Baby News… - Northern Virginia Women's Rugby - NoVA Piranhas ...

Note from the editor:
For those players who don’t know me, I’m Jen Gangi. I
played rugby for a long time (8 years) before NOVA recruited
me from North Carolina with songs (about me, my
favorite topic) I knew Dana when she was straight and
Jailbait when she was Little Stanford. Then I moved up
here and played with NOVA for five years - for three of
those years, I was President of the team. I retired in 2004.
I stepped up to be the alumni liaison after sMellie stepped
down because I love this team. My main objective is to
help bridge the gap between the alumni and active team,
doing the newsletter is one of the chores that goes along
with it. Please excuse my liberal use of the word alumni, I
don’t even pretend to know how to make it plural or singular,
so I am using alumni in all cases.
My main goal is to get more alumni to come out to NOVA
matches to cheer, fundraisers to support the team and parties
to drink and have fun. NOVA has always been a great
partying team - winning skits and tournament parties, writing
creative songs, and having a blast wherever we travel.
Now the team is kicking ass all over the country and the
alumni couldn’t be prouder. I also want to encourage active
players to reach out more to alumni - even something
as small as an introduction when a stranger in a NOVA tshirt
or jacket is standing on the sidelines at a game makes
a huge difference. It helps make the alumni feel more comfortable
attending NOVA events when we know people
there (as the years go by and more and more people retire,
there are less active players that alumni remember or
know) and makes it more fun for everyone. Including the
alumni helps rookies and active players learn and appreciate
NOVA’s long and rich history, the great songs, and legendary
stories - a lot of what makes NOVA the unique and
awesome club it is today.
I do not claim to be proficient in newsletter layout or design,
but what I lack in technical skill, I make up for with wit and
style. Some of the news you will read might be old, but
there hasn’t been a newsletter in a while, so it was piling
up. Act surprised, it is new to someone reading it. I also
won’t be offended in the least if someone looks at this
newsletter and decides they can do a better job with the design
and content - I was really pressed for time to get this
out before I left on vacation and didn’t have time to do any
investigative reporting.
Enjoy,
Jen Gangi
Fall 2007 Schedule
it’s a Matrix season with lots of home
(Gravelly) and/or nearby games - if you
aren’t playing, let’s get out there to
cheer on the team!
Sat 8/25 - Intrasquad Scrimmages or
games for all players not attending 7s
ITTs
Sat-Sun 9/ 8-9 - Pumpkinfest at Philadelphia
Sat 9/15 - NOVA I v. DC Furies @ HOME
NOVA II v. Frederick @ HOME
NOVA C v. Furies B @ HOME
Sat 9/22 - NOVA I @ Maryland (Heurich
Park)
NOVA II @ James River (Pole Green Elementary
School)
Sat 9/29 - NOVA I @ Raleigh (Poole
Road Rugby Complex)
NOVA II v. Norfolk @ Raleigh (Poole Road
Rugby Complex)
Sat 10/6 - NOVA II @ Severn River
(American Legion Post 175)
Sat 10/13 - NOVA I v. Philly @ HOME
NOVA B/C v. Philly B @ HOME
Thanks to everyone who sent in material
for this newsletter - if your rugby/
wedding/baby/job news isn’t here, it’s because
I didn’t receive anything about it.
As much as I think I know everything, I
don’t, so please send me anything you
want printed in the next issue. If I get
fired because everyone hates this one, I
promise to pass it along to the next
sucker, I mean editor.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
Leadership Team Fall 2007
President – Sarah Ellis (Flagpole) – sadie.rn@verizon.net CONTACT IF: You have a general question about exec and don’t know
who to ask; You have a compliment for how well the team is running: You have a suggestion for how the administrative aspect of the
team could run better. You have questions about the Under 19s NOVA team.
Vice President – Kathy Lett – ksblanton@aol.com CONTACT IF: You don’t know how to CIPP yourself; You want to attend a PRU
or Ref Meeting. You have a question about how many volunteer activities you have for the season.
