Varsity sports returned to Carleton University’s campus on Saturday, ending a 552-day layoff with a 17-5 loss in women’s rugby to the Université de Montréal Carabins.
At the newly-renamed Ravens Perch, the Ravens struggled to gain ground in the first half, with most of the plays remaining in the centre of the pitch. The team wanted to move the ball to the outside but was consistently blocked by a strong Montreal defence that left them stuck in the centre.
In the second half, Carleton appeared to warm up and had more success on the outer edges.
“We just got away from our game plan originally and that was just to move the ball out wide,” Carleton head coach David Luong said. “Maybe it was a bit of excitement, a bit of nerves or a bit of rust after two years.”
The Ravens made a small recovery in the second half. With 10 minutes left of play, wing Mckenna Taylor—making her Ravens debut—scored the first and only try for the team.
“It was pretty crazy just coming on as a rookie,” Taylor said. “I didn’t expect to be starting, let alone scoring a try in the first game.”
The RAVENS are on the board late in the second half!
RAVENS – 5
CARABINS – 10 pic.twitter.com/4pyRClVwzV— Carleton Ravens (@CURavens) September 11, 2021
Taylor said the team sometimes gets pinched at the edges of the pitch, but centre Claire File gave her a perfect pass to be able to score.
“It was very loud,” Taylor said. “They were all so pumped, everyone was so excited for me, cheering my name … We’ve got each other’s backs. It’s just a great team environment.”
Saturday’s game was important not only for new players but those returning as well. Scrum half Roberta Drummond, one of the team captains and in her last year of eligibility, said the experience of having fans back in the stands “felt surreal.”
“[I was] trying to absorb every single second. I was almost in tears before the game,” Drummond said. “Today the message for the team was to just really drink it in. It was a privilege to be back on the field.”
Carleton is currently allowing 25 per cent capacity at sporting events with social distancing restrictions in place. Saturday’s match was the first in which fans were in attendance in a year and a half, and the energy from Ravens and Carabins fans—at some points going head-to-head with dueling chants—was visible.
“A lot of the players had families and friends in the stands today to watch them play after two years, so I think it was really good for them,” Luong said.
The match was Luong’s first as head coach after serving as the long-time assistant coach of the team. Patrick Thompson, who was head coach of the Ravens for four seasons, joined the University of Ottawa women’s rugby team last summer as assistant coach and assistant program manager.
The match also marked the 10th anniversary of the women’s rugby team at Carleton, with many team alumni in the stands.
For Drummond, just being able to return to the pitch is an honour despite the loss.
“It’s an honour and a privilege every time I put this jersey on,” Drummond said, “I can’t really put it into words. It means everything to me.”
Women’s rugby will return to action on Sunday when they travel to Montreal to play the McGill University Martlets. Their next home game is scheduled for Sept. 25 at Ravens Field, also against McGill.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
