Autumn 2013 CalWRA.org

Introducing Cal Women’s Rugby Alumnae Chapter

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Welcome to our first digital magazine!

Our first e-zine is coming to you at a turning point for the Cal Women’s

Rugby team. Long-time head coach Ellen Owens has stepped down and will

pass the baton to Brandon “Do Work” Sparks, who has served

as assistant coach for the past two years. We are excited to

welcome Brandon on board! Ellen will continue to be involved

as the program’s Director of Rugby. In that role, she will work

on the varsity initiative (see page 12) and ensure that the team

has a strong administrative culture for years to come. Without

Ellen and her tireless commitment, there would be no Cal

Women’s rugby, so thank you Ellen on behalf of all CWRA

members!

Women’s rugby in general is also at an exciting crossroads.

With the inclusion of 7s rugby as an Olympic sport, the

opportunities for female ruggers in terms of competition,

visibility, and sponsorships have grown exponentially. We are

extremely proud of Irene Gardner (‘07) who competed as a

member of the USA Eagles 7s team at the World Cup in Moscow last

month. Check out Julie (JQ) Kieu's interview with Irene on page

10. Irene is not the only Cal rugger who wore the USA jersey this

summer – current players Stacey Wong, Genevieve Ireland, and

Lauren Butler all competed with the Collegiate All-American Under-

20 squad. The future of Cal Women’s Rugby is bright!

In this issue, you can read about the homecoming and anniversary

party we held last January (p. 8) and learn about our upcoming

events, including a big ball 7's fundraiser and alumnae-sponsored BBQ in

Berkeley on November 16! I hope to see all of you there, no matter what

shape you're in or how long it's been since you played. The "big ball" is a

great equalizer and it's going to be a fun event to support the current team

and get back in touch. Finally, save the date

for the homecoming event next year - March

1, 2014. Make your plans now to be there!

Go Bears!

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Mission of CWRA 6

Meet the CWRA Board 7

2013 Cal Women’s Rugby Reunion 8

ALUMNA IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Irene Gardner 10

HEALTH: Sports and Concussion Guidelines 11

POLITICS: Equality in Women’s Athletics 12

2014 Cal Women’s Rugby Schedule 13

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CWRA's mission to support the current team can best succeed if we can provide financial

support. Emotional and psychological support is important, but we all remember

fundraising and scraping together the money for boots, sweatshirts, bags, travel, practice

gear, game-day gear, pizza and beer! The endless list of things that go into making a

single game—much less a season, or post-season playoffs—happen. The current team,

like us when we were playing, has to face the same financial demands, and is operating

with a pretty steep deficit this year. CWRA is planning to help them out by raising

money to give the team enough to satisfy some short-term needs for balls and practice

pinnies (you know, those tank top things).

To help ensure Cal Women's Rugby players have a chance to compete on a bigger stage, CWRA is also raising money to provide a

small scholarship to a promising player who has been selected

for the Grizzlies or the U-23 team, but who is having trouble

meeting the financial demands for playing at the next stage of

competitiveness.

So, skip those Pumpkin Spice Lattes for a week, and donate

$20. Buy your next pair of shoes on sale, and donate the $50 you

saved. Dig deep, remember what it was like to be at Cal,

running between class, practice, games, and fundraisers, and

how incredibly grateful you'd feel to have someone sweep in and

take care of a single expense related to the game you love. Donate now, donate a little more than you think you can. These

awesome women, our legacy, deserve it.

All donations will go directly to the team, and you can earmark your donation to go towards a $1,000 "Competitive Player"

scholarship, or towards the "Everyday Operating" fund. To give a gift visit CalWRA.org.

...skip those Pumpkin

Spice Lattes for a week,

and donate $20...

“ “

© Nennanenna | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Donate Now

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I graduated in 2011 and played from 2008-2011. I was

president during the 2010-2011season and during my rugby

career started off as hooker and ended as scrumhalf. Favorite

rugby memory was tackling a girl 2.5x bigger than me.

CWRA Vice President It is my absolute pleasure to serve you

as executive vice president on the

CWRA board! I played rugby for Cal

from 1999-2003. I played tight-head

prop and hooker (that is the front row,

for all of the backs out there J). I also

served as Vice President and President my senior year.

After several years in the school of life, I decided to go to

pharmacy school…in Hawaii…because if you have to go

back to school, it might as well be in paradise!