Treasurer – Katey Schein – katey1027@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: You don’t know how much money is in your account; you need
to get reimbursed for a team expense; You want to let katey know how impressed you are with how much the team covers for travel.
Secretary – Jen Walton (DeMarr) – jifer25@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: You have a content idea for the website (and want to help
put the content together); You need the meeting minutes from an executive meeting; You really like how the website looks.
Match Secretary and Travel Coordinator 1 – Molly Clarkson – mclarkson30@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: You don’t know the game
times; You really like how the schedule is set up. You have a question about travel to Pumpkinfest, DII MARFU Playoffs and DII Elite
8s. If you’re lost and need help finding the field – call at 703-899-1563
Travel Coordinator 2 – Stacy Bennett– stacy.c.bennett@saic.com CONTACT IF: have a question about travel to Raleigh, DI Sweet
16s and DI Elite 8s. You have a smooth travel experience.
Fundraising – Rebecca Kigin (rookie) – rookie_k@hotmail.com CONTACT IF: You love the yard sale b/c your closet finally gets
cleared out. You want to help out at a Redskins game or summer concert and you don’t know how to use the yahoogroups database
to sign up. You have an idea for a fundraiser (that you can help organize).
Recruiter – Liz King – rugbylizzie@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: You love our wonderful new rookie class! You have a new NOVA
rugby player question and you are not sure who to ask – Liz will point you in the right direction! You have a recruiting idea (and want
to help implement it of course!).
Rookie Mom – Mel Rohall – marohall@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: ROOKIES: If you want to know how to contact your Rookie Mom
– every Rookie’s best friend (she brings you treats and makes you part of the NOVA Lineage!). VETS: f you want to be a Rookie
Mom
Sponsorship – Angi Raub (Evil) araub602@yahoo.com and Megan Billingsley (Billy) m_a_billingsley@yahoo.com CONTACT IF:
You have an idea for a company that we can contact for sponsorship. You are super impressed with all the effort they are putting it
to getting us money for nothing!
Public Relations – Vic Bolton – Vicki_bolton@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: You too like seeing your name in the press. If you have
the lead for an article idea. If you have the lead for a newspaper or press release or tv show that we can be on!
Fields and Equipment – Caitlin MacAlpine (Alpine) – spookystar2000@yahoo.com CONTACT IF: If you want to help transport
goal post pads to and from our games. You need to know when to show up to help line the fields.
Alumnae Liaison – Jen Gangi – jennifer@fuelcells.org CONTACT IF: You have a life update, interesting info, game write-up, or
something that you want posted in the NOVA Newsletter.
CAPTAINS:
Team Captain – Stacy Bennett (Staci Benet on social occasions)
stacy.c.bennett@saic.com - Phone: 571-235-3442
DI Backs Captain – Dana Creager – creagerd13@gmail.com
DI Forwards Captain – Kathy Lett – ksblanton@aol.com
DII Backs Captain – Lauren Hoeck – laurenhoeck@gmail.com
DII Forwards Captain – Sarah Ellis (Flagpole) – sadie.rn@verizon.net
CONTACT IF: You are going to miss practice; You have a game plan
question; You want help devising your individual goals for the season;
You have a practice suggestion; You think everything is hunky-dory.
Coaches:
Head Coach – Brian Murphy (Murph, Psycho) –
brian.murphy@plateau.com
Asst Coach – Dave Lett (the Lettman) –
dave.lett@plateau.com
Asst Coach – Lee Knight – leeknight@gmail.com
CONTACT IF: You have a question about selections; You
have a game plan question; You have a coach-related question.
You really appreciate how they took time to teach you a
rugby skill or give a motivating pre-game talk!

