An Impromptu Code Team on the Rugby Pitch
Eighteen months ago, I wrote about my experiences being a COVID-19 ICU nurse during the height of the pandemic, while also training as a member of the USA Rugby Women’s National Team. I focused on the connection between nursing and rugby by discussing the importance of the backline of defense in both the hospital setting and on the pitch.
Much of what I wrote there was driven home for me in a new way one day last fall at a local rugby field in New Jersey. It was a beautiful fall day and I was spending my last weekend home watching my brother’s playoff game before I would be heading to Colorado for a set of international rugby games with Team USA.
It was a typical men’s club division 2 playoff game, where the score was back and forth, and big plays were being created by both teams. It was nearing the end of the game when the away team had a scrum in their half of the field. Their #12, a player who had been making big hits and runs all game, made the decision to kick the ball out of their half to relieve pressure and reset play.
After […]