History
Ok. So we don't know how accurate this is, but we appreciate any input. Just send it to Webmaster and we'll see that this history gets updated.
At various times there have been attempts to start a women's rugby team in Memphis. We've heard of teams as far back as 15-20 years ago. There have even been attempts to start a team through University of Memphis. However we understand none lasted more than a year or so.
Current Version
Kathleen Babilon moved to Memphis having played rugby for several years in Albequerque. She quickly made
contact with the men of the Memphis Blues and began efforts to start a women's team. While there was
some interest, the idea just didn't seem to gel. She met Jessica Magro and the two of them started
traveling and picking up games wherever they could. They would practice with the men's club to keep sharp.
In the spring of 2004 Nancy Campbell learned she would be relocating to Memphis. Having been in the rugby world, in one way or another, for 20 years she was not yet ready to give up rugby just yet. Just because Memphis didn't have a women's team didn't mean there couldn't be one. She contacted Arlene Kray (MidSouth LAU Women's Director). Arlene put Nancy in touch with Kathleen.
Believing that two heads was better than one, they decided to give women's rugby in Memphis another try. They agreed to start practices on May 11, 2004 and that if rugby 'practice' only consisted of the two of them, so be it. They would practice every Tuesday until a team formed.
Slowly but surely it did. Kathleen contacted the people she had talked to before and they both started distributing fliers everywhere they went. People started to show up and practices became more useful. Nancy's husband found a former Eagle, Sheri Hunt, working in his company. The Lady Blues had a coach!
Ready for some real rugby, four Lady Blues set out for Magic City 7's in Birmingham in June 2004. Although they played for Nashville that day, this was the first appearance of the new Memphis Women's RFC on the scene. Next they went to Pitch A Tent 7's rounding out the team with players from Arkansas State and New Orleans.
By the time Elvis 7's rolled around there were enough ladies to have a team made up of only Memphis players. A good time was had by all. They finished their first 7's season with a trip to New Orleans for Twilight 7's with a full team of enthusiastic rugger. Besides a good time had on Bourbon Street, the team was able to debut their first set of uniforms.
Momentum was built through some good press and word of mouth. Enough so that the team was able to field a full team in time for the 2004 Fall season. Winter workouts brought more new players so that by the Spring of 2005 the Lady Blues felt like a real rugby team. The Spring also brought the debut of new coach Dre Cerbin.
The team continues to grow and learn. Our second 7's season was even better than the first. By-laws were passed in the Fall 2005 and we look forward to our first election of officers. Our schedules are full of games and we are trying to also help with development of high-school rugby in the Memphis area. Our relationship with Arkansas State continues to benefit both groups. As more University of Memphis students hear about rugby we look forward to being able to start a college team some day.
That's a lot for one young rugby team. But we look forward to the challenges and opportunities of making women's rugby in Memphis a reality for a long time to come.