NOVA GOES CARIBBEAN – One Piranha’s Account of the NOVA Trinidad Tour by Liz King
On December 1 st , 2006, two teams from NOVA WRFC boarded flights bound for the island of Trinidad. Located
just 7 miles from the Venezuelan coast, the small island is host to one of the world’s hottest (no really it
was HOT) rugby events – the Caribbean International Rugby Sevens Tournament. The annual tournament is
hosted by the Trinidad Enthusiast Rugby Club and was sponsored by Carib Beer...which the NOVA ladies had
learned to love by the end of our five day stay on the island.
The NOVA Fairies
Traveling as the NOVA “Fairies” (the theme for the weekend), we were instructed to sprinkle home made fairy
dust (which consisted of everything from glitter to unidentifiable spices from 5-0’s kitchen) upon entering and
exiting all modes of transport, and we had to sport our fairy “bling” (Billy win’s the prize for best bling – her lightup
fairy wand) everywhere we went. Needless to say, everyone noticed when NOVA arrived...just about anywhere.
Win the Match...
Faced with two ACL tears in the month leading up the tournament, we ended up traveling with only 15 players
who could actually play. Despite our slight numbers, the NOVA Fairies played 12 matches and scored 136
points between the two teams. NOVA 2 lost only to NOVA
1 and Atlantis (why did we go all the way to Trinidad to
play Atlantis AGAIN?!?!), while NOVA 1 made it to the finals
and ultimately lost to an Atlantis team we had beat in
pool play and in the quarter finals.
...And the Party
Un-phased by our loss, the NOVA Fairies participated in a
Haka tournament directly following the days matches. It
was no surprise to any of the Fairies when we received the
judges’ highest marks and won the tournament hands
down. After moving on to the tournament party, we outdid
our performance at the field by joining the British Virgin
Island’s Men’s team in a rendition of the real Haka. We
were happy to discover on our return to the US that our
performance was recorded and posted on YouTube for all
the world to enjoy. If you look closely you might see a certain NOVA Fairy with her shirt up around her head...
The Beach
On our last day in Trinidad we were transported by sketchy bus ride to the beach for a tournament sponsored
beach party. The party featured free Carib beer and yummy Trini food for the whole day, not to mention tickets
for free shark sandwiches (YUM!). It was a great way to wrap up a fun-filled weekend...although some of us
may have had a little TOO much fun that afternoon (this is in no way a reference to our fearless leader Dana
passing out on the beach and allowing us to draw all over her).
The Perfect End to a Perfect Weekend...
All in all NOVA’s first Trinidad tour was a great success...especially for this NOVA Fairy. On our last night on
the island, Mark (the tour’s only male Fairy) popped the big question! So after a great rugby weekend, I got to
celebrate my engagement with my NOVA family. You better believe we’re already planning to attend the tournament
next year in Tobago. We might even bring some subs!
NOVA 1: Dana Creager (c); Stacy Bennett; Kathy Lett; Kristen Campbell; Liz King; Beth Black; Megan
Billingsly; Rebecca Kigin
NOVA 2: Katie Schein (c); Lauren Hoeck; Katie Miller; Kristen Stephens; TJ Hillinger; Monica Dvoranchik;
Megan Hanson

Rugby Roundup -
For the first time in awhile, the NOVA ladies led the Harlots to the semifinals in the great Ottawa 15s tournament
back in July. Supported by players running onto the pitch from delayed flights in the States, NOVAnationites
posted a win and nary a scoreless game against their Canadian opponents. Although the rain made
tent clean-up rather dismal, the NOVA contingency enjoyed a meal at The Pour House in downtown Ottawa,
coed naked rugby at midnight, and eventfully long rides home.
NOVA also brought a mixed MARFU (and Beantown!) contingency to Saranac Lake 15s this August for the
100+ team Can-Am tournament. Unfortunately, NOVA "Plus" had to play last year's champs, the Lost Lady Lions,
in the first game, and never were able to pick up momentum. Fortunately, they enjoyed beautiful weather,
an entertaining social, the company of players from other NOVA-friendly teams, and a great Saturday night
cookout at Alpine's aunts' house.
