The Oregon’s women’s rugby team opened its season this weekend, playing three games. The Ducks beat Washington but lost to Eastern Illinois and a women’s club team.
On Friday, the Dirty Ducks lost to Eastern Illinois University at home 24-15, though head coach Greg Farrell was more than pleased with the way his team competed against the only NCAA Division I women’s rugby team in the nation.
“I was extremely satisfied,” Farrell said. “If you give us another month of practice and three games behind us, we would have run them (Eastern Illinois) up and down the field.”

Autumn Manelick scored an unconverted try for the Ducks at the 31-minute mark against the Panthers, which led at the half 17-8.
The Ducks spent two-thirds of the second half in EIU territory however, and scored an unconverted try to make the game 17-15. EIU’s Samantha Manto converted the final try for EIU at the 72-minute mark, settling the score at 24-15.
“It was probably one of the best games of rugby I’ve ever seen played,” Oregon’s Kara Winek said.
Farrell said the team’s physical style of play was evident despite the team’s lack of field time together, and it made an impression on the visiting Panthers.
“There was a girl crying on the sideline, she didn’t want to play us anymore,” said Farrell. “We were hitting them hard.”
The Ducks traveled to Portland on Saturday for a round robin tournament sponsored by the Oregon Rugby Sports Union. The tournament was primarily for the rookies to play, said Farrell. The Ducks beat Washington 30-0 in the first match, but fell to the ORSU club team, a team of post-collegiate players with two All-Americans on the roster, 20-0.
The Ducks will play next Oct. 27 against the U-19 Oregon All-Stars, a team of Oregon’s best women high school players, followed by matches against Western Oregon University, Reed College and Oregon State University.
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