La Salle’s Women’s Club Rugby
Team Receives $20,000 Grant from Nike

The La Salle University women’s club rugby team was named the grand finalist and recipient of a $20,000 grant from Nike Corporation’s Let Me Play Foundation.

“We were in shock,” said Maria Muscara, a junior rugby player from Newark, Del., who helped organize the team’s essay entry in the grant process. “Initially, we were informed that we won $5,000, and we were excited because that would double our current budget. Later we found out that we actually won the $20,000 grand prize, and we just could not believe it.”

The $20,000, which may only be used for Nike products, allows the team to obtain gear such as travel bags, rugby balls, warm-up suits, cleats, and for the first time—matching uniforms. “We used to switch uniforms during the games because we didn’t have enough uniforms for everyone,” explains rugby team President Britni Buffalino, a senior from Milltown, N.J. “We actually broke so many rules because we didn’t have two sets of uniforms. We all match for the first time!”

The Let Me Play Foundation specifically aids women’s sports throughout the world, improving the experience for female athletes everywhere. In the past two years, Nike has invested $100 million worldwide to community-based sports initiatives.

The La Salle Women’s rugby team, formed in 2002, is a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union (EPRU). Led by coach Kristin Aliberto, the team made it to the EPRU Championships the past three years and had a 6-1 record last year. In addition, seven La Salle women rugby players were named to the EPRU 21-member All-Star team last year. Surprisingly with this success, very few of the 25 women on the team ever played rugby before coming to La Salle.

 “We play teams from large universities who have a large student body to pull talent from,” said Muscara. “For a school our size we do remarkably well against the other teams in the Union.”

In addition to their success on the field, the women also work together on service projects in La Salle’s local community. The team has participated in neighborhood cleanups at elementary schools, formed a team for AIDS Walk Philadelphia, and wrapped Christmas presents to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. This fall, they will be participating as a team in the Suicide Awareness Walk in Philadelphia. The team also has plans to hold rugby clinics for neighborhood children. Their service does not stop in Philadelphia; in fact, nine players volunteered last spring for La Salle service trips to Appalachia and Mexico.

“The team is made up of a fantastic group of girls—very hardworking, talented and dedicated, not just to the sport, but to each other,” said Aliberto. “They identify themselves as one group, play as one group, and take care of each other as a group. They are a great representation of La Salle University and no one deserves this $20,000 grant more than this team.”

For more information about the La Salle women’s rugby team, including a game schedule, visit www.lasallewomensrugby.org