The 21st Annual Ruggerama Charity 7s tournament, “An Army of 7” took
place at Rosecroft Raceway on July 14, 2007. NOVA fielded 3 sides, plus the
NOVA “Fallen Fish” played as well, so there was lots of NOVA on NOVA action
to enjoy, as well as NOVA victories.
Fallen Fish
NOVA also travelled to Cape Cod this summer, winning the tournament
(beating formidable teams from the Northeast and Midwest) but coming in
second place in the skit competition. Long gone is the appreciation for songwriting,
stage direction, costume design and creative thought in the skits -
they need better judges, not ones who are so wasted they can’t appreciate
art when they see it.
Back in June, NOVA travelled to the North Penn tournament in Pennsyvlania and NOVA 2 emerged victorious!
In the MARFU 7s tournament - NOVA 1 finished #1 and NOVA 2 finished #3 - that is awesome! NOVA is definitively
the 7s powerhouse of the mid-atlantic region. We have six players who were selected to the 7s ITT
team and went to Utah - Dana Creager, Beth Black, Jen “SBJ” Starkey, Lauren Hoeck, CJ Hildreth and Liz King
- Congratulations! NOVA represent!
Vic Bolton, NOVA’s PR Director, has done
an incredible job getting NOVA (and
rugby) in the news - check out
http://www.novawrfc.org/n_media.html
to see some of the recent articles published
in local papers around town. That
website page also has some good photo
albums from previous years, including
some from way, way back in the day.
Noabeth Bruckenthal turned 30 a few weeks ago! For those
of you who don't know Noa, you should go to itunes and
download some Throbbing Vulvas songs immediately. Noa
was the lead piccolo, cymbals on the knees and tissue/comb
player in the popular 90s band, Throbbing Vulvas, most
known for their string of hits from their double-platinum farewell
album "Touch Me Where I Pee" which included such
heart-wrenching ballads such as "Jodi Cohen, You Dank
JAP* Whore," "Becca Davis Looks Like Ann Romano (Token
Looks Like Schnieder)," and the fist-pumping athem of a title
track "Touch Me Where I Pee." Welcome to the Thirties,
Noa, may you one day leave your hard-rocking, hotel-room
trashing partying ways behind you.
*no offense to any jewish readers, Noa is jewish, too.
For all other summer birthdays, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

AWESOME ATHLETES (NOVA PAST AND PRESENT WORKING IT OUT OFF THE
RUGBY PITCH)
NOVA alum Ivy (aka Jen Marquadt) has recently completed an Ironman Triathlon as well as an Olympic distance
triathlon in Vietnam where she is currently working.
Several NOVAites have formed the “Trail Ninjas”, a stealth team of competitive outdoorsy types who enter as
many trail running, mountain biking, off-road triathlon and various other races as their wallets and
weekends will allow. These races include the Cranky Monkey series, WTF am I doing?
the Xterra off-road triathlons, any 12 hour mountain bike craziness and
the Vasque Backyard Burn Series. NOVA flanker Kathy Lett took is
rocking these races, taking first place for women in the first race of the
Backyard Burn, which is a series of 5 and 10 mile trail running races
around Northern Virginia. In that first race, NOVA alums TJ Hillinger,
Karin “Token” Sweet and Jen Gangi participated as well, Gangi under
duress. NOVA Coach Dave Lett ran well in the men’s 10 mile race.
The Trail Ninjas did a few of the races - there were four races total in the Spring, and four more
are coming up in the fall if anyone cares to join the madness. Lots of Furies enter the race, so it
is another chance to beat them at something. If you have a MySpace page, check out the Trail Ninjas to read
about all of the exciting exploits in all of the various races. Kathy has also dominated in the Xterra series and
might be travelling to Tahoe to compete in the Nationals.
