From hits to friendships, rugby brings Augustana women together

The third day of fall brought clear skies, light wind and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees well into the evening. 

Quiet, calm, peaceful. 

Located beyond the outfield walls of Bowden Field and across from the main entrance to Kirkeby-Over Stadium, there’s a wide-open patch of grass where Augustana’s women’s club rugby players gather beneath the yellow goal post to begin practice. 

Led by seniors Ryland Beutz and Macy Mailander, the co-captains of the five-player club, the team began warmups with lunges, sprints and bear crawls before moving into passing drills and tackling work. Each hit on the pads came with precision and force, reflecting the intensity of a sport often compared to both football and soccer.

For Beutz and her teammates, rugby is about more than just physicality — it’s about fortitude, strategy and community.

“[Rugby] is an aggressive sport,” Beutz said. “A lot of girls get nervous for their first game, but after those first initial couple tackles, they realize it’s not bad and it all comes together.”

Mailander describes the game as a hybrid of American football and soccer, with players divided into two main roles: forwards and backs. The rules, she said, are identical to men’s rugby — tackling is required, but hits above the rib cage are not allowed. Players rely on cleats and mouthguards rather than padding, and tackles are typically made below the waist, a safer and more strategic approach.

The program itself has an uncertain history. 

“I don’t really know the backstory of how the club was founded because the coach back then retired a long time ago,” Beutz said. “It’s probably because some coach played in college and wanted to keep it going.”

While the Vikings compete against other universities, the team emphasizes camaraderie as much as competition. Games often end with potluck meals shared among players from both sides. 

“When we go to play other colleges, just seeing their sportsmanship with the other women on the other teams, it’s just wonderful to see,” head coach Mikayla Schroeder said.

Schroeder, now in her third year with the program, said the club is about far more than learning to tackle or run plays. 

“I’ve found a lot of friendship, connections and confidence through rugby, so I like bringing other college girls into that,” Schroeder said. “They’re all just so dedicated, hard-working and team players.”

To raise awareness on campus, the team has started selling merchandise through its Instagram page, @augierugby, and continues to encourage new members to attend practices. The group recently began implementing co-ed training, welcoming male students who are interested in learning about the sport. Mailander said the move has helped demystify rugby for students who might otherwise be hesitant to join.

“A lot of girls are scared to try rugby at first,” Mailander said. “But once they come out, meet the team, and start learning the game, they realize how much fun it really is. That sense of community is what keeps people coming back.”

The Augustana women’s rugby club practices Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. behind Kirkeby-Over Stadium near the softball field. For Beutz, Mailander and their teammates, every session is about more than building skills on the pitch — it’s about proving the strength, fortitude and sportsmanship of women in rugby.