NEWLY appointed team manager of the Optimum Harlequins Ladies Rugby team, Erica Ludick, hopes to build stronger relationships and secure more opportunities with the season having officially started.
Ludick, 29, who lives on The Bluff said, “Apart from building relationships in and outside the team, I also aim to get more exposure for the players so they can have bigger and better opportunities. I also want to get scouts out to our matches.”
Ludick, a founding member and player of the team, said while she was never keen on team sport, her passion for rugby has grown over the past two years.
“Growing up I was involved in cross country running and swimming, and never thought of playing any type of team sport. I never even watched or played rugby. I used to attend pool leagues at Harlequin Sports Club, when the then-manager of the Harlequins Rugby Club, Leeza Hoffman, told me that she wanted to start a women’s team.
“I was stunned as I knew nothing about the sport, but thought that maybe I should try it out as you never know what great things you can miss out on,” she said.
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Ludick, a clerk, said by the following week they had started training.
“There was a great response and we had our team within days. My position was loose-head prop, which is a forward position.
“The loose-head prop is generally the player that takes most of the hits, and often referred to as the ‘bulldozer’ of the team. They are the strongest, but not necessarily the fastest. I have taken some hard hits and suffered several injuries, but its worth it when you walk away victorious,” she said.
She said while she enjoys playing rugby, she wanted to learn more about the sport. “I am all about self-growth. I decided to take a break from playing this year, to focus on learning more about the sport. When the team manager position became available, I decided to apply.
“However, you need to be a registered level one coach to manage a team. There were several online examinations and physical training I had to undergo, which I did in seven days and am now qualified,” she said.
Ludick said her passion for rugby grows everyday and due its benefits, she encourage other women to take up the sport.
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“In the beginning it was quite nerve-wrecking and at times absolutely terrifying. There are so many benefits to playing rugby. It has been a great journey for me as it helped me overcome a lot. It is also liberating in the sense that if you don’t go as hard as you need to, you will get hurt, and that is especially true in everyday life. My motto is to go through the problem and not around it,” she said.
Ludick said her personal goals for the future are to play for a bigger team, but also coach her own team.
The team will be playing in their first match of the season against the Jaguars at the Harlequins Sports Club grounds today, April 15, at 13:00.
Women interested in joining the team, can attend one of the training sessions held on Mondays and Wednesdays, between 17:30 and 19:30, at the club situated at 50 Garcin Place on The Bluff.
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