Women's Rugby Hosts Third Annual Powerful Women on the Pitch Tournament

The BW Women's Rugby team hosted its third annual Powerful Women on the Pitch Tournament on Sunday, March 24th, 2024. The tournament, hosted every year during Women's History Month, was created in 2022 as a means to uplift and empower women, and to celebrate women's rugby.

Along with empowerment, this year's tournament featured a special focus on menstrual awareness and education, with each team in attendance receiving a period emergency kit to keep on hand for their team. The running slideshow at the tournament featured information about Period101, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating period poverty. Also highlighted at the tournament was the EVP of Global Strategy at Symetri, Amy Marks, who delivered a recorded message on the importance of women embracing their differences and using rugby to help create their own unique brand as a professional.

The Yellow Jackets went 4-0 on the day, scoring a total of 27 tries over the four games. Teams in attendance included Robert Morris University, Kent State University, and one player from Case Western Reserve University who is working to start a women's rugby team at her university.

The Yellow Jackets saw tries from the ten following players: Maggie Moc (1), Hanna Lemaster (1),  Sarah Griffin (1), Abby Kessler (1), Jessica Sambor (2), Ella Sonby (2), Shannon Wilbourne (2), Kaleigh Loyd (3), Haylee Roach (7), Molly Cancian (7).

The team displayed both individual talent as well as team cohesion and skill, with impressive offloads and support throughout the day. The Yellow Jackets look forward to their first conference tournament of the season, to take place at Denison University on Saturday, April 6th.