By Josh Sadlock
Photos Courtesy of Megan Richardson
Each week, Lafayette athletes do great things on the playing field that earn them extra recognition. In the past few weeks, these stars made the news for her outstanding accomplishments.
Although the Lafayette Women’s Club Rugby season has come to a successful end, two members of the team, Megan Richardson ‘14 and Rachel Loven ‘14, were not ready to call it a season. The sophomores recently traveled to Florida with the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union.
Playing with the U-19 team, Richardson and Loven competed against teams from the South, Northeast and Key West in a national tournament. Although it was difficult to play against more experienced girls who have been playing since middle school, the Lafayette ruggers more than held their own.
“The tournament was really fast-paced,” Richardson said. “It was different than playing here, because every year we start from scratch after the seniors leave.”
“I could tell that they were playing at a higher level,” said Loven, who was forced to sit due to an injury.
Richardson and Loven were encouraged to try out for the club team by their coach Kevin Castner. By playing with more experienced players, the coach hopes his players will continue learning the game of rugby. Both players admit they still have plenty to learn when it comes to rugby.
Neither Richardson nor Loven had played rugby competitively before coming to Lafayette. Richardson had played soccer and lacrosse before high school and Loven had not played competitive sports before coming to college. Lovensaid that playing rugby has helped develop her athletic skills.
Learning the game of rugby hasn’t always come easily for these two, but they have quickly become very important players on the pitch.
“They are a great example of players who go above and beyond what is expected of them to improve their skills and become better acquainted with the game,” captain Katie Martin ‘12 said. “As players, they are everything that I, as a captain, could hope for hardworking, dedicated and motivated to help our team succeed.”
These two rugby stars do not limit their hard work to the pitch alone. They also excel as members of the engineering department. Richardson has selected mechanical engineering as her major, while Loven has chosen to pursue a chemical engineering major.
With a lifelong desire to find out how machines and gadgets work, mechanical engineering is a natural fit for Richardson. Her AP credits from high school have allowed her to get ahead in her studies. This has set her up to enjoy a semester abroad in New Zealand this spring.
In New Zealand, she will be focusing on environmental studies. Richardson hopes to take a sky diving trip. She will also continue playing rugby with a New Zealand club team.
Rachel Loven knew she wanted to study engineering, having always enjoyed chemistry and physics. She has enjoyed applying chemistry to solving real world problems, citing her course in Material and Energy Balances. The course, she said, has helped prepare her for problem solving outside of college.
Loven’s academic interest expands outside of engineering and into the language field, studying French. Drawing on five years of experience from high school, she would also be interested in working as an interpreter.
Having gotten a taste of highly competitive rugby these last two seasons, Richardson and Loven will be ready to step up into leadership roles next season as the club breaks in a new group of freshmen.