Jen “SBJ Brut Force” Starkey defeated Julie “Pippy Pythons of Steel” Hollo at NOVA’s first-ever appearance at
the Palace of Wonders Female Arm Wrestling competition. Lured by the promise of freaks, prizes and cheap
cans of Schliz, NOVA players, alums and fans alike gathered in this small bar among shrunken heads, beagles
with grotesque thumbs and a cool cat who slept through it all in a pile of “On Tap” magazines by the front door.
The MC of the event was a big bully and managed to coerce other players into the competition who hadn’t originally
planned on it. The first round saw Jen Gangi soundly and embarrassing defeated by Pippy while SBJ beat
Evil, Jess Bloom beat Sarah Holzman and a blonde girl with a vocal boyfriend beat some girl in a studded collar
. Second round action pitted Jess against Pippy in a very well-fought match, with Pippy emerging victorious.
SBJ took the blonde girl to school, despite her boyfriend’s yells. In the final round, SBJ claimed victory against
Pippy, winning a $40 dollar bar tab and the bragging rights of turning the MC on with her big guns. Spectators
included Dana, CJ, Patch, Token, TJ and Jailbait. Now that we learned that just because a website says something
starts at 9:00, doesn’t mean it starts at 9, we can better plan for upcoming tournaments and either preparty
longer or do pushups in the parking lot til it starts.
Laura “Big Laura’ Leydon and her wife Amy have been tearing up the marathon circuit around the country.
Ask A-Dowg about her recent running experience -
from the law on an episode of “COPS”.
Duuuuuuuude, I
love NOVA!
Drinking Game Corner
In order to expand NOVA’s repertoire of drinking games at parties,
here is a fun one called “Uptown, Downtown.” First, you
need a table, a quarter and even teams facing each other
(similar to flip cup, although seated if possible). Team A holds
hands above table, Team B says “Downtown” and Team A then
puts hands under table and passes quarter around from hand
to hand - Team B says “Uptown” - Team A lifts hands up, in
fists, so Team B doesn’t know where quarter is. Team B says
“Downtown” and Team A slams (hopefully together) hands
down on table, flat down (one person has quarter and if done
right, doesn’t make sound). Team B then has to guess where
quarter is - each hand they lift with no quarter, they have to
drink. Merriment and hilarity ensue. Switch.

NOVA NUPTIALS (PAST AND UPCOMING) -
Niko Silva married Eliot Offutt in the Dominican Republic over Memorial Day weekend, honeymooned
in Mexico for 2.5 weeks, and then moved to Chicago! Shanika Whitehurst (Cheffie)
gave a toast at the rehearsal dinner.
Barb Wilson was engaged to Charles Webster on March 2, 2007. Charles proposed to Barb on
the top of Federal Hill, which overlooks the beautiful Baltimore Inner Harbor. Barb and Charles
were out for an evening run, and Barb made Charles wait until she had finished running a stair
workout before she would give him the chance to pop the question! They plan to get married in
June 2008 in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
NOVA fullback Liz King and Mark Majeau got engaged on December 4, 2006 while on tour with her NOVA 7s teammates
in Trinidad! Mark popped the question while they were enjoying a quiet dinner for two on the last night of the tour. Liz and
Mark then joined the rest of the team to celebrate their engagement at a local bar. They plan to get married in April 2008 in
the Dominican Republic—hopefully not in legwarmers and flashdance shirts. Then again, that would rock.
Jenny Voelker (Jenny V.) got married to Paul Thomas on April 21, 2007. The wedding took
place at St. Rita’s church in Alexandria and the reception set sail
aboard the Odyssey and floated around the Potomac. NOVA alums
Jen Heyob, Jane “Apple” Bolin, Karin “Token” Sweet, Jen Gangi,
Joanne Correira, and Karen “Powder” Dennis joined NOVA Men’s
players/alumni Chris Diaz and Weasel, former Maryland Stinger
Mona Rayside and former BRATS/Blue Ridge player Steph Something
or Other to help Jenny celebrate. The happy couple went to
Aruba on their honeymoon and went right to work as you will read in
the baby article on the next page.
