Rugby wins $20,000

By Olivia Biagi
Collegian Editor
August 28, 2008

The women’s rugby team at La Salle received a $20,000 grant from Nike over the summer from the company’s Let Me Play Foundation. In the last two years, according to letmeplay.com, Nike has invested $100 million world-wide through the organization. The women’s rugby team will benefit from the foundation this year, after winning grand prize in an essay contest.

“Maria Muscara kind of organized the whole thing,” Rugby Union President and team captain Britni Buffalino, a senior biology major, said. “Three or four of our sophomores and juniors put [the essay] together.”

Junior communication/political science major Muscara discovered the grant opportunity online last semester and immediately e-mailed the team the essay questions, asking for responses. She then compiled all of the responses into an essay explaining why the team should receive the grant. Buffalino stated that the team’s role in the community was a “big part” of why they were awarded the prize.

According to Buffalino, eight girls went on service trips through La Salle last year, and three of them coordinated their trips. Also, the team went out with Neighbor 2 Neighbor on various Saturdays and a few girls volunteered at a gift wrapping place during the Christmas season.

“Everyone’s really involved on our team,” Buffalino said. “At first everyone just happened to do it, [but this last year] we made a community service committee that two girls headed.”

Throughout the year, the committee reached out to different service organizations on campus for opportunities to help.

Women’s rugby, which will begin its fall 2008 season Sept. 6, is a club sport at La Salle, and therefore is funded differently from varsity athletics.

“We put in a proposal to funding board and they alott a certain amount of money based on what we used last year and what we need this year,” Buffalino said, adding that this funding is for both men’s and women’s rugby teams and must be shared.

Equipment, travelling expenses for away games, uniforms, and the coach’s pay are all provided for by this funding. In previous years, the women’s rugby team has played without a trainer because the university does is unable to provide one, and the team must pay an outside party to act as a trainer. The team has also not had enough uniforms for each team member.

“We used to switch uniforms during the games,” Buffalino said, also adding that two sets of jerseys for the team costs between $1500 and $2000, while the uniform shorts are $25 a piece. The girls must provide their own mouth guards.

While the grant can only be used towards the purchase of Nike products, it will save the team a lot of money this season, including an estimated $500 on new balls. The team will also be able to purchase new uniforms, mouth guards and water bottles with the grant. The money saved in the funding budget will go towards traveling and an athletic trainer.

“This is the first year we’re going to be able to get a trainer at our games,” Buffalino said.

Since becoming a member of the Rugby Union at La Salle in 2002, the team has moved up from Division IV to Division II, and has made the championships the past three years. The women’s rugby team held its first informational session Tuesday, Aug. 26. However, prospective recruits are encouraged to stop by at a practice to learn some basic skills and see what rugby is all about. For more information on the team visit lasallewomensrugby.org.

biagio1@lasalle.edu