Untouchable Pt. 2

 By Olivia Elliott

From the drizzly rainforest of Penang to the skyscrapers of KL to the quad of Malaysia’s university of science, Varsity Girls Rugby had an amazing season from start to finish. The players expressed that rugby is unlike any other sport they have played. 

Natalie Khor (12) described that she usually plays “brute force sports, but rugby required much more agility and speed” than she expected. 

Jing Xuan Leow (10) also commented that rugby revolves around speed, having “sticky fingers,” and the ability to observe the opponents and decide on a play on the spot. Additionally, rugby requires teamwork and trust; one can not go off alone and hope for the best. It calls for a team who communicates well, runs fast, and has nice dumps. 

But through that speed and agility, the team placed second in the Penang State Championship, was awarded fourth place at ISKL, and on February 11th, won gold undefeated at their final tournament. 

Chad Neeley (teacher), the team’s number one fan, says that the rugby “girls embody the character of Christian athletes. They play hard, through hardships, finish strong, build off of each other, love one another, respect their opponents, respect the refs, want to learn, want to get better, run the whole game, celebrate well, and stay humble.”

Beloved by passionate parents, supportive siblings, and caring coaches, this team improved significantly for the intrasquad match between the Sky Queens (blue) and the Golden Slayers (gold). During Senior Night, rugby coaches Bob Wright, Rachel Brooks, and Adam Daniels expressed their deep gratitude and encouragement to the Sky Queens, which include Millie Morgan, Grace Neeley, Jeta Anderson, and Eleanor Emis. They also showed sincere appreciation and affection for the Golden Slayers, consisting of Moriah Windsor, Natalie Khor, and Olivia Elliott. After the recognition speeches, the team and parents interacted over snacks, karaoke, and a photo shoot. But this event could not have happened without the behind-the-scenes teamwork of Margret Emis and Juni Worten.

During the season, the team members connected almost instantly. Kathrine Boyd (11) and Jane Lee (9) were both surprised and grateful for a warm welcome to the team and the friendships they did not know they needed. 

The 2022-2023 Varsity Rugby team will never forget the beautiful teamwork, the thrill of scoring, and the support from teammates- they felt untouchable.