teams in the Southeast will converge on Columbia, S.C., as they play for a spot in the
National Championships.
The 2011 USA Rugby South Women's Division II Playoffs will be held at Owen's Field
October 8-9. Winning teams from South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee will
then go on to compete against the rest of the country in the National Championships in
Virginia Beach, Virginia, November 5-6.
"When I started a team back in 2007, I had no idea it would be as popular as it is today,"
commented tournament director and Columbia Bombshells player Simone Bontly. "I
started with 10 members on my team, and now we have 30. To be able to say there are
eight teams of women traveling from around the Southeast to play rugby in ‘Famously
Hot' Columbia is very exciting."
Bontly's team consists of teachers, a guidance counselor, engineers, a biologist, members
of the military and a mother of five. And thankfully, they haven't had any injuries so far
this season (knock on wood)!
"It's always a shock to people when I say I play rugby with a mother of five and school
teachers, but it's a fun sport that is exciting for a lot of different types of people," said
Bontly. "Safety is our main focus. We play hard, but we are very aware and cautious at
the same time."
Columbia's Bombshells will compete in the tournament representing South Carolina
along with the Charleston Hurricanes.
Originating in England, rugby was brought over the United States in 1823, and was the
sport from which American football evolved and got the term "touchdown," but in rugby
a "touchdown" is called a "try."
Some other rugby lingo includes:
Scrum- When eight players from each side form-up and go head-to-head
Ruck- When, after a tackle, players try to retain possession of the ball by driving over it
Try Zone- Similar to the "End Zone" in American football
Try- A scoring play where the ball must be touched down - or grounded - in the try zone
Conversion - Similar to the "PAT" after a touchdown in American football - but worth 2pts in rugby
Play begins on Saturday, October 8 at 12:30 p.m. and conclude with the final match
Sunday, October 9, at 1 p.m. For more information about the tournament, please visit
columbiawomensrugby.com. Also, keep up with Bontly's team on Twitter
by following @bombshellrugby.
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