Team throws down competition, brews

After trying its hardest to crush the opponents on the field, there's nothing the IU women's rugby team loves to do more than down a few beers with them off the field. \nEvery home game and most away games for the IU Red Storm is followed with an interteam social where the two teams chat about rugby, sing rugby songs and drink. This weekend, the Red Storm will compete at Irish Fest, a rugby tournament that coincides with the Irish Festival in Indianapolis. \nAfterward, the Red Storm will join the other Irish Fest competitors for some fraternizing at the festival.\nThese socials help foster a better understanding of the game, junior Dawn Barber said.\n"It's a social game," Barber said. "Rugby's not a common sport, so there's that connection that we share with the other women. We love this game."\nAt the end of baseball, basketball and football games, opposing teams shake hands and go their separate ways.\n"You beat these people up on the field, and then we all have a beer," junior Julie Liszka said. "It's our way of shaking hands."\nSometimes a social is just what some players need to lift their spirits. After the game and before the social, the team will have a post-game meeting, which they call the "postmortem." During the postmortem, captains and coaches critique the game.\n"It's not something you really look forward to," senior Katie Cutshaw said. "Players are often criticized for their poor performance on the field during 'postmortem.'"\nBarber concurred.\n"They'll call you out if you mess up in the game on a consistent basis," Barber said. "They're going to tell you what you need to work on. It helps you realize how you can improve."\nAt Irish Fest, Cutshaw believes many new players will learn how to play rugby.\n"Everybody's pretty clueless until the first game," she said. "You don't know how to play rugby until you actually play a game."\nBarber thinks the addition of two new coaches has helped the development of younger players. \n"I think we're training a lot harder," she said. "The coaches are more active this year. Hopefully we'll be the best team in the state."\nPurdue and an Indianapolis women's team will also be competing at Irish Fest.