They are undefeated so far this season. They have made it to nationals two years in a row, taking second in the nation last spring. They have an abundance of spirit, power, camaraderie and tremendous athletic ability. And chances are, you may never have heard of them.

The Radcliffe Rugby team is one of the best kept secrets in the world of Harvard (and Radcliffe) athletics.

Co-captained by seniors Rebecca "Bex" Wallison and Nancy McGuire, the team is comprised of approximately 50 women. Unbeknownst to many undergraduates, the team has enjoyed an incredibly successful season to date, emerging victorious in every match it has played.

In Radcliffe's first contest of the fall season the team crushed the opposition, defeating Smith by a commanding score of 37-0. The team seconded this big win the following weekend with a 39-0 victory over Brown.

"The scores are not unusual," said Wallison. "We are capable of beating teams by even more than that. We have a really deep team this year."

Last Saturday the team added yet another victory to its winning streak, defeating Dartmouth, a formidable opponent, by a score of 17-7. This victory catapulted the Black & White into the number-one ranked school in its division.

These wins are the continuation of several years of success for Radcliffe Rugby.

Two years ago, the team made its first appearance at nationals. Radcliffe returned to Cambridge with a very respectable fourth place finish.

This past spring, the Black & White took home the second place title after losing a heartbreaking match to Penn State, 22-20. The team spirit was lifted, however, by the numerous accolades bestowed upon them at the competition. Five women were named All-American, and the team received an MVP award for one of its forward formations.

This year, the team is hungry for the national title. Building on the momentum and skill developed throughout the past few seasons, hopes are high and chances are good.

Unfortunately, the success of Radcliffe Rugby is rarely recognized. As a club sport, the team does not receive the in-depth coverage of the varsity squads.

"Getting recognition from the school on a higher level would be nice," said Wallison. "We're a great group of athletes--a highly talented group of women. I think we deserve to be judged at the same level as varsity. We're one of the most successful teams here."

"It's sad that it has taken for us to get to nationals for people to realize that there is a women's rugby team," said senior Kara Dwyer.

These woes, however, may soon be mere memories. Currently, rugby is under consideration for varsity status. An increase in the amount of time, money and recognition allotted to the sport would be the likely result of such a change.

Some players are not completely unhappy with the current club status, however, and enjoy the intrinsic benefits of being part of a non-varsity team.