'It takes men to make a name for emerging sports': UNC women's rugby struggles with fundraising

Before Title IX was passed, and institutional funding was not available, all women’s sports divisions had to set up bake sales and lemonade stands to raise money. The UNC women’s club rugby team still has to do the same thing.

Despite competing in the final four in their conference, the 23-year-old team is still not getting the support they feel they deserve.

“Rugby has grown a lot in the U.S. these past couple years,” said senior and women’s club rugby president Malia Suhren.

Although the sport appeared in this year’s Summer Olympics and is growing on both coasts, Suhren said it still doesn’t get the recognition it should.

“I think some of this is related to rugby not being a mainstream sport and because we’re a women’s sports team,” Suhren said.

“It’s just kind of how trends in sports go, that it takes men to make a name for emerging sports before women are viewed in the same sports equally.”

Because that hasn’t happened yet, Suhren said, the women’s team especially is not getting recognition.

History professor Matt Andrews said women have long been excluded from sports and only started to become involved after the Civil War. Women first took the field at wealthy all-girl colleges, he said, their wealth protecting them from the condemnation that would come with playing sports.

He said he doesn’t think there has been more effective legislature passed since Title IX and that UNC seems like an all-around Title IX compliant institution.

“There are equal opportunities in sports for women and there seems to be something close to equal expenditures,” Andrews said.

Suhren said her team has a great relationship with the University.

“UNC was pretty responsive whenever we had to ask them for funds,” said UNC women’s rugby alum Kacy Hunt.

Andrews said what thwarts the appreciation of women’s sports is popular support.

“People just don’t want to see women’s sports in the same numbers that they want to see men’s sports,” Andrews said. “Those people think that there is less athleticism in women’s sports — they can’t run as fast, they can’t jump as high.”

Suhren believes people who say these things just aren’t paying attention.

“It is possible for women to embrace a really aggressive sport,” she said. “Our success proves that.”

Andrews said students have a say in which sports get the most attention.

“I think the question should be directed toward students — why do you go crazy for the men’s games and less crazy for the women’s games?” he said.

The women’s rugby team will be holding donation-based lemonade stands in the quad from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm every day next week and will be having a bake sale on Franklin Street tonight.

They will also be working with their sponsor, Hickory Tavern, to hold fundraising nights where a portion of the proceeds will benefit the team.

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