In its Ivy League opener, the Harvard Women’s Rugby Team (5-0, Ivy 1-0) demonstrated their dominance with a 60-8 win over Brown. Performing on the mignone field in front of their large and loyal fan base, the Crimson rallied against a tough and physical opponent for another formidable win.

Senior wing Sabrina Kim was ready to blow the whistle and quickly scored two attempts for the team.

“Brown proved this fall that it is a tough competitor. The team definitely has a lot of talented players… We can never underestimate Brown, ”said Kim. “So I got into the match really cheered from the first minute and wanted to increase everyone else’s energy as well.”

Kim successfully passed this feeling on to her teammates. First year center-back and full-back PK Vincze pointed to Kim’s immediate attempts to calm the team’s nerves while also proving that his team is competitive.

“I think after that everyone calmed down and thought: let’s keep going strong,” said Vincze of Kim’s second attempt. “It was definitely a great moment for all of us. It’s really great for them to perform and do that. “

The team battled a number of injuries that had resulted in many players adjusting to new positions and used this game to build confidence in its depth and versatility. Kim noted that increased communication among her teammates was critical to Harvard’s success in making these adjustments.

“We really focused on keeping the communication high and telling people where we want them and how to play. So we talked and connected throughout the game, ”said Kim. “A lot of players had to move up and follow in big footsteps this week, but I think we actually played really well as a unit. At the end of the day it didn’t matter that we didn’t have some of our regular starters. “

Vincze in particular adapted quickly and successfully to changes in line-up and position as she led the team with her four attempts. Other notable performances included freshman Chloe Headland, who scored 13 points for Harvard, and winger Maeve Humphrey, who scored her first try of the season. The Crimson Bank’s remarkable, enthusiastic response to Humphrey’s attempt underscored the team’s positive and supportive atmosphere that day.

After going into halftime at 34-5, the locker room mentality focused on driving the energy until the final whistle. Foreseeing the challenge and physicality of the game, Harvard was keen to keep his scoring drive going for the final 40 minutes.

“[We wanted to] Keep the intensity and pressure we had and play a smart game, ”recalls Vincze. “We talked about just playing like we did from the beginning and keeping the momentum we had in the first half for the rest of the game.”

Vincze took this to heart and only needed the first five minutes of the second half to score two consecutive attempts, bringing Harvard to a 48-5 lead over the Bears.

Looking ahead, the Crimson have a week to rest and recuperate before facing one of their toughest opponents this season, Dartmouth. Nonetheless, Harvard is up for the challenge, determined to continue refining the depth and intensity of the team in this latest competition.

“With what is probably our most competitive game of the season against Dartmouth, we will definitely be preparing for the game,” said Kim. “Whether that’s watching movies, getting extra reruns, or meeting other players and figuring out what our job has to be – that’s what we’re going to do.”

The last time the two schools faced each other on November 9, 2019, when Crimson prevailed with a narrow victory of 23:22 in a NIRA playoff match. In the highly anticipated rematch, Harvard will play Big Green (5-0, 0-0 Ivy) on October 23 at 11am.

– Editors Lucy Connor and Elizabeth Pachus can be reached at lucy.connor@thecrimson.com and elizabeth.pachus@thecrimson.com.