A young Women’s Rugby team takes on Castleton during Homecoming Weekend

NORWICH RECORD | Winter 2023

Team captain Emily Ngo ’23 (above, holding ball), from Turlock, Calif., addresses her teammates in the NU Rugby Clubhouse before the match. “Feel the cheers, take it in, and defend for each other. You got it?” she says. “Remember we’re fighting for each other.”

“Today’s the day, just let it go. Let it hang out … go and have a blast, okay? And work hard. That’s all we ask,” says Women’s Rugby Head Coach Austin Hall (pictured above), addressing his players in the NU Rugby Clubhouse before the start of a home game against Castleton over Homecoming weekend. “We’ve been thinking. We’ve been using our brains for two weeks, trying to learn the game of rugby. Today is not about our brains. It’s about our hearts. It is having fun, enjoying ourselves, being with our friends, being with our teammates, who are going to become our best friends—I promise you.”

“Let it fly,” Assistant Coach Austin Hall ’09 urges his players. “I’m sure everyone’s familiar with the expression, Err on the side of caution. That doesn’t apply to rugby. Err on the side of audacity, okay?”