The men in the Midwest Rugby Union wouldn't let women join, so the ladies had to start their own union.
That was back in 1976, even before sports bras had been invented—and now the Chicago Women's Rugby Football Club ( CWRFC ) is proudly celebrating its 35th anniversary.
"It's hard to know where to start," Lisa Gartner said, reflecting on the anniversary. "So much has changed for women, sports-wise, since then. People from the Chicago Women's RFC were instrumental in this and other kinds of organizations at every level.
"Chicago Women's Rugby offered a place to express our strength and competitive spirits and, at least in our minds, our razor sharp wit. Friends I made then are still family."
CWRFC hosted the first Women's National 'Rugby Classic' in September, 1978 as well as the second-annual event in 1979. CWRFC has made appearances at the National tournament since 1978, other than from 1998-2001.
"I was not in Chicago in 1976, [ but ] I do know that they actually had begun with wives and girlfriends of male ruggers," Gartner said. "There was also a difficult period of transition when gay-ness erupted. I believe some people quit playing, while others had a whole new world opened to them. When I arrived [ in Chicago ] after college, they seemed like the coolest people in the universe. They had vivid personalities and liked to smash into each other. Plus they were hilarious.
"Over the years, similarly memorable people [ have ] joined the team."
Gartner, 55, who lives in the West Loop and works at Lisa's Painting, is now the team's co-head coach, a position she's had since 2007. She played all but one year from 1979-1988.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, the CWRFC will formally celebrate its 35th anniversary in conjunction with the club's final league game of the season against the Denver Black Ice. The match starts at 1:30 p.m. at Diversey Harbor ( between the driving range and Lakeshore Drive ) .
"We're keeping [ the celebration ] simple, and inviting all COWS ( Chicago Old Women's Side ) to watch our game," Gartner said. "We will have food and beverages, plus some fun, interactive activities."
Gartner was not sure how many former team members from years or decades past will attend.
"The [ current ] team is very good and continuing to get better," Gartner said. "Co-head-coach Sue Whitwell has been coaching at the regional and national all-star level, so she brings high- level knowledge. We all learn so much from her. The team also had a big recruitment push and we've had a steady stream of new players arriving, [ including ] some very talented and experienced, as well as some new, eager players.
"These players truly like one another. They are very welcoming to new players and appreciate a wide range of personalities. Rugby requires all body types and any woman can find her place on our team. The team is always striving to be better on the field without skimping on the fun."
CWRFC, which has 32 players on its roster, is now predominantly gay, Gartner said, and most of the players are in their 20s and 30s.
The team also attracts college-aged women who don't have a team at their school or who are not in school.
CWRFC team members include graduate students, teachers, engineers, medical school students, managers, designers, health care workers, a tennis pro, lawyers, and even a farmer.
"We are very excited," for the anniversary, said team captain Sarah Esther Anderson. "It's going to be a lot of fun for our COWS to catch up with each other; and our current players are really looking forward to recognizing those women who have come before them, hearing their stories, and celebrating our history together."
Gartner joked, "I am excited [ for the celebration ] to not be the oldest by two or three decades."
CWRFC is a Division 1 club that is competitive at the national level, "and starting to realize just how good we can be," Anderson said.
"In my era [ as a player ] , a team from Minneapolis, which later became the Valkyries, was our archrival," Gartner said. "We battled back and forth for many seasons. Rugby games are very intense. You lay it all out there, using your strength, speed, cunning, skill and guts. There was one game in particular [ that stands out ] where, after this amazing 80 minutes of pure effort, we won.
"The lowest times have been when our good friends have died. They are family to us and we miss them immensely."
"We have many fantastic athletes on the team with a wide range of rugby experience," said Anderson, a medical student who has been playing rugby for six years. "I think that's one of the major differences between us and other teams: We take women with no experience and teach them to love and excel in this sport. Another difference is that we're out there not only to win, but to enjoy ourselves doing it. We maintain a good sense of sportsmanship and positive [ attitude ] which makes us fun to play for and against. We hear from many opponents, even after we've beaten them, how much they enjoy playing against us—that really validates what we're all about."
Modern day photos from John Nester and vintage Lisa Gartner