CWRA President I played scrumhalf from 1997 until

1999, when I graduated. I was the

Treasurer and a Captain. My

favorite personal memories are:

Nina Wang scoring our first try for

the "new" team against Humboldt State; practicing

during "El Nino" on tennis courts and dog parks; and

playing on Santa Cruz's beautiful field overlooking the

ocean. What I love most about Cal women's rugby is

all the friends that I've made and knowing that the

team has played an important part in the lives of so

many people who have come through the program.

Julie (JQ)

Kieu

CWRA Treasurer I played rugby from 2009-2012 and

spent the majority of my time as a

weak-side Winger #11. Unlike the

stereotypical winger, I loved tackling

so all of my favorite rugby moments

involved me smashing the opposing

winger. Chase down a kick and go for the open-field

tackle? Don't threaten me with a good time.

I work in business development at

an investment firm. I co-founded

Cal Women's Rugby (version 2.0)

with Emily Nugent in 1997. I

played fly-half and was the President and a captain

from 1997-1999. Favorite memories: Lobbying the

university just to get sports club status and then

winning sports club of the year. Winning second place

in the Pac NW in our first season. Every road trip to

every game.

I played from 2000-2002 and the team was too smart to put me in a leadership

position ;-). I was always as a prop. My favorite rugby memory was going to Sweet

Sixteens in 2002 in Florida; it was an awesome way to finish up undergrad! I'm

currently an attorney specializing in civil litigation.

I played for the team from 2004-

2006 and had the honor of co-

captaining during the 2005-06

season. Favorite memories: seeing

the marked development of my

teammates throughout the seasons, playing DMX

before each game, the connections and laughs we had

during our away game road trips, and eating fiber

cakes on the buses. I am a business owner in San

Francisco, and am always working towards changing

the world in little ways... and some very big ways too.

Kanelle

Barreiro

From 2000-2003, I alternated

between inside and outside center

for the Cal Women’s Rugby Team. I

served as a team captain, and most

frequently I got to adorn the lucky number 13. Woohoo!

Playing rugby was amazing and is a memory I will

always treasure. The best part about the experience

was all the fantastic women I have had the chance to

meet because of it.

Sarah

(Xena)

Hemly

Katie Chou

Lau

ra Lo

ren

z

Karina

Johnson

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To start off 2013 with a bang, the Board Members of the newly formed California

Women’s Rugby Alumnae Group (a.k.a. CWRA) organized an inaugural event as a

way to introduce the organization, raise money for the current team, and gather past

and present Cal rugby players. It was held on a beautiful Saturday evening at

Cityline in Emeryville, CA.

The event was a smashing success with alumni coaches, and fans who traveled from

all over the country to show their support. At first, everyone stuck to their comfort

zones, socializing within their respective graduation classes. Yet, after bellowing a

few rugby songs together and lining hungry stomachs with food and drinks (I can

confidently report that a rugby player’s talent of consumption does not fade), the

boundaries progressively blurred as the bond from being a part of such a life-changing organization filled the air.

During the first hour, I went around the room and asked every single one of the ladies to describe in a few adjectives what words

came to mind when thinking about the Cal Women’s rugby team. Most alumnae were speechless and overwhelmed by the

unexpected request as a dream-like nostalgia glazed over the eyes of these women. I could see they wanted to say so much but

found it difficult to conjure up deserving words to give their flood of emotions and sacred memories justice.

After my data gathering was done and shared during the welcome speech, there was a group epiphany. Although the amazing

game of rugby, especially women playing rugby, is one key element of what makes our memories encased in platinum gold, the

more heavily weighted component is actually the people with whom we played, lived, laughed, and cried. By the end of the

evening, the energy in the room was radiating, filled with the glowing faces of several dozen stunning, strong, brilliant women

who were all eager to push the momentum of the team forward and the memories of the past alive.

Let us be reminded again that there is much to gain in keeping this network healthy and the current team well-supported. Now

how can you possibly miss the 2014 reunion to come?

