes and she was a scrumhalf at FSU during their glory years as a top national contender.

1) How did you get involved with rugby at Florida State University?

I started playing rugby during my freshman year at FSU. I played competitive rugby for 15+ years, before retiring to the sidelines where I coach. The FSU women's team was initially thought up as a rouse by players from the men's team. The men were recruiting for their team and some cute women came up to their table to chat. In order to get their phone numbers the men asked if they wanted to play rugby. The men got such a great response from the women that they thought they had better get organized and coach them. The men coached us for a couple of years before we decided to coach ourselves. We were very capable at self coaching. We remained close to our men's team, with many of them played at a select side level; they would go to their select side camps and come back with new ideas/styles of play, which they would pass along to us. This enabled us to stay on the cutting edge of the new systems being utilized. Also, the men's team attracted some very skilled international players who were able to offer different concepts to integrate into our play.

2) How would you characterize FSU's style of play?

The FSU team was notoriously small. Because of this, we had to learn to play a more dynamic style to keep the ball away from the bigger packs. We would always start practice with 15 - 20 minutes of touch rugby (longer if our captain happened to be on the losing team). Our forwards became very adept at ball handling and reading defenses, which I believe gave us a significant advantage. In games, if one or more of our backs were in a ruck/maul, we would have forwards out in the back line to create an overload or assist in defense. I also believe that FSU was very successful due to the commitment of the players. We had the same core group of players for years, which enabled us to develop a more intricate offensive scheme. We knew what each other was going to do on the field and recognized the same defensive weaknesses, without the need for a lot of verbal communication. This allowed for a more fluid game with minimal stoppages. Last but not least, we were well conditioned, usually doing a mile warm up run before a 1.5 hour practice with a 30 - 60 minutes sprint workout afterwards.

3) What was your relationship with your flyhalf? How did you communicate on & off pitch?

I didn't start out at scrumhalf but actually played prop my first year. I graduated to flanker (we called it "wing forward") for a year before realizing that scrumhalf was my natural position. FSU was a very tight team as far as comaraderie and interaction. While I had good playi ng relationships with all the backs, I felt more comfortable with the break aways and we worked closely together. My #8 and I would talk rugby for hours, trying to figure out how to exploit weaknesses of teams (mainly our nemesis, Beantown) and utilize our strengths. We loved to run off the scrum/breakdowns and did so with great success. The interaction with my standoff was tight, in practice we worked hard on a consistent link up depending on the need of the situation or play; it was so automatic that we could basically throw and catch with our eyes shut. Playing with the same #10 for years had significant advantages. I probably played with only three or four standoffs my entire career.

4) Who was your team's nemesis?

By far the hardest team for us in competition was Beantown. The first time we saw them at Nationals in 1979 they came in DFL, Dead Fuc**** Last (their term). We won that year and they swore that they would come back to Nationals the next year and win; they did, beating us in the finals. A rivalry was born and for the next twelve years or so it was basically FSU and Beantown in the finals at Nationals. Unfortunately, they bested us more often than not, but the matches were always hard fought, cleanly played, and closely contested. Beantown's strength was it's forward play (same as it is today) while FSU's strength was it's speed. They would try to keep the ball in, close to the forwards, and we would fight to spin it wide. This by no means meant that Beantown was not speedy or FSU was weak in the forwards; it was simply two evenly matched teams with different playing styles. It was a thrill to play at that level and I think it raised the bar for other teams.

5) What was your most poignant memory from your FSU years?

