“Hey, you look pretty strong. You should play rugby!” I was a freshman in college looking through my school’s club fair when a man— who I’ve never met— said this to me. I was caught off-guard as I had never played a high-contact sport before, especially one that is so physically demanding. Rugby was the last sport I ever expected to play. Yet, this complete stranger saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. “The women’s rugby team is right around the corner,” he said, pointing toward a tent. “You should go talk to them. They’d love to have you.” I didn’t fully believe that rugby was for me. I didn't think I could succeed in such a physically demanding sport, but I was more curious than confident, so I walked over to the stand. My initial thought was to just take a quick look. However, once I accidentally made eye contact with one of the girls, she immediately lit up and waved me over. “Hey! I can tell you’re interested. Come over here!” As I walked toward the tent, a wave of excitement rushed through the group. Each girl had her own pitch for recruitment. One shared her growth from someone who had never played a sport before to eventually becoming president of the club. Another excitedly told me about the upcoming games, tournaments, social events, and practices. Others talked about their inside jokes, funny practice stories, and game memories, telling me that I would love the club. Their conversations overlapped as they laughed, shared pictures and videos, and excitedly talked over one another. It felt less like a recruitment pitch, rather it felt like a group of girls genuinely excited to welcome a new person into their circle. The interaction happened two years ago and since then, I’ve been playing with Kennesaw State University’s Women’s Rugby Club. Looking back, I realize that a few encouraging words can change someone's college career. At the time, I only walked over to the stand because a stranger believed I could belong there before I believed it myself. Now, I am going into my third year of playing rugby– confident and happy as ever. Me and my teammates have grown alongside through this sport, and we support each other in our college careers. We’ve shared a lot of joyful and vulnerable moments with one another. We have laughed during long car rides after the driver accidentally led us down a dirt road in the middle of a forest with no signal or internet. We cheered after winning our first 7s tournament at Georgia Tech in Spring 2026. We felt devastated after losing the SARC championship despite how hard we had worked throughout the season, yet somehow still found ourselves laughing together over Sonic afterward. These moments are what make being part of a rugby club so meaningful to me and it is what makes us family. Over time, rugby helped me grow from a rookie into someone confident enough to lead. This upcoming semester, I will serve as president of Kennesaw State University’s Women’s Rugby Club. One of my greatest hopes for playing rugby in college is to create the same inclusive atmosphere for other girls who may be uncertain about playing a sport. Two years ago, a stranger looked at me and said, “Hey, you look pretty strong. You should join rugby.” Now, I hope to be a voice of encouragement for someone else standing outside our tent.