Solie Lawson | Oct 27, 2026
The Warren Wilson College women's rugby team huddling before their tournament at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (Echo/Emma Taylor McCallum)
The Warren Wilson College (WWC) women's rugby team concluded their season Saturday, Oct. 24, with a high sense of morale and connectivity to their teammates. The WWC team played two games this tournament against Guilford College with a losing score of 10-5, and one scrimmage against Emory & Henry University, with the games concluding around 2 p.m.
Anna Finke, a sophomore on the Forestry Crew, is in their third season of rugby. They primarily played as a prop, positioned on either side of the hooker position. Finke captains the team along with Carmyn Litchfield-Farrar, who scored in the first game.
“Today was a really nice end to our season,” Finke said. “ At the beginning of the year, we only had three people returning to the sport, which is largely due to graduating [teammates] and injuries, [which] makes it kind of hard to play with a completely new team. [Despite that,] today was a good reflection of how much we've grown as a team. I felt like we played really well together as a unit and I could tell that we were all trusting each other. ”
Finke has enjoyed seeing the team teach each other how to be better players, not just in the game but in practices as well. They have noticed a lot of mutual support among their teammates and have appreciated the accepting community. They urge students who are interested in women's rugby to reach out to the coach, Abby Berberich, or attend the team’s hot cocoa mixer on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
“[There will be] ferociously hot women, a.k.a. the rugby team, and you can come meet your celebrities [who] will even sign something for you,” Finke said.
The Warren Wilson College women's rugby team playing Guilford College in their tournament at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (Echo/Emma Taylor McCallum)
Thi Huynh, a junior on the Garden Crew, enjoyed her first season in rugby as both the centre and winger position. She found the team to be incredibly supportive, and has improved her own skills with assistance from her teammates.
“It's very encouraging and affirming [that] everyone is just super enthusiastic and wants you to learn,” Huynh said. “We have a good team spirit and culture, and we are all very committed and trying to get better. It's been a great time.”
The rugby tournament marked Hannah Johnson’s last game as a senior and they finished it off strong by scoring in one of the scrimmages. Johnson is on Forestry Crew and primarily played this season as a prop, which is their favorite position. They’ve been playing rugby since middle school and enjoyed seeing their teammates improve and score.
“I didn't go to many of the practices, but playing in the tournament, the team vibe was really strong,” Johnson said. “There [was] a lot of spirit, I would say, more so than other years. It was [an] amazing [tournament].”
Finke, Huynh and Johnson enjoyed seeing their teammates improve and support one another. They all believed that team morale was especially high in their last game, and they are all proud of how they played.