My most poignant memory: That's a tough one because I have so many great ones from my years of playing. I remember all the great people/friends I have met. As for a single memory, winning the 1985 Nationals in San Francisco definitely stands out. Both of my sisters had flown to CA to watch and we played Bay Area in the finals (one of the few Beantown was not in). Their captain was an old teammate of mine; we had played together for the Houston Heathen Hearts for a couple of years before she moved to California and I returned home to FSU. It was an awesome match, on a fantastic field, with a world class referee. Our outside center broke her nose and had to leave the field for about twenty minutes, putting us under tremendous pressure. There was no "blood sub" rule in those days, so when an injury occurred you either played short, until the player returned, or subbed for injury (permanently, with a max of two subs per game). We didn't want to sub her out, as she was our strongest back, so we played short handed in the forwards. In spite of being down one player, we almost scored twice. She returned to the field and we went on to win. I still have the medal they gave to all the players on the winning team. Later, at the banquet, I was serenaded by players from Texas A&M, whom I had known from my two years in Lone Star State, and they presented me with a Nationals banner that they had "obtained". I had to give the banner back to the tournament organizers, but it was a funny and touching gesture. The next day we met some Beantown players at a bar and watched the Celtics beat the Lakers; the Memorial Day Massacre; Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird; great game. Afterwards I went next door and got a tattoo. I had never thought of getting a tattoo but the timing was perfect. I didn't have enough money so my sister lent me some with the warning "don't tell Mom". Twenty years later and I haven't. I won't say where it is, or what it is, but it has a number "9" incorporated in the design. Needless to say I will never forget that trip...

6) In general, what are the best things you see on the pitch with women ruggers today? What needs improvement?

Best: Women rugby players today are, for the most part, bigger and in a lot better shape than in my playing days. To see players of size show exemplary speed and quickness is impressive. I believe one of the reasons the level of rugby has improved is the overall fitness of players. Women's rugby is now attracting world class athletes which is awesome for the sport.

Needs improvement: Team communication/chemistry on the field. A lot of teams rely on a handful of "stars" to make or break a game. The need for everyone to be on the same page both physically and mentally is critical for success. Stronger forward/back communication should be emphasized at every level. We need to develop more programs at the high school level and encourage women to stay involved after their playing days are over (coach, ref, union rep, etc.).

7) When you coach young scumhalfs what skills & strategies do you you emphasize?

Scrumhalfs: A good scrumhalf needs to be able to rapidly analyze the situation unfolding on the field, communicate it to everyone, and move to the best position to support. They need to have quick reactions and be able to adapt and adjust at a moments notice. They should get to the ball and get it out quickly; don't make your forwards work one second longer than necessary. Attack up the field, not across; accurately kick to space and be able to pass the ball out under pressure. Lastly, scrumhalfs should work closely with both units (forwards and backs), especially the back row. Let them know when and what you need, and when and where you expect them to do it.

To all players who would like to improve: be a student of the game, analyze your play, read rugby books, know the rules; watch better players to see how they react/play; learn from your mistakes; ask questions.

8) Your gals on the Village Lions say you're still seen on the pitch wreaking havoc on the opposition. What now goes through you mind when you're playing 9?

I haven't played scrumhalf in a long, long time. Occasionally I play with the Village Lions in our Friends & Family game. I played prop once a couple years ago in Ruggerfest and was accordioned (not really a word but that's what I felt like, an accordion) in the first scrum by a 5' 9", 175 lb prop (at least that what she looked like to me, as I am 5' 2"). I tore something in my ribcage and was hurting for weeks afterwards. After that experience I swore that I would never play prop again. I was wrong; I played prop recently in another of our F&F games; without injury I'm happy to report. I've always enjoyed playing in the forwards and don't mind the rucking and mauling. I play the occasional game with the old girls side (Back In Black, Buffalo Gals, TWATS...whatever they are calling themselves that weekend) which is a lot of fun. I still watch the opposition, when my head is not buried, and communicate what I see. I am very verbal on the field (most of my players and all of the Old Girls would say that is a HUGE understatement). It is how I learned to play the game and I can't turn it off.

9) How do you keep in touch with your rugby friends?

There are a hand full of tournaments every year where the Old Girls team takes the field. It is great to catch up with them and also see some others friends coaching or playing on other teams. A group of us are going to the World Cup this year; it should be a fun and exciting event. I love to go to Tallahassee and see everyone but unfortunately, with work and coaching, I haven't gotten down there much to visit. A friend's 50th is this year so a bunch of the FSU rugby gals will have a reunion down there. Maybe we'll play a little pick up game vs. the young FSU team for old times sake. Regardless, I will need to brush up on my boat racing skills...