The Oberlin women’s rugby club turned in a spirited performance that forced Wittenberg University to dig deep to beat the charged Rhinos 20-7.  

Wittenberg took it hard to Oberlin from the starting kickoff, to which the Rhinos responded with fiery and committed defense. Though Oberlin struggled to get their attack going, they were successful at thwarting the Wittenberg offensive efforts with good pressure on the ball.  

Letting their passionate play take over, the Rhinos committed basic errors, giving Wittenberg the opportunity to enjoy a blatant territorial advantage. Still the Rhinos commanded that Wittenberg work successfully through a remarkable 20 phases or more before getting their first score.   

With little to no possession the Rhinos were forced to defend for exceptional periods of time, making dedicated and thumping tackles, eventually bowing to an impressive combination of hands between the Wittenberg scrum and backline. Wittenberg scored twice more before the halftime whistle, making it 15-0. 

Despite facing a 15-point deficit, an unphased Rhino squad took the field for the second half with an intense energy that allowed Oberlin to finally put together some good attacking phases.

A big hit by senior fly half Magdalen Dale on a small and unsettled Wittenberg winger forced a knock-on and penalty against Wittenberg. The ensuing penalty allowed Dale to kick into touch for an attacking lineout deep in Wittenberg territory and the first real glimpse of the Wittenberg try line.

This time the Rhinos were not to be denied as senior super-sub flanker Holly Rousmaniere stripped the ball from a forming maul and burst over the line with a kind of vigor that left Wittenberg baffled on defense. Dale’s calm cleat converted the two points, putting the Rhinos within eight with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Still two scores behind, the Rhinos mounted a charge that should go down in the books for its level of heart and never-say-die commitment. The heat that these Rhinos brought taxed the Wittenberg side to desperate levels as play was stopped over and over again and one by one Wittenberg players left the field with injuries or even fake-an-injury exhaustion.

After the fourth Wittenberg player was carried off the field, one had to note the difference between the teams: on one side lay a battered Wittenberg team, nursing water bottles and sitting or lying down on the field; on the other stood the Rhinos, pumped to get the game started again. Their energy was punctuated with a scream from senior scrum captain Leila Macbeth: “I’m not tired! Who’s tired?” 

“Quack, quack, quack,” the team responded in full Mighty Ducks style.  

But a plethora of unexplained play-stopping calls by the ref quelled the Rhinos’ momentum and put away all chances of coming back. Despite the tough competition and frustrating calls, the Rhinos never rolled over or backed down for a second. Just one call in their favor or break through a hole and the game could have gone either way.

This week the Rhinos will be playing a friendly seven-a-side tourney at home, with a beginner men’s game to boot. The Rhinos should be occupying the field for most of the afternoon and all are welcome to come out and celebrate the end of an amazing season.Laurie Meiring is the coach of the Oberlin women’s rugby team.