Bright Future- Sydney the enforcer

 The 2033 women's rugby world cup is not that far and the current female athletes that are in high school and college will be the core of the USA lineup come that first kickoff. There is an explosion, albeit small right now, for women's and girls rugby in the USA. the emphasis on providing high quality matches and reporting on youth teams is seeing a rise for female players and their respected clubs. Sydney Copeland is one of those players who are taking advantage and thriving thanks to new programs being established and bridges being made between the various levels of rugby. She is a star on the rise and could very well be in the history books come 2033. A NorCal native Sydney has found her stride while attending and playing for Western Washington University, bringing pride to not just Bellingham but all the north west. With the PR7s and the much talked about potential investment into the WPL, players like Sydney and others could very well be better prepared for the future and  I hope you all enjoy learning about Sydney as much as I have.

LLR- Where abouts from the Bay Area are you from?

SC- I am from Martinez in the east bay area

LLR- When did you first start playing rugby and for what club?

SC- My senior year at Carondelet high school, they created a womens rugby team and I joined about halfway through the season in 2019.

LLR- You currently play for Western Washington university, how has your experience playing at the collegiate level been thus far?

SC- I have had a great experience with WWU, I have developed a lot of my core skills from being on this team and from the coaches that I have had. When I first came to western, my coach had taught me how to play scrumhalf and how to kick, and to see the progress I have made in those skills with where I am at on the team now is really cool. We also won our league last year and made it to regionals in California which was a great experience and a nice opportunity for our team to continue to progress to higher levels.

LLR- At such a young career you are experiencing some amazing opportunities, PNW selects, Pacific coast grizzlies. What are some key points that you feel those programs have helped you improve your overall playing experience?

SC- For both of these teams, being able to come together, having never played together as a team or even with most of the people there, and understand everyone's skills and the team dynamic is a great learning experience. Just being able to adapt to a new dynamic and figure out how to let everyone's skills shine and flow smoothly together is a great feeling and growth opportunity, and we got to see it work in Iowa with the PacCoast grizzlies with us winning tier 1.

     Also, just being able to play rugby at a higher level than our current collegiate level, with some of the best players in our region has been a huge factor in helping me improve as a player and teammate.

 Even with the PNW selects and our recent loss against UBC, it was a great learning experience. I feel like a game like that can help put into perspective what our weaknesses were as a team and individually, and how we can improve on those. If we are out here winning every single game we wouldn't get the opportunity to see those little things they were able to capitalize on and be able to grow from it.

LLR- Another amazing thing to point out is your time down in chula vista, can you explain what the reasoning was for the training and the impact it has had on you as a whole? 

SC- This year in 2023 I just started getting into 7s. My first camp at chula vista in June was a huge learning experience for me as a player and for my game in 7s especially. The first camp I attended was more of a learning-based camp to understand the strategies and skills for 7s and how to read the players and the field when on offense and defense. The next two camps in August and October were more performance based camps where we were able to take what we have learned and put it into practice with the scrimmages we did at the end. Overall, I have learned so so much just from these camps, especially being able to train and play with extremely talented athletes from all over the nation. I feel like I have grown with rugby and within my values, seeing how skilled and dedicated everyone is, is extremely motivating and pushes me to continue to work hard to be able to compete at this high of a level.

LLR- Focusing on WWU and the 2023/2024 season how has the team performed thus far reaching the halfway point.

SC- WWU has performed so well! We are currently 2-0 so far this season with big wins against U of O and UW. (our first game against OSU got rescheduled). We are looking forward to continuing to dominate in our league and hopefully we will be able to to compete at regionals again this Spring.

LLR- In your own opinion is there enough being done to get potentially young female players to pick up the ball?

SC- I have seen a lot of growth with girls and womens rugby but I always believe we can be doing more to spread the love of the game, especially to the next generation. Girls rugby is doing an amazing job of growing the name of rugby and empowering young girls all across the nation. I would love to see more funds and spotlight on them and their program.

LLR- Where would you like to see the women's game go here in North America come 2033 ?

SC- I would love to see womens rugby just as big as mens rugby in North America and the United S⁸tates specifically. I would also hope that by 2033, womens professional rugby players are getting paid enough to where they do not need another job.

LLR- Speaking of the USA Women's Rugby World Cup , is there any specific location you personally would like to see at least one round played at in 2033?

SC- I would love to see them play in San Francisco or at least somewhere in the bay area.

LLR- After WWU what's the next step in your rugby and personal journey ?

SC- After I graduate WWU I will have a bachelors in kinesiology exercise science, and will find a job in that field. With rugby, I am wanting to pursue it as far as I can and hopefully even playing professionally one day, thats the dream.

LLR- If you had an opportunity to go back to your middle school and high school, what would you say to those young girls in encouraging them to take up rugby and , for the older ones, going to WWU?

