Lilly Separ debuting at No. 8 / Photo courtesy CJRA Facebook
Near-freezing temperatures and sideways rain marked the Valentine’s Day Ruck in Rock Hill (S.C.), but spirits were light as several high school 15s games unfolded at Manchester Meadows. The Charlotte Junior Rugby Association (CJRA) Tigress played the Turtle Doves, a combination team using Clayton’s mascot, in the lone girls’ game, and thus kicked off the spring season in the Southeast.
See more Tigress vs. Turtle Doves Photos
The 15s event grew from the winter 7s series, in that it was created independent of the North Carolina Youth Rugby Union (NCYRU).
“The basic goal [for the season opener] was the completion of a 15s match,” said CJRA Director of Rugby Erik Saxon, who along with Clayton Youth Rugby’s Pat Cunningham orchestrated the winter 7s series. “Just getting this together and organized, and to do it without breaking any laws, all while having good systems in place and everyone being safe and healthy – that was my main objective.
“We didn’t know until a couple days beforehand if everything was going to go off without a hitch,” Saxon continued. “We cleared the Covid hurdle, just to be slammed with the weather hurdle. We were going to cancel the match if it dipped below freezing, but it was four degrees warmer.”
As for the game itself, Saxon and the coaching staff were interested in building the 15s experience of the players, especially the younger members who had mostly 7s experience.
“You think you know rugby until you realize, especially in bad, how set piece- and structure-driven 15s can be,” Saxon said.
Senior flyhalf and captain Emma Claire Cantrell / Photo courtesy CJRA Facebook
CJRA wanted to re-establish the returners as well.
“It was a chance to knock off the rust and for the veteran players to get back out there and find their mojo,” Saxon said. “And they did. There were a lot of smiles out there – and not just the players. The moms and dads in the stands, they were visibly relieved because they got to see their girl out there doing what she loves. Lots of faces of contentment. Rugby usually has a nice gallery but it was a love fest for the girls and boys from the parents and fans in the stands. It didn’t matter if there was a perceived bad call or anything like that. ‘Oh, it’s fine. They’re playing rugby.’”
The Turtle Doves drew serious players from Chapel Hill, Clayton, Raleigh Redhawks, among other teams, but the squad wasn’t able to train together as a whole.
“Any time you grab 4-5 players from here and 4-5 players from there, you know you’re going to get the best individuals from any given team, but it’s hard when there isn’t a lot of time to build team chemistry, so the advantage went to us in that regard,” Saxon said. “Our girls [Tigress and Valkyries] have joint practices, and they know each other and are together a bunch.
“But the Turtle Doves were a good opponent for us,” he added. “You have to measure everything with the right ruler. Some players hadn’t played any rugby in 11 months. It was 36 degrees and raining sideways, so all things considered, it was an O.K. match.”
Senior inside center Maddie Hughes / Photo courtesy CJRA Facebook (link)
Tigress won the 70-minute match 33-5. Senior flyhalf and two-year captain Emma Claire “EC” Cantrell showed up as usual, scoring three tries and kicking two conversions.
“She’s not quiet but not a yeller either,” Saxon described the leader. “There are some captains who are just loud and people follow them because they’re loud; and there are others who lead by example but you wish they were more vocal. She strikes the right balance, and all the girls respect her. She’s been the best captain we’ve had in 12 years.”
Senior center Maddie Hughes added a try and two conversions, while freshman wing Jemmely Rivas added a fifth try. Senior Lilly Separ was superb on the day, running great support lines, providing outstanding defense, and proving a natural in her debut at No. 8. The Queens University of Charlotte commit earned Player of the Match honors for the effort.
“Lilly had quite a journey here,” Saxon said. “She normally plays with a high school team, South Meck Savages, but they’re not a club and players didn’t have any options to play [with Covid-19 restrictions]. We invited Lilly to play with us for winter 7s but she wasn’t sure. Eventually, though, it was, ‘This is the only way I can play rugby.’ So she joined and instantly gelled with the team.”
Separ off the back of the scrum
Saxon explained that CJRA is the only option for age grade rugby in the area, so many girls start their careers together before heading to different high school teams.
“She knew a bunch of the girls, so it was like a coming home for her,” Saxon said.
With South Meck, Separ is a center, potentially a back three.
“South Meck is a heavy-pack team,” Saxon said. “Old school 80s-90s style with traditionally large pack, where our philosophy is more of a mobile pack. Everyone gets to play but that’s what we’re aiming for. So Lilly had always been a back, and then when we put her at 8, she had two weeks to learn set pieces, which is doable, but tough.
“The good thing was she didn’t have to learn rugby,” he continued. “She understood open play and has always been good in contact, the tackle, rucks, and the rest of it. She rose to the challenge. At first it was daunting for her – and I know this mainly because she told me it was – but we chatted after the game and she had a big smile on her face. ‘Well, I’m definitely an eightman now.’”
Separ leading the counterruck
An unofficial season is shaping up in the Southeast. Saxon explained that CJRA will field its two 15s teams – Tigress from north Charlotte and the Valkyries from south Charlotte – and there will be another 3-4 opponents in eastern Carolina. Greenville, Spring Hill and Wando are looking good for South Carolina.
“And I’ve heard rumblings that Georgia will have a high school girls’ team that will play people, so we’ll see,” Saxon said. “So that’s seven games total [for our two teams] in the local/regional league, for lack of a better expression.”
CJRA also intends to travel to Knoxville, Tenn., for 15s games and mix in a trip to Tropical 7s in Orlando.
“We have a really good relationship with EIRA and Atlantis, and neither is going to Tropical 7s,” Saxon said of adding the tournament to the 15s block. “It was a disappointment for some girls who went through all the tryouts last year, made the cut, but then obviously couldn’t attend because the tournament was canceled. We need to pay them off. … We’ll have a solid side.”
Stay tuned as the Southeast stays active.