UUPer leads rugby team to national title

Lori Staples’ days of running into a ruck or staring into a scrum have been over for a while, but she hasn’t hung up her rugby cleats quite yet.

The System Administration Chapter UUPer wears them on the sideline as coach of the Albany Knickerbocker Sirens women’s Division II rugby team. And she’s some coach; in November 2010, she took her team to USA Rugby’s Division II National Championship in Mesa, Ariz., where they beat a team from Albuquerque—by a score of 34-22—to win the national title.

But Staples’ rugby coaching skills aren’t the only reason she’s a winner. She’s used her passion for the sport to give back to the community.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Staples is more than coach of the Sirens, a community team that plays its home games in Albany. She also coaches the Capital District Youth Rugby league’s girls’ all-star team. She traveled with the troupe last year to the New England Rugby Union girls’ championships in Rutland, Vt.

The team, made up of high school-aged players, included a number of girls from low-income families. The experience gave them a chance to participate in a team sport and meet new people.

More importantly, it got some of the girls thinking about college; college representatives were there scouting for players. While colleges don’t usually offer scholarships for rugby, they often help players by arranging financial aid and other enrollment incentives. League players have gone on to play rugby at Syracuse, Bowdoin College and Norwich University.

“I really do think that (playing rugby) helps with the girls’ self-esteem,” said Staples, who also referees games for the league. “Being a teen-age girl is tough sometimes, despite the front they put up.”

Tracy Watson, whose 16-year-old daughter, Jenna, played on the girls’ team and now plays for the Sirens, said Staples’ coaching has been a positive influence on the girls.

“Lori fosters an atmosphere that allows the girls to flourish as players and as people,” said Watson, who also plays rugby for the Sirens. “She gives young women the tools that can build an entire generation’s sense of self-worth, interpersonal skills, team player mentality, and an increased level of physical fitness.”

LEADING THE SIRENS

With the Sirens, Staples is director for two of the three women’s rugby teams and helps recruit people to play. The Sirens, open to players of all ages and skill levels, fields A and B squads for its Division I, Division II and Division III teams.

“We’re competitive, but we also have a B side for people who are learning the sport and want to be involved,” said Staples. “We’ve got lawyers, landscapers, teachers, people from all different walks of life ranging in age from their early 20s to early 40s.”

The Sirens’ November national championship victory was truly a team effort. The Sirens never advanced this far until this year; the team formed in 2000. Staples played for the Sirens for eight years before becoming coach in 2008.

“When you see the team playing and you know you’ve done your job in preparing them, that gives a feeling of satisfaction,” Staples said. “I’m the type who likes to focus on team-building. Everyone contributes, everyone has