While not drawing any funding from Radcliffe itself, the players and coaches value the ideals of empowerment that the name inspires.
With the Ivy win, the squad proved it still belongs among the nation's elite women's rugby clubs. Both Dartmouth and Princeton competed in this year's national tournament, with Princeton losing in the finals to Stanford 43-31.
"We showed that we're on an even playing field with teams that made Nationals," assistant coach Darlene "Bubba" Connors said.
More Than Wins and Losses
"Rugby has a different sense of why you play from any other sport," Rifkin said. "You're out there because you want to be, and there's a real sense of community."
The team nature is what makes the game unique, players say.
"Rugby is the ultimate team sport," Gartner said. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
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