DALLAS — The U.S. women's Rugby Sevens team had never even made it to the Olympic semifinals before.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, that all changed – and in movie-esque fashion. The way Dallas Rugby Football Club (DRFC) Women's Vice President Haley Hunter put it: "They woke the sleeping giant in rugby."
Women's Rugby Sevens has never been more popular in America, thanks to the team's success in winning a thrilling bronze medal match against powerhouse Australia and the emergence of social media star Ilona Maher.
In an interview after the emotional win, Maher spoke about hoping she and her teammates have inspired a new generation of women's rugby players and promote the game at large with clubs that have already existed.
The latter is true here in Dallas.
"Ilona Maher is promoting positivity in your body, and that's something that rugby, women's rugby specifically is very pro ... 'you have this body style?' awesome. You can be a forward or you can be a back. If you're not that fast? Awesome, I'm not either. I run like turtles in peanut butter, but I can still hit people pretty hard," Hunter quipped. "What [rugby] does for all women, and on top of that encourage people to come and try a new sport is unmatched."
The DRFC, also known as "The Reds," has been around for 55 years and is one of the largest rugby clubs in North America with over 150 registered members (supporters and active players). It is the third club established in Texas, and the first in the North Texas area, Hunter noted. Hunter told WFAA their team took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been fighting to keep the team alive.
"Asking people to come out and try something new during a global pandemic is just really difficult," Hunter said. "In all actuality, [COVID shut down} three women's teams in Dallas that have never been able to recover."
PHOTOS: Dallas Rugby Football Club women's team
Hunter said they were so proud of the USA Eagles and the interest in women's rugby that has resulted from the Olympic Games.
"They've given visibility for other women to know there is rugby that they can go and play," Hunter told WFAA. "And if tackling isn't your vibe, we also have a touch league that just went and did some pretty phenomenal stuff at the touch World Cup in London. Rugby is for everyone and there is a type of rugby and place for anyone who wants to be involved."
The DRFC womxn’s rugby team, which was started on a probationary period in 2017 and made official in 2018, competes in Division 2 of the Red River Rugby Conference, playing against other clubs from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Since the Olympics rugby tournament started, Hunter said there have been 44 recruits who have signed their new player form to join the women's team, which is the first time in club history that there have been more female new recruits than on their men's side, which has four clubs in the program. As a result, for the first time ever, DRFC will have a women's rookie camp.
"And we have little girls now who are seeing them and saying 'I want to go run fast and I also want to stiff arm people ... what Ilona Maher did to Japan was nasty," Hunter said. "And you usually see the Portia Woodmans of New Zealand ... but that's in New Zealand so far away. I didn't know that I could do that here."
If you would like to join the DRFC womxn's rugby team, they have a new player form online here. Hunter told WFAA there is no prior knowledge or experience needed to join and the team is completely open to both new players and rugby veterans, alike. Even if you think you don't belong, you might be surprised.
"I played for a year before I knew what was going on because there's a lot of laws in rugby," Hunter said. "We accept people from all different backgrounds, whether it be careers, like I'm a teacher. We have a coroner. We have people who work for Amazon. We actually have people who have their doctorates – a couple of surgeons. We have all different faiths, political backgrounds, gender and sexual orientations. Anyone is welcome."
Both youth players and mothers are in the community, too.
The team trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Lake Highland Park, Hunter said. All Dallas RFC Womxn home games are played on Saturdays at Lake Highlands Park.
The team also holds "post-match socials" after home matches at Christies Sports Bar in Lower Greenville.
"Rugby is something where we go to battle on the field, and then our socials, you go have a beer with the people you just messed up pretty bad on the field," Hunter said. "I have as many group pictures with my own team as I do group pictures with both teams."
You can also learn more about the club through their social media here (@dallasrugby on Instagram/X and Dallas Rugby Football Club on Facebook).
If you'd like to support the club, you can find more information on their website here, including how to donate or how to become a monthly supporter. And the Reds are just one of many rugby clubs here in North Texas. There are clubs all around for anyone, no matter where you might live. Here is a list of some of the others:
- Alliance Rugby Club
- Dallas Athletic Rugby Club
- Dallas Harlequins RFC
- Dallas Rugby Football Club
- Forth Worth Rugby Club
- Grand Prairie Mavericks
- Las Colinas RFC
- Lost Souls RFC
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