Rugby, once thought to be a man's sport, is gaining popularity among girls at the high school, college and recreational level.
According to a recent article by Sapna Pathak of boston.com, more girls are learning the finer points of tackling and rushing the field, without the use of protective gear.
Girls are signing up for more and more full- contact sports, such as lacrosse, wresting, ice hockey and rugby, Pathak said.
The article said rugby's popularity in high schools has grown 1,000 percent since 2002 and there are 347 clubs on college campuses, nationwide.
Rugby, first played in the United Kingdom, has been growing in popularity so much that the International Olympic Committee added it to the list of sports for the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro.
Rugby is an offshoot of football, with 15 players kicking and passing a ball down the pitch to score on their opponent's end zone. They are also allowed to tackle opponents, but players don't wear the protective helmets or pads that football players wear.
Rugby is an offshoot of football, with 15 players kicking and passing a ball down the pitch to score on their opponent's end zone. They are also allowed to tackle opponents, but players don't wear the protective helmets or pads that football players wear.
High school and college campuses aren't the only places to see girls tackling other girls on the rugby pitch. Many towns, including Bennington, Vt. and Ann Arbor, Mich., have started women's club teams.
According to a recent Manchester Journal article, the Bennington women just kicked off their second season, their first of league- level competition.
Laura Read of The Manchester Journal wrote the Bennington women are hoping the growing popularity of the sport and publicity will encourage more women to come out and get dirty.
Here in Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University added a rugby team to its list of club sports.
Middle Tennessee State University hosted a women's collegiate rugby "round of 16" competition the weekend of April 3. The winning teams advanced to the next round of the USA Rugby National Championships starting April 16, according to a Murfreesboro Post article.
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