While MIT did not field a collegiate rugby team, there was a club team. For Knight, rugby would soon seal gymnastics' coffin after 13 years of involvement. In the last seven years, Knight has gone from playing her first rugby game without knowing the rules, to breaking her nose three times, and undergoing countless career and relationship sacrifices. But rugby has always been worth it, not because it allows her to tackle someone but because of the community it provides.

Amongst rugby players, however, Knight's story is hardly unique.

Northeastern Regional teammate Heidi Rubenstein left softball behind once she started playing rugby 11 years ago.

"I enjoy that its aggressive but its also one of the most intelligent sports," Rubenstein said.

Like Knight, Rubenstein said she has also put career options and relationships "on the back burner," but plans on continuing to play rugby until her body physically won't let her.

"Rugby always gives back, I have never regretted playing in the last 11 years," Rubenstein said. "You can go anywhere in the world and say you're a rugby player and be part of a community."

Rugby Sacrifices

Why does rugby culture create such strong communities? Northeast Regional coach, Craig Levine, a former men's national team player, said communities are created because sacrifices are inherently a part of women's rugby. Out of college, women have fewer opportunities to play rugby and when they do, they have absolutely no funding (unlike men). If the women want to play rugby (this goes for the city teams all the way up to the national team), they must self-finance their entire sport.

"Without work there is no rugby. Without a job you can't afford to play," Levine said. To make matters worse, conflicts with work are inevitable because of the tremendous time demands resulting from practicing twice a week, playing games on the weekends, and traveling to play in tournaments around the United States or world that require commitments up to two weeks long.

"Aside from working, rugby is my life," Rubenstein said. Every player interviewed said it is difficult balancing work and rugby. Knight, a strategic planner for Canon cameras, was selected to be part of the U.S. National team. Playing on the team requires a two-week commitment this upcoming January to play in the World Cup against the world's best, but Knight only has 10 days of vacation - annually.

"Its been three years since I've had a non-rugby vacation," Knight said.

To make matters worse, the dates conflict with Canon's annual international strategic planning meeting. Fortunately, her boss is supportive of her national-team selection because he knew that she I "only had one shot at this in life."

Phaidra Knight (no relation to Lee Knight), is the only U.S. rugby player (male or female) to be selected on the world team that plays against the New Zealand powerhouse. Phaidra doesn't have as much trouble finding time to play rugby as she does making room for other aspects of her life.

"Its more difficult making room for everything else," Phaidra said. She is able to minimize the conflicting rugby/work schedule because she's an attorney and serves as her own boss.

But players are not the only ones making sacrifices. Coaches also self-finance their hobby and work around their jobs. Levine wakes up an hour early during the season and regularly works well into the night making rugby preparations. He said he spends just as much time coaching as he does running a lumber division.

"You do it because you love doing it," Levine said. Assistant coach, John McGeachy, added, "You do it because you love making 40 people happy."

Rugby community

The support system in rugby can also be found amongst teams. After games, women from both teams often frequent the same bar. McGeachy said such inter-team mixing occurs because even though the women competed against each other earlier in the day, they still have undergone the same sacrifices. Also, while the women were on different teams today, many have been or will be teammates on the regional or national teams. This sense of community can even be found internationally.

"Rugby is definitely a common language," Lee Knight said. While in college she played in France but with other Americans but they didn't have enough to field a team. The French not only lent the players but played in sync despite the language barriers. Levine has also experienced similar international hospitality with rugby.

"I can go to any state or any country and stay for free and have great friends," Levine said. Everyone agreed that these inter-team and international relationships are important to rugby but Lee Knight still gives her New York team priority.

"My rugby life is hanging out and building relationships with my New York team. These side teams come and go in a few weeks."

Why rugby?

Obviously rugby has a strong community that can overcome the tremendous sacrifices the women face but why exactly do they play rugby? There are certainly other athletic outlets for women that don't require such strong financial, professional, and relationship sacrifices. Not to mention injuries, a subject no one wanted to spend much time discussing.

"Injuries are something you don't ask about," Lee Knight said. "Most players have had too many or not enough."

So getting back to the central question, why rugby?

"Rugby is the number one upcoming sport, especially for women because there's few other places for physical contact," Levine said. "What they're looking for is an all around sport. The all-around play is a total body workout." Rubenstein agreed with rugby's innate aggression but she also likes that the sport is just as mentally challenging as physical.

"It's a very strategic yet aggressive game, you have to be able to do both equally well." Rubenstein said. "If you're only trying to kill the person with the ball, you're not playing smart rugby."

For Lee Knight, the desire to play rugby has stayed with her since she saw the sign asking, "Do you wanna tackle someone?"

"Once you play it, rugby just gets you. You can't imagine not playing."