The San Diego Surfers Women’s Rugby Club, the only one of its kind in San Diego, was established back in January 1975 as Ombush, and was then sponsored by Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC). After five years, they changed their name to the Rio Grande Surfers, when they also become the first international women’s rugby club to play in New Zealand. The Surfers remain undefeated against international teams.

At the end of this season, the Surfers are ranked second in Southern California and 19th nationwide, with an overall 7-3 record. They strive to become the top team in Southern California and one of the top 10 teams in the country.

In 1980 the Surfers became a non-profit organization and officially changed their name to the San Diego Surfers Women’s Rugby Club. They played an exhibition game during the halftime show of a San Diego Chargers football game, and have appeared on local news channels and Fox Sports World promoting women’s rugby.

The Surfers are committed to furthering rugby’s future by building relationships with people who share a love of the game, and finding like-minded individuals who want to see rugby expand within the U.S. They have joined forces with other local teams and organizations to teach people about rugby, and grow into an organization that can train and support local women in their quest to become world-class rugby players.

The Surfers want to acquire enough players to create a second full team, or “B-side,” which would allow them to compete against each other during the year, further advancing individual and team skills and game strategies. Like the rest of San Diego, many of the Surfers are transplants from other areas of the country and represent a wide range of professions – teachers, military service members (both active duty and retired), nurses, scientists, students, realtors, engineers, sales reps and so on – the list is continually growing as more and more people are introduced to the sport. The team welcomes all straight and lesbian athletes.

Earlier this year the San Diego Surfers hosted the 22nd annual Champagne Classic, the premier California women’s tournament, attracting teams from all over the country. Berkeley, the Champagne Classic’s defending champs for the last several years, was once again up to the task of defending the title. The competition continues to improve with each passing year, and California is widely considered to be one of the best areas in the U.S. for women’s rugby – and rugby in general.

With 50 million fans, rugby has long been popular throughout the rest of the world and is becoming more popular in the U.S. every day. A big part of this growth is due to San Diego and the rest of Southern California. Some of the best teams, both women’s and men’s teams, can be found in this corner of the country.

The Surfers’ regular playing season extends from January through May. After the regular season, members play in national full-side tournaments and seven-a-side tournaments, or “7’s,” throughout the summer. 7’s is a smaller, more fast-paced version of rugby played with seven players per side instead of the usual 15, and consists of seven-minute halves instead of a standard 40. The format emphasizes swift ball movement, aggressive offensive drives and impenetrable defensive strategies, resulting in a game of incredible speed and agility.

7’s tournaments on this year’s schedule include Oasis 7’s in San Diego, hosted by Old Aztec’s Men’s Rugby, on June 25; Back Bay 7’s in Huntington Beach July 10-11; Sunsplash 7’s in Long Beach, hosted by CSULB, on July 24; Rock Fest in Los Angeles on July 31; Santa Barbara 7’s on the Beach on Aug. 21; and ITTs (location to be confirmed) on Aug.28-29. The Surfers recently placed second at the Midnight 7’s Tournament in Las Vegas.

The speed, agility and strength inherently necessary for rugby make watching the game a truly breathtaking and exciting experience. The atmosphere is charged with energy as both teams compete fiercely for a win, but once off the pitch, a strong sense of camaraderie between teams remains. This amicable, social nature of rugby is one of the main reasons that rugby players, whether playing or not, are often involved in their communities.

All Surfers home games are free to watch, and take place at Robb Field, located 2525 Bacon St. in Ocean Beach. The next opportunity to see them in action will be at the 15th annual Oasis 7’s tournament hosted by the Old Aztec’s Men’s Rugby team on Saturday, June 25, at Robb Field.

For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to the San Diego Surfers Web site.