Rugby Rookies

Maddy and her friends, Hailey, Everleigh and Sarah, want to play rugby. However, because their school doesn’t have a girls’ rugby team, the girls decide to form a team. The girls are each athletic and involved in other sports, but rugby looks like fun and they want to try it. The girls set out to form a team but don’t realize how difficult that will be. They need to recruit many other girls, find a coach, get permission from the school’s administration, and raise money for equipment and uniforms. They are met with reluctance and opposition from many people all along the way. Some parents aren’t thrilled with their daughters playing rugby, the principal isn’t convinced this is a good thing, coaches are few and far between, and other girls are slow in joining. Even the fundraising isn’t going well. On top of that, Maddy isn’t sure she’s cut out for rugby, and her dad has made it clear he’s not thrilled with her playing such a rough sport. Can Maddy and her friends overcome these obstacles to form the first girls’ rugby team at their school?

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are realistic, coming from diverse backgrounds, and each character is unique. The girls have different sporting interests as well – some are into volleyball, some into boxing and wrestling, too. The diversity within the members of the rugby team reflects the makeup of most Canadian schools and gives readers a chance to identify with characters from many backgrounds. The problems the girls face are believable, and their resolve to succeed in the face of their setbacks teaches determination along with creative problem-solving to find ways to make the rugby team happen. The dialogue, often short and snappy, keeps the story moving.

Rugby Rookies, one of Lorimer “Sports Stories” books, is full of action and is a relatively short book with vocabulary within reach of most middle years reading levels. Much of the action takes place during rugby practices, scrums and some games, all of which adds excitement to the story. The book’s references to the Canadian women’s rugby team and some of its players add validity to the story. For a newcomer to rugby, this book teaches the basic moves and vocabulary needed to understand the game.