When it comes to rugby — especially women’s rugby — many people are unaware of the sport. What they do know is often limited to popular stereotypes, including the assumption that it is dominated by LGBTQ+ athletes.

Creative advertising junior Meryl Peterhans leans into these stereotypes as she runs the team’s social media. She plays a large part in fostering that sense of community awareness surrounding the team’s openness and inclusivity.

"If I'm talking to anyone who's like queer in any way, they're like, 'oh yeah, rugby, it's gay,'" Peterhans said. "It’s a nice identifier, I don't have to tell people I'm gay, but I play rugby, so they know what that means."

"Whether you're gay or whether you're not, it's just a really warm and welcoming community to come into," environmental studies and sustainability sophomore Sasha Jones said. "You don't have to be gay to play, but you have to come into it knowing that there is a strong majority that is gay."

The inclusivity found at the Rugby Football Club extends beyond sexual preference and gender identity.

"While we're diverse in the fact that there are a lot of queer people and women, I would say we're diverse in a lot of other ways," Peterhans said. "One of my favorite things about this sport is that any body type is celebrated and needed. That’s a necessary part of the sport."

That’s how Peterhans and the team view it — the sport and the club need diversity. While a welcoming environment can often require careful cultivation, it’s so entrenched in the culture that Peterhans said it doesn’t take much work.

Part of the expectation when joining the Rugby Football Club is becoming part of an inclusive group. That’s why the team doesn’t hold tryouts — anyone who wants to join can, no experience required. This approach fosters a spirit of togetherness as the team builds itself from the ground up, season after season.

On the other hand, some members have played rugby for a long time. This discrepancy in experience helps to build their community, with members helping one another as they navigate not only the sport, but college life — and this attitude starts on day one.

Biomedical lab science sophomore Sydney Kroll joined in her freshman year and said the club was instrumental in making friends and finding her people. "Right off the bat everyone's so inclusive, everybody learns your name really quickly," Kroll said. "I instantly felt welcome."

When coming to campus for the first time, finding a community is on many students’ minds. Many join clubs, trying to find likeminded or relatable groups that allow them to feel comfortable in their identity.

There are a multitude of clubs for LGBTQ+ students to join with queer inclusion as their first and foremost purpose — and that’s not always what students are looking for. Jones described attending a few different clubs and not having the greatest experience or truly finding a community.

"Rugby is a gay community but it’s a totally different kind of people than I found at the other clubs," Jones said. "It's good knowing that I now have a community that I can relate to in the sense of being gay and any difficulties or struggles that come with that, but I don’t necessarily need a designated gay club. I feel a lot of support in rugby."

The sport that unites the team is special, too. Members described rugby as a great opportunity for exercise and stress relief. 

"It’s an amazing outlet, you can go out and hit some people in a safe way, get out some anger," Jones said. "All while being with your best friends at the same time."

Finding your place on campus can be hard. The MSU Rugby Football Club offers a unique opportunity for students, queer or not, to enjoy athletics in a safe space.