1975 Sexist OSU Newsletter
The Old Man, the newsletter of the Ohio State University Men’s Rugby club announced the formation of the Ohio State women’s team. Note the graphic illustration of a female player.
1977 The Pitch
The Tube and the Pitch, two different Ohio State Women’s team newsletters from 1977 show the grassroots organizing, bawdy nature of women’s rugby at the time.
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Support us today!
When you contribute to the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation you become part of a movement to support girls and women involved in rugby.
We are a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.
All donations made are tax deductible.
In early 1980, the fledgling Women’s Committee was folded into USAR and became the USARFU Women’s Committee.
The 1980’s was notable for the tremendous growth in women’s rugby as well as the formation of the women’s national team and the first women’s international match.
The US National Team came about through the perseverance of the Women’s Committee, notably Diane Terwilliger, Mary Larkin and Marcia Borge.
The inclusion of women’s rugby teams within local and national governing structures was a contentious issue throughout the 1980’s. Left to their own devices, the Women's Committee the unofficial governing body of women's rugby moved mountains.
However, affiliating with established territorial unions provided women with opportunities to participate in regional select side play as well as InterTerritorial Tournaments (ITT’s). The ITT’s eventually became the sole vehicle for selecting the US Women’s National Team. As women’s select side teams became more visible, women coaches and referees became more visible
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Program Covers of Tournaments
Given the geographic challenges of the early years, women’s rugby relied heavily on tournaments. Players would drive for hours and play up to 4 matches a day often on different teams. These tournaments helped elevate the overall quality of play as they exposed women’s teams to different levels and styles of play.
