Abigail Hogan ’18, Sarah Keffer ’17: Alex Dimarco ’18 was introduced to rugby by her dad and her older sister when she was in the eighth grade. Her dad, Wayne Dimarco, played collegiate rugby at Lehigh University and encouraged her sister Kaitlyn to try it during her senior year. Kaitlyn enjoyed the sport which inspired Alex to give it a try. Four years later, Dimarco is playing on three different teams and has proven herself to be a threat on the field.
Although rugby is not a common sport in our area, there are a fair number of teams available for athletes. A few high schools, such as West Chester High School and Downingtown, have rugby as a club option for students. There are also teams in the area and across the country that aren’t affiliated with high schools.
Dimarco plays for three teams: White Horse, Atlantis, and High School America. The White Horse team is a team that is based out of Phoenixville. Dimarco said that this team “plays mainly other teams from Pennsylvania. There’s about 12 teams in Pennsylvania and two divisions, so we only play about five of those teams.” She also explained, “this team is made up of girls from around our area. Most of them go to Upper Merion or Downingtown.”
Dimarco’s other two teams are made up of girls from all different places, which has allowed her to make new friends and travel, an aspect of the game that she values. “My favorite part about rugby is the relationships that I have made. I have made friends from all over the country,” she said. These friends come from across the nation as “the High School America team is made up of girls mostly from the West Coast and the Atlantis team is a good mix of girls from all over.” Although she has never played in a tournament outside of the country, Dimarco’s teams have faced competition from many across the world, including Canada and South America.
Playing for three teams is a major commitment. “We practice twice a week in season and have a game or tournament every weekend. We started practice in January but only practice once a week until we start playing games,” said DImarco. However, Dimarco’s dedication to the sport has allowed her to stand out on the field. She plays a key role as the fly back on her teams which is often referred to as the “quarterback” of rugby.
Dimarco’s contributions to her teams extend beyond her playing ability. Dimarco was the captain of the High School America team, and is currently captain of both the Atlantis team and the White Horse team. Madi Wilhelm, Dimarco’s teammate on White Horse, can attest to her leadership abilities. “Alex is an awesome leader on the team and she is always so responsible and really is like a team mom,” says Wilhelm. “Her skills on the field really are amazing and she makes me want to push myself harder to be a better player.”
Dimarco hopes to take her skills to the collegiate level and she has already begun the process. She mentioned that the recruiting process for rugby is “late compared to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Typically players don’t commit until their senior year.” Some of the best women’s collegiate programs are at Penn State, Army, Harvard, and Dartmouth.
Beyond the collegiate level, Wayne Dimarco, Alex’s father and coach, has seen the popularity of rugby grow immensely in the United States in recent years. “Rugby is the fastest growing sport in America and is the most popular sport played on college campuses. It is growing at all levels from middle school programs through our national team, opening up collegiate admission opportunities that soccer did twenty years ago, especially for experienced high school girls.” said Coach Dimarco. He notes that given this growth in opportunity, new players should not hesitate to come out and learn more about the sport. When asked whether athletes should consider trying the sport, Coach Dimarco responded, “Absolutely yes. It is an easy game to learn. The most difficult part is getting people to try rugby, but once they do, most people fall in love with the sport.”
Coach Dimarco also believes there are benefits to rugby other than athletic opportunity. “For girls’ rugby, most girls that try rugby love the fact that contact is legal, unlike all other girls’ sports. Once these girls realize they are strong too, rugby empowers them for the rest of their lives.”

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