In rugby, when a minor infraction stops play, it’s restarted with a scrum. Forwards from each team pack together and push against opposition, competing for possession of the ball and field position. The coordination and grit required on the field are carried off the field, where the womxn’s rugby club pushes for the same gains in resources and status.

In the club’s efforts to win, grow and leave a lasting legacy at DePaul, club president and senior sports communication major Breanna Baldwin-Zurek acknowledges how important passion and intensity are.

“There’s seven people on the field. If one person is trying harder than everyone, then you know it’s gonna be a rough day,” Baldwin-Zurek said.

Baldwin-Zurek started playing rugby her freshman year at DePaul. Despite not having a background in the sport, with the help of her teammates, she’s worked her way to the top of the board. She is encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.

“I think this game is the most approachable with learning it because no one knows what they’re doing, so everyone’s learning together,” Baldwin-Zurek said.

Many athletes on the team have no prior experience playing rugby, including Mallory Bores, a DePaul junior studying public relations and marketing. Bores joined the team after stumbling upon their table at an involvement fair.

“All I knew was cheer, so every single thing was new,” Bores said. “Cleats were new. Getting hurt was new. It’s constant scratches. My legs are scratched up just from the turf, from cleats. You get stomped on by the cleats.”

During her first season, Bores broke her hand while practicing a tackle, forcing her to spend most of the year learning from the sidelines. Despite the injuries, she said the physical marks left behind are worth it, as they reflect the effort and determination behind each win.

“Leaving with bruises and scratches fills me with so much joy, and it shouldn’t, but it does,” Bores said.

The wear and tear isn’t limited to the players themselves. Baldwin-Zurek noted that the equipment also takes on a toll. 

“More people are coming out. We’ve lost jerseys over the years. Some have been ripped in half,” she said.

The jerseys DePaul plays in were on the backs of players who were at DePaul decades ago. One of those players is Sarah Berry, the club’s current assistant coach and 2017 DePaul graduate.

“I started wearing those in 2015, and the other set, they didn’t get until 2017 right after I graduated,” Berry said. 

After years of use, the players said the jerseys have become “uncomfortable,” “less size-inclusive” and “leotard-like.”

In April, the team started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for fresh blue and red kits, equipment and travel expenses.

Women’s rugby is recognized as an NCAA Emerging Sport, and only five Division I clubs operate under the bylaws. Since club rugby does not receive the already limited institutional backing that the divisional teams get, they have to get creative about meeting basic competitive needs.

“It’s no secret that club sports don’t quite get as much funding as DI, DII, DIII programs, and so these students have to do a lot to figure out where that funding comes from,” Berry said.

In just 24 days, after lots of social media outreach and word-of-mouth promotion, the club met their goal of $3,000. In an Instagram post, they thanked donors for their generosity and said the money would “completely change” the club.

Baldwin-Zurek feels that this progress off the field can encourage new players to join. 

“As the club is growing, intensity is growing, and hopefully our legacy at DePaul is growing,” she said.

Since her time as a player in the club almost a decade ago, Berry has noticed a significant increase in interest in the sport, both in college and professional leagues.

In 2025, Women’s Elite Rugby, the first professional women’s rugby league in the U.S., had its inaugural season. Composed of six teams, the league seeks to create a pipeline for younger players into the professional level. 

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, USA women’s rugby took home bronze with the help of Ilona Maher, who has since become a popular personality and “Dancing with the Stars” runner-up. Berry believes wins like these help give rugby a larger platform.

“I think women’s sports in general is showing that it’s more than just about the athlete. It’s about the whole person,” Berry said. “We’re really following stories and getting excited about it. I think we’re seeing a lot of growth in rugby from that.”

As the club continues to build momentum, its identity is shaped as much by connection as it is competition and training. 

Charlotte Waters-Graves, a senior studying communications and media, said that the camaraderie on the field stems to genuine relationships between the players off it.

“It can be really hard sometimes when we’ve had a lot of losses, but in the end, we just pick each other back up,” Waters-Graves said. “We’re just there for each other.”

It doesn’t matter if they play in worn down jerseys or brand new ones, with torn up rugby balls or fresh cleats, the focus remains on helping on another grow their talent and building something bigger with every ruck, tackle and scrum.

“We’re not just teammates. We’re not in competition with each other,” Bores said. “We’re always lifting each other up, whether we’ve played for seven years or it’s our first time putting cleats on today.”

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