Rhino Ruggers close with loss, injuries

Everybody got to play in the Rhino Ruggers' final game, a loss to Bowling Green State University Saturday.

"We had people playing who had been to less than half the practices," said Women's Rugby Club President Tara Ikenouye, a senior.

Though Bowling State scored four tries during the first half, Oberlin held them to just one try during the second.

At the half, many Ruggers who hadn't yet played that day took to the field. Ikenouye said that those who had watched from the sidelines during the first half "played accordingly" during the second. And playing accordingly resulted in more tackling, improved scrum downs and a tougher backline. "We were hitting harder, lower," Ikenouye said.

During the first half, Bowling Green managed to score by running through the Rugger's backline unscathed - largely, Ikenouye said, because players were not going for the tackle. Ikenouye attributed this failure to tackle to inexperience. "Mostly they broke through the backline. We weren't stopping them."

"I think we got more aggressive as we got more into the game," said junior Becca Barnes. "The team finally came together and thought `What the hell? Why are we letting them score on us all day long?'"

Barnes said Bowling Green was more aggressive than Oberlin but also played a lot of "dirty ball." By the end of the game, three players were injured, including first-year Sue Ives, who emerged from the swarm with a "big ol' bump on the head. I had a huge black eye. . . . It hurt."

The loss came after a win in the snow over Kent State on Nov. 8. Shortly after the Rugger's sole try, Kent said they didn't want to play in the cold, wet conditions and the game ended after about 15 minutes of play.