40 Hours for the Forty Acres March 2021

Who We Are                                                            

The University of Texas Women's Rugby Club is a student-run club team affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin. Founded in 2005, Texas Women's Rugby has quickly made a name for itself. In the past 5 years, we have attended national-level tournaments in both 7s and 15s. Additionally, our 15s season of fall 2020 was a success with us finishing 2nd place in our conference. Additionally, we have recruited many rookie players! These new players are going to be the next generation of our team, and one of our focuses for fundraising this year is to build opportunities and structure for our new players as we go forward. 

What We’re Fundraising For                                                            

During 40 Hours for the Forty Acres, the Texas Women’s Rugby team aims to raise money for the growth of a sport that allows young women to realize their full potential mentally and physically. This year, our goal is to raise $2,200 to put towards new equipment, travel expenses, and financial aid to those who would otherwise not be able to play. Players are required to register through USA rugby, and the $90 fee can be a financial burden to many. We believe that every woman deserves an equal chance to perform to her full potential. 

Your Impact                                                

With your generous donations to our club, we will be able to afford travel expenses, financial aid for players, athletic trainers, and new equipment on a need basis. All of these things will allow for better opportunities for our players and will help grow our team and empower young women.
 Equipment - We practice two days a week and travel with all of our own equipment for out-of-town tournaments. With this level of use our equipment gets worn out pretty quickly and replacing this equipment is vital for the safety and skill improvement of our members. This year we are looking to get new and safer tackle equipment. 
                       

Travel – When we travel to our matches, we have to pay for van rentals and hotel stays. In the past, the cost of travel has either been a burden on our players or been so high that it prevented us from being as competitive as our team could be. If we have more funds available to cover these expenses, we will be able to accept invitations to more competitive matches without overburdening our student-athletes. 

Financial Aid for Players: Not only do players have to register through USA rugby, but they are also required to get yearly physicals to ensure they are physically fit for a full-contact sport. These are not small fees, and we do everything we can to help our teammates that struggle with these costs. We want every woman to have the support and help they need to excel in the sport and to excel to their full potential.                        

In addition, some of the money we raise will go towards trainers – Most of the women who join our team have never played a full-contact sport, so the health of our players is critical. Our personal trainer is present at every practice and game to aid in injury prevention and answer players’ health-related questions