On Saturdays, when an afternoon of running and tackling and grinding people into the dirt is over, a group of Harvard women will get together for a few drinks. Then they'll sing an old favorite, generally something like "S&M Chick," recited to the tune of "The Candyman":

Who can take a penis,

Chop it Sicilian style,

Put it on a pizza

And serve it with a smile...

That's bonding, women's rugby style. While the sport is rough, and its culture coarse, it's becoming hip. This year, about 50 women are risking limb to practice rugby three times a week, with a game on Saturday.

"I love the sport; it's a lot of fun," says Liza R. Studen '96, who has played rugby for five semesters. "You get some aggression out, and then there's the social part of it."

"I enjoy tackling people into the ground," says Beth M. Edwards '95.

The women's rugby club--formed in the spring of 1988--may be one of the more significant women's groups on campus. Attendance at practice far exceeds the typical turnout for a Radcliffe Union of Students meeting. And a rugby game day can be more social than any event organized by the Lynx, the on-again, off-again women's final club.

By its nature, rugby is ferociously physical. Players hurl themselves full force against their opponents, fling them to the ground, and then pile on. Unlike in football, they do this without protective shoulder pads or reinforced helmets.

The only safety features are mouthguards, long-sleeve jerseys and the common practice of taping one's ears to one's head. That makes it harder to rip the ears off.

"My first game at Wellesley Col- lege, I loved it," says Lee A. Martinez '95, the team's president. "It's crazy. It hurt, but I really didn't think about it because your adrenaline is up."

Afterwards, the two teams make peace by celebrating together; communal beer-drinking and bawdy singing are typical reconciliatory gestures. It's all part of the culture of women's rugby at Harvard. You may get seriously injured, but there's always a party later.

"I know our team particularly likes parties," says Patty W. Seo '96, who plays the scrum-half position for the team and is also a Crimson editor. "One reason rugby is not a varsity sport is because drinking is involved. It's nice way to end the competition."

The recent swell in popularity for the sport may be traced to positive word-of-mouth, particularly among women in the Class of '96, Martinez says. The number of club members swelled to nearly 60 last year, and so far this fall has kept pace with approximately 50 players, according to rugby co-captain Chandra Harrell '95.

"I think once the Class of '96 started playing, [turn-outs] boomed," Martinez says. "People hear about it, and they come and play."