History of the Dartmouth Women's Rugby Club
Excerpt from an article in a Women's publication from the late 70s/early 80s at Dartmouth:


The DWRC originated in the spring of 1978. A team of women from Concord, NH sent information about rugby to the women's athletics office at Dartmouth, and they passed that information on to some female athletes to see if anyone would be interested. Several women liked the idea, and got together to form the DWRC. They had one big problem though: none of the club's founders knew how to play rugby!


The club went hunting for a coach and turned to the men's rugby club. There they found Dave Van Wie '79, a rugger who was no longer playing due to injuries, and they asked him to coach the new women's team. That spring, Van Wie whipped up a team that ended their first season 3-0. They have coached themselves since Van Wie's graduation the following spring, with a lot of help from the men's club. His efforts are commemorated in the team's theme song, written by club members his last coaching season, and is called the "Guy Van Wie Memorial Theme Song." The song is sung before each game, and members believe if they don't sing it, they will lose for sure!


The Original DWRC: Fall 1978

Dartmouth Women's Rugby in fall '78

Taken at the north end of Sachem Field after a game in the spring of 1978.


Lying Down: Debbie 'D-Day' Day '80 Kneeling: Kim Young '81, Paige Demerest (exchange from Wheaton), Claudia Sarnoff '81, Nina Tannenwald '81, Sally Ankeny '81, Pam Hedstrom '81, Sue Baldwin '80 Standing: Phil Odence '79, Trish Singer '78, Ingrid Schmaekel '81, Betsy Brew '81, Jennifer Hughes '79, Anne Craig '80, Helen Hemminger '81, Tasha Taylor '80, Annie Munves '80, Pat Berry '81, Holly Raths '80, Guy Van Wie '79


Team Record: 3-0
-First game vs. Smith, 4-0
-Second game vs. Yale, 4-0
-Third game vs. the Concord Black Roses (the defending NE champs), 12-4


Spring 1979

Dartmouth Women's Rugby in spring '79

Taken in Canada after a match against the Montreal Irish. As Guy says, "That team was awesome, and we held them to 4-0 until the last 10 minutes when they scored 4 tries."


Lying Down: Annie Harquil (GR), Standing: Jennifer Hughes '79, Barbara Power '82, Gia DeAngelis '81, Alice Watson '80, Becky 'Entlet' Ent '81, Lyn Kieger Britt '82, Kim Young '81, Philippa Guthrie '82, Sara Melcher '82, Tasha Taylor '80, Laura Murray Dobbin '82, Cindy Vitko '79, Debbie 'D-Day' Day '80