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An interview with Irene Gardner

Irene Gardner (‘07), one of the superstars of USA Rugby,

recently came back from Moscow, Russia where she

helped the Eagles earn a bronze medal at the Women’s

Sevens Rugby World Cup. She’s been on numerous tours

around the world with the USA Women’s Sevens team,

and she’s also helped the Berkeley All Blues RFC win

four national championships, two in 15s (2011, 2012)

and two in 7s (2011, 2013). Aside from her commitment

to training for rugby, she’s also a dedicated dietician at

Kaiser. However, before becoming a leader on the

national team she was a leader on the Cal Women’s

Rugby team. I was fortunate enough to be able to catch

her in between workouts to reflect on her years at Cal

and on rugby.

What got you into playing rugby?

Irene: My sister Elaine played at UC Davis, so I knew about it. My second year at Cal I saw an ad in the Daily Cal for an informational

meeting. I grabbed my roommate, Julie Leong (who also played during the ’03-’04 season), and the rest is history.

What’s your favorite Cal Women’s Rugby memory?

Irene: Tournaments in general like Scrum by the Sea and playoffs were my favorite. The team environment, amount of fun it brought to

rugby… there was a positive attitude and a lot of excitement for rugby on the team. In college rugby, it’s so new to everyone that people are

excited to play. There’s a positive growth mindset and you’re constantly learning and challenging yourself. There’s also the potential to get

better and that’s the excitement.

What are your future endeavors/goals in rugby?

Irene: My personal goals in rugby are to continue growing as a player, to improve upon my skill and also my understanding of the game, which

is something I recently developed and has made me better as a player. I want to continue on the national team for the 2014 season and assist

the USA program in becoming the strongest and the best in the world. In the past four years, I’ve developed an enjoyment and passion for 7s.

It’s brought a sense of gratitude and appreciation for this type of rugby, and I want to be able to use this to maybe coach in the future. Sevens is

the rugby of the future. It’s the next Olympic sport that’s going to take off and really accelerate the growth of rugby in the US.

What do you want to see for the Cal team during the 2013-2014 season?

Irene: Beat Stanford and a top 4 finish in the country.

Do you have any tips for current Cal Women’s Rugby players?

Irene: Never stop challenging yourself. Challenge yourself as an athlete to be stronger, to be smarter, to be faster, to increase your

understanding of rugby. This goes for life as well. Challenge yourself to be a better person in every aspect of your life: career, hobbies, and the

relationships you pursue. Always stay positive no matter what you do, because a good attitude will allow you to achieve more. Be appreciative of

all the support that surrounds you especially within the Cal community for these are some of the friendships that I continue to maintain, and

those people are the people have pushed me to be where I am today.

Irene continues to impart her knowledge and skill on future rugby players. She captained the Berkeley All Blues Sevens squad to a 2013 club

national championship this past summer whose squad included alum Lucy Croy (’10), recent Cal alum Jenn Sever (’12) and current Cal player

Gen Ireland (’15). She will be leading a team from USA in mid-November 2013 as they compete in the Coral Coast 7s tournament in Fiji. As an

added bonus, Cal will have another representative as Lucy Croy was recently invited to go on tour as well.

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The headlines lately have been rife with instances of football players

attempting to sue the NFL for withholding vital information regarding

the consequences of suffering multiple concussions. 4,200 retired players

argued that they were not aware of the implications of continuing to

play a contact sport “too soon” after sustaining a concussion (Hoye).

Brains scans of players that had suffered multiple concussions showed

accumulations of tau proteins in the brain, a similar pathology to

neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. The

symptomology matched the pathophysiology as well; players complained

of memory problems, dizziness, and trouble performing daily activities

(Hoye).

While these symptoms are very disconcerting, the biggest associated risk

is death. As recent as April 2011, a 19 year old University of Texas

Women’s rugby captain suffered a head injury during a match that led to

her passing in an intensive care unit (Sanders). It begs the question, did

she have any prior concussions, and if so, was it “too soon” for her to

resume play? Studies show that youths to young adults have a higher

risk of sustaining additional concussions and more severe symptoms

(Gilchrest). Could her death have been prevented by more appropriate

medical care?

A recent article in the Journal of American Medicine suggests that

concussion grading systems, established in 1997, are antiquated and

that the relative severity of a concussion is not the issue. Rather, any

level of concussion should result in abstaining from play until any and

all symptoms subside. Statistically, a concussed individual is more likely

to sustain a second concussion within ten days of the initial concussion

(Mitka).

When traumatic brain injuries are involved, your mental faculties, and

possible your life, are at stake, and that one arena where you don’t play

around.

