The Coastal Carolina Women’s Club Rugby team, a DII club sport, has accumulated numerous accolades since their start in 2016.
Such accolades include being conference champions in 2022 and 2023 while also being undefeated in the conference this past 15s season.
After traveling to regionals in Culpepper, Virginia the team placed fifth in the nation for DII.
The team is consistently made up of around 30 members which allows them to field both an A and B team for certain games and tournaments.
An abundance of interest allows the team to excel with many members who can play in numerous positions.
During the fall semester, the women’s rugby team plays 15’s, which is made up of 15 members of a team, with a total of 30 women on the field. On the other hand, the spring 7’s season begins with seven players each and 14 women on the field overall.
The team prides itself on welcoming everyone regardless of their prior experience with the sport. With 15 different positions in the fall, there is room for all abilities from those who like to run the ball to those who enjoy scrums and tackling.
Coach Courtney Morris has served in her position for the past three years and has 10 years of experience playing the game. She began her journey at Clemson University followed by Life University, a top rugby program in the nation.
When she began her coaching career at Coastal, she noted how the club started with five players but now brings in approximately 32 female students per season.
“We went from never really hearing about Coastal Rugby to where now, they are fifth in the nation for DII,” Morris said.
This year, the team also had two National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) All-American Recipients, seniors Serafina Delgado and Lily Hess.
Being an NCR All-American is a distinguished honor in which the players are considered the best in DII rugby where there are currently 74 clubs.
“It’s important to understand that being good at something doesn’t mean you stop learning and growing. With my teammates and coaches, I have learned and grown so much,” Delgado said.
Delgado also mentioned how she never thought that she would do so many fun things through a club sport that she had no prior experience playing.
Emma Zwickel, a junior who joined the rugby team through Organization Kickoff Day, said the team gave her new friends and a positive team dynamic coming in as a transfer student.
Students who are interested in joining the team can contact their Instagram account, @CCU_womensrugby.