Jen “Dazzlin” DeMarr, now Walton, married Handsome Pete (Walton) on July 21, 2007. Their love story began in November
2000 when some rugby boys from the city wanted to party it up with some single PA girls at West Chester's Home
of the $.50 draft - Jake's Bar. The big day started of like most typical wedding days, girls getting
hair done then enjoying some lunch before, while the boys
watched rugby at the New Zealand Embassy. The ceremony
was wonderful, in the chapel on campus at Georgetown Prep,
and officiated by Father George, president of the school. The
reception was a short walk across campus in the multi-purpose
room of the new athletic building. The music started, the
mashed potato bar opened, the cake was cut, more dancing,
then "Sweet Child of Mine" played - the shirts came off and the
bride and groom were dancing on the table! Guess who caught
the bouquet? The reception ended and the party finished up at the Bottom Line! The Handsome
couple embarked from Ft. Lauderdale on a 7-day cruise stopping in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel,
Mexico.
Leslie Russell got married on June 2, 2007, and will be going on a three week Honeymoon
to Europe in Sept/Oct 2007.
Erin Howley will marry NOVA's Bart Loeser in Sept in Pennsylvania.
Monica “Mouth” married Steve Dvoranchik.
Megan Smith (Slim Shady) and fiancée Tara were engaged last June and had a sunset ceremony
in Key West, Florida on April 1, 2007. The happy couple will be moving (or have moved
already) to Northampton, MA this summer.

Baby News…
Former NOVA hooker Rachel Lynch and her husband have a beautiful new baby girl,
Isabel Netanya Lynch. Isabel was born February 28, 2007 at Virginia Hospital Center.
She weighed in at 7 lbs 7 oz. and was 19.75 inches long. Rachel hopes to bring Isabel
out to a match some day soon!
Former NOVA President and scrumhalf Kate Tromble has her second baby girl! Maria Cristina Restrepo was
born on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 1:52 am, and weighed in at 8 lbs 5.6 oz. Mommy and baby are doing
well!
NOVA alum Mo Donnelly and husband Dan have a beautiful baby girl, Hunter Elizabeth Schmelling, born at
4:07 pm, April 2, 2007. Hunter weighed in at 6 lbs 14 oz, is 20.5" tall and has Mo's big toes (bless her heart).
And More to Come…
On November 12, 2006 NOVA alum Jennifer "Vanna" and Dan "the Cookie Man" Gaies
welcomed Noah Jacob into their family. Weighing in at 9 lbs 7 oz, mom is excited at the
prospect of Noah making a damn good forward someday. Noah looks forward to cheering
on NOVA from the sidelines this spring.
The stork will soon be flying to the houses of Jenny V., Monica “Mouth” Dvoranchik and Monica Phillips - good
luck, Mothers-to-Be!!!
More Alumni News
After playing for NOVA in Spring/
Summer 2001, alumnus Brenda
“Chemo” Mayrack went on to play for
Brandywine WRFC (West Chester,
PA) and Wisconsin WRFC (Madison,
WI). In the spring of 2005, she suffered
a broken collarbone after a particularly
vicious tackle, and decided
that she’d had enough of rugby. She’s
currently in her 3rd year of a 4-year
law/graduate program at the University
of Wisconsin in Madison. She’ll
graduate next spring with a law degree
and a Master’s Degree in Public
Affairs (MPA).
Hannah Parsons, mother to Karen
Parsons, co-founding mother of the
Piranha 7s side, passed away in mid-
July. Karen is currently in the process
of helping her father, John, relocate
closer to her home in Atlanta. For
those who knew Karen, notes of sympathy
and encouragement can be sent
to . 2980 Hilltop Drive, Atlanta, GA
30341
Future Piranhas...