Additional resources: www.cdc.gov/concussion

References

1. Gilchrest, Julie et al. December 7th, 2011. Traumatic Brain Injuries

Related to Sports and Recreation Activities Among Persons Aged ≤19

Years—United States, 2001-2009. JAMA. Vol 306, No. 21. Retrieved

from: http://sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/uhhilo?url_ver=Z39.88-

2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-

8&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid/

sfxit.com:azlist&sfx.ignore_date_threshold=1&rft.object_id=9549254662

70&rft.object_portfolio_id=110978537873265&svc.holdings=yes&svc.full

text=yes

2. Hoye, Sarah. April 10th, 2013. NFL Wants Player’s Suit Over

Concussions Dismissed. CNN Health. Retrieved from:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/09/health/nfl-lawsuit/

index.html

3. Mitka, Mike MJS. April 17, 2013. Guideline: Tailor

Appraisal of Concussion During Sports. JAMA. Vol 309,

No. 15. Retrieved from: http://

sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/uhhilo?url_ver=Z39.88-

2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/

fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-

8&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid

sfxit.com:azlist&sfx.ignore_date_threshold=1&rft.object

_id=954925466270&rft.object_portfolio_id=11097853787

3265&svc.holdings=yes&svc.fulltext=yes

4. Sanders, Ahsika. April 28th, 2011. Mens Rugby Head

Coach Calls Death Freak Accident. The Daily Texan.

Retrieved from: http://dailytexanonline.com/2011/04/28/

men%C2%92s-rugby-head-coach-calls-death-%C2%

91freak-accident%C2%92.

5. Thorndike, Augustus M.D. October 9, 1952. Seous

Recurrent Injuries of Athletes – Contraindications to

Further Competative Participation. The New England

Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/

NEJM195210092471504. Retrieved from: http://

cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2582/doi/full/10.1056/

NEJM195210092471504

6. Woo, Jonathan. April 20th, 2011. UT Women's Rugby

Player Dies From Head Injury. The Horn. Retrieved

from: http://www.readthehorn.com/sports/4087/ut_.

womens_rugby_player_dies_from_head_injury

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Led by Director of Rugby, Ellen Owens, the Cal Women's Rugby team made its case for varsity status to the Gender Equity and

Diversity (GED) committee on October 16, 2013. GED is part of the University Athletics Board that advises the Chancellor on

policy matters related to Intercollegiate Athletics. Joining Ellen were current players Lauren Butler ('15) and Stacey Wong ('16),

who spoke persuasively about the team's positive impact on their collegiate experience and the need for the consistent access to

fields, weight facilities, and medical care that would come with

varsity status. CWRA President, Emily Nugent ('99), addressed

the legal aspects of the team's elevation to varsity status and

the favorable implications such an ascension would have for

Cal's Title IX compliance. Tam Breckenridge, USA Rugby's

Associate College Director, flew out from Colorado to discuss the

rapidly changing terrain of women's collegiate and international

rugby. New coach, Brandon Sparks, also joined the group and

gave his perspective from years of coaching collegiate women's

rugby around the country.

This is the second time that the team has made a presentation

to GED. In 2007, GED voted against recommending varsity

status to the team based on a Title IX rationale. The committee

argued that another varsity team was not needed since Cal's

varsity programs already fully accommodated the athletic interests and abilities of Cal's female undergraduate population. This

time around, GED's questions did not focus on Title IX issues, instead touching on broader aspects of the team's appeal, including

women's rugby developments on the NCAA level and how many scholarships the team would have to offer. The committee's

questions indicated serious consideration of the team's proposal and figuring out "how" the team can make the varsity transition,

rather than "why." GED complimented the team's "polished" presentation, which included some killer video clips of Lauren and

Stacey torching the opposition. The committee met on October 29 to discuss the proposal and will issue its recommendation to

the University Athletics Board shortly. CWRA will keep you informed of all the developments.

GED’s...questions

indicated...figuring out

‘how’ the team can

make the varsity

transition...

“ “

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Date Home Away

February 1 Cal Stanford

February 8 Davis Cal

February 15 Cal Chico

March 1* Cal Davis

March 8 Chico Cal

Come out and cheer on our Lady Golden Bears this rugby season. Don’t forget that every day is a rugby day!

*March 1 is the 2014 homecoming game.

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