SC- I would tell them that they are capable of amazing things and to always, no matter what, through the ups and downs of life, always continue to believe in yourself. You are strong, powerful, and dangerous.

LLR- Final words of encouragement to those who are reading this?

SC- Keep putting in the work. Even if its not fruitful today or tomorrow, the hard work will pay off. Set your standards high and prove to yourself what you are capable of.

*If you would like to fallow Sydney on her journey along with the Western Washington Woman's rugby club and the PNW Womens Selects please give each profile below a fallow below!

Sydney- @sydneycopeland

WWU club team instagram- @wwuwomensrugby

PNW u23 regional instagram- @pnwws_rugby

ORL fundraiser

 

 ORL is looking to secure finances for its upcoming match. Any and all size donations are completely welcomed . There is also now also benefit tears for those who donate more. 

thank you.

Battle in the Capitol

 

click on link for more information ---> https://www.pacificcoastrl.com/news/oregon-inaugural-game

Can you hear the Ringing of the Victory bell..

When I was younger and in high school, Valley Christian, in San Jose, CA. We had only one rival, maybe some heated athletic battles with certain schools but there was only one school you went all out against regardless of how your season was going. Although Valley Christian sees its self as a Football school there was plenty of pride amongst its club sporting teams when we played Bellarmine College Preparatory.

Fast forward a decade and a few years the thanks to neglect from their own high school the Exiles RFC are no more and the Bellarmine rugby club still stands. During this time, and honestly before hand, the Bells have continued to march on and have become a historical pillar of high school rugby in the San Francisco Bay Area. Current player for the Bells , Mateo Scipioni is having an absolute great time playing and representing Bellarmine home or away and continuing to push his own rugby skills and career was gracious enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions to help more people become aware of Bellarmine Rugby and himself also. Trully hope you all enjoy and take the chance to reach out to the club and Mateo.

LLR- In a school mostly known for its football program and other more traditional sports, how did you come to play rugby?

MS- I’ve been playing rugby since the 6^th grade so I came to Bellarmine knowing I would play rugby. Although I played freshman football it wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the creativity and physicality that came with rugby.

LLR- What's been your experience playing at Bellarmine collage Preparatory?

MS- It’s been a good experience. The coaching staff is great with lots of experience in rugby. The players all come together and put in their full effort. Although we don’t win many games and we aren’t a very size gifted team we enjoy the games full of physicality.

LLR- How's the relationship between the rugby club and the other sports on campus between the players and coaches?

MS- As a club sport we don’t get the funding and attention that the traditional sports get, but we manage with minimal costs. We get a few athletes from football, wrestling, and other sports on the rugby squad, which gives us some diversity when it comes to the athletes on our team. The coaches are all volunteer coaches taking time out of their busy lives to train us.

LLR- Is there a tradition in the club that we should all know about , anything unique?

MS- We have a tradition of traveling either out of state or across the state every year to play teams that are not in our league to test our abilities against teams we wouldn’t usually play against. This is a great way to not only better our skills but also strengthen our bond as a team.

LLR- Last year the team traveled up to Seattle (tukwila) and played a curtain raiser to the Seawolves match, how was that experience for you and all involved ?

MS- It was a great experience having the opportunity to travel out of state and play the curtain raiser for the Seawolves. It was a great match in the rain, but I did not participate in the varsity match because I was out with concussion from the game the night prior. It was a well fought match and certainly a learning experience for us as a team.

LLR- When was the club founded?

MS- The club started in 1980 but it became College Park Rugby for a few years before becoming Bellarmine Rugby Club again in 2007.

LLR- In traditional sports at the school there's some many great long history rivalries with the other WCAL schools, who's the biggest rival for Bell Rugby?

MS-We don’t really have any rivalries with any schools or clubs. The schedule changes slightly every season so there aren’t really any rivalries that we have.

LLR- Saint Francis just completed their first season, is it in the best interest for Rugby and West Catholic (WCAL) schools to field rugby teams ?

MS- I feel that it would be beneficial for more schools in the area to field rugby programs. It would allow for more local competition instead of having to travel long distances, which is an issue for most rugby teams having to travel hours for a single match. It would bring together the schools in WCAL and facilitate potential rivalries which would be good for the rugby community in our area as a whole.

LLR-What days and times are practices and games?

MS- Games are on Saturdays and practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays.

LLR- What are your plans for after high school, are there academies or specific colleges you are looking at?

MS- Right now, I’m looking at universities like Colorado State, Montana State, and Oregon State. I would like to play rugby at either of these and study environmental sciences.

LLR- Best way to get a hold of you and the team and also follow all your journey's?

MS- The best way to get a hold of me or anyone on the team would be through Twitter, Instagram, or Email. You can follow @bcprugby on Instagram or @BellarmineRFC on twitter.