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BOULDER, Colo. -

Hard hits, a weird oval ball and scrums -- these are all what the sport of rugby is known for in the United States.

And while all of those things can be found with the University of Colorado's women's rugby club, to focus on the oddities would mean ignoring tradition and a historically competitive team.

The spring season kicks off this weekend with a pair of games -- an exhibition against the Boulder Babes, a local adult club team, on Saturday, and a league game against Northern Colorado on Sunday.

Beyond that, the CU club is looking ahead to making it through the national playoffs with a young side sprinkled with veteran players.

"We've got a really young team this year -- I'd say almost 60 percent are either underclassmen or brand new," senior team captain Lauren Daly said, adding that having to teach new players the sport isn't much of a hindrance.

"I love it because the girls that do come back and stick around want to be here," Daly said. "It's easier."

An actual game of rugby might appear to be chaos from the sidelines, but it's very organized chaos.

Fifteen players per team are on the field at any time, and actually playing the game is a lot like football -- but without the forward pass.

Players fall into one of two categories on the field, either backs (speedier players akin to the skill positions in football) or forwards (like linemen or linebackers); teams can churn the ball upfield in a cloud of dust with the forward pack, or swing it out to the backs to break into space.

And, of course, when a player is tackled, the play isn't dead, like in football.

Players jostle for position over the downed ballcarrier, and once the ball is released again, play resumes. It can be a lot to take in, especially considering few other women's sports involve as much contact.

"I like it a lot more because I used to get called (for fouls) a lot in soccer," CU sophomore Sam McFarling said.

McFarling played soccer up until college, where she decided to give rugby a try -- and was hooked.

By comparison, teammate Melissa Griffith transferred to CU to continue playing the sport.

"My freshman year I went to a different college and they didn't have a team," Griffith said. "When I was unhappy there, I considered that rugby makes me happy."

CU assistant coach Sadie Thomas, an alumnae of the club, said that's one of the strengths of the sport, even at the college level.

"All shapes and sizes can play; people from all (athletic) backgrounds," Thomas said. "It is a challenging and tough sport, but has a lot of rewards in it, too."

Many of those rewards come off the field.

Rugby is renowned for creating camaraderie in players, and the CU club is no different, both between current players and alumni.

Thomas said the club is one of the oldest women's clubs in the nation, dating back to 1972.

"It has a long history and we've been fairly successful competition-wise," Thomas said.

That includes a national tournament bid last season, the team's first in more than a decade. The club's games scheduled through the month of March serve both as league matches and training for the western regionals in early April.

Coaches and players said they are sure they can get back into the national tournament.

"We are very capable of (qualifying for the 16-team nationals) -- we should do well," Thomas said.

Despite the youth, Daly feels that the team can compete.

"We have five girls sitting out with injuries, so if we can get people healthy, there's nothing to hold us back," Daly said.