Vassar’s women’s rugby team steamrolled its way to its second straight national championship last fall, defeating the United States Coast Guard Academy, 78-24. And while winning has become a perennial event (three championships and eight Final Four appearances in the last nine years of competition), those who have taken part in this remarkable run say it’s the bonds forged by the Vassar rugby family that make the experience truly special.
Co-Captain Kasey Drake ’23 says she’ll never forget the feeling of holding the championship trophy, “but it felt even more rewarding because of the people we won it with,” she said. “I can’t imagine what my Vassar experience would have been without rugby. I hope everyone, at least once in their life, gets a chance to be a part of a community as amazing as the Vassar rugby community.”
That community was out in force this season. More than 50 rugby parents and alums made the trip to Matthews, NC, for the Final Four and attended a dinner the night before the championship game hosted by rugby alums, including Dr. Vandana Sinha ’82, the captain of Vassar’s first women’s team, who traveled from her home in Arizona for the event.
Rugby alum Charles Williams ’80, whom Head Coach Tony Brown calls the program’s most loyal supporter, said this year’s dinner was highlighted by speeches from two members of the squad—Claire Zickl ’23 and tournament MVP Caeli Porette ’23—who had joined the team this year after playing other varsity sports in prior years. “Their love for this program, for their teammates, and for the opportunity to contribute to a team advancing to this level of achievement left not a single dry eye in the house,” Williams said. “These student-athletes and this program represent the highest and best of collegiate athletics and is a true credit to Vassar College.”