Chistine “DQ” Guzman and
Jen “Dazzlin’ DeMarr”
Walton spread their rugby
knowledge to the younger
generation as assistant
coaches for the inaugural
season of the TC William's
girls high school team this
past spring.
NOVA alums Token and Gangi are travelling to Vienna and Poland for
vacation. After Gangi goes home, Token will be continuing on to Germany
where she will visit fellow NOVA alum Sarah Cho who is living
there while her husband is stationed for the Army.
Sign up to work Redskins games! It is a great way to earn money for
the team, your personal NOVA account, cheer on the Redskins, get
some exercise and get some quick cash in tips to boot. Contact
Rookie for more details (rookie_k@hotmail.com) about games. If you
are an alumni and are interested, let Rookie know - you can keep the
tips and then designate your favorite NOVA player to donate the earnings
to. This might be a super expensive season when the team
makes Nationals, so working games is a great fundraiser.

Meet the Rookies for Fall 2007 (so far…)
Colberts Take on Greece, Dana Still Loves Grease 2
Dana Creager and Jen “SBJ” Starkey joined NOVA
men’s alum Gluck to visit NOVA men’s alum Deuce
in Greece this summer to reunite their drunken alterego
family, the Colberts. If you read their blog reports
of the trip, or if you have hung around with the
Colberts, you know there was much drinking and
crazy exploits. They left much of the place in ruins.
Rachel Warden (Lock, 8) - Years playing rugby: 5 (4 UVA, 1 Atlanta)
Erin Rideout (Scrum Half) - Years playing rugby: 4 (University of Mary
Washington)
Sarah Foster (Fullback) - Years playing rugby: 4 (UVA)
Erika Boyle (Outside Center) - Years playing rugby: 4 (Virginia Tech)
Barb Watson
Laura Matejik
Jules Kinkel
Rosemary Daley - Penn State
NOVA Rookie Roundup: Spring 2007 - by Rookie Master Mel Rohall
You know your rookie mom,
but do you know your rookie
mom’s rookie mom (your
rookie grandmother)? Find
out! Send them an email to
say hello and invite them to the
next rugby game/after party or
NOVA fundraising event!
NOVA started the spring season with a full side of rookies which provided the coaches with more options and
our match secretary with anxiety. As the season continued some rookies departed for the rugby hereafter otherwise
known as “exploring other options.” As the remaining ten rookies stood before the team for the end of
season skit, their impact on the team’s success and culture was impressive. The effect was lessened by the
fact that they were wearing diapers for their skit. The rookies recovered slightly by a strong NOVA rendition of
Mr. Big’s “To be with you.”
Then came the passing of the Ruckersville sign to the latest the rookie of season. SAL, last season’s recipient,
removed the sign from reinforced wall mounting she had built from superfluous deck parts. Miwa, utility front
row, won the sign by popular vote. Although clearly excited about winning, her rookie mom, Yahoo, was comparatively
overcome with emotion leaping into Miwa’s arms and flattening her on impact. Both parties recovered
promptly to take part in the festivities. It is doubtful that another end of season party will be held at the
Black abode after that night. Bothered housemates notwithstanding, the night will be remembered as a legendary
time.
Although rookies do gain insight after having joined NOVA, we might want to reflect on some of the lessons the
rookies have taught to us in the spring. Stanford demonstrated that there is grey area between underwear and
outerwear if paired with the right pant. Joli reminded us that kicking and running are not mutually exclusive
events. Miwa showed us seeing out either or both eyes is not necessary for forwards. Hickey found that working
nights left the whole day for rugby. Erin, Jess, Sarah E., Holly, Hayle, and Lizzy also brought much to the
team. Thank you, rookies.
That is all for this edition of the NOVA Newsletter -
I hope it entertained and informed you for a good five minutes.
This is an awesome rugby team with great alumni, super sponsors, a dedicated coaching staff,
hard-working executives and amazing players.
Good luck this season - we can’t wait to watch the games and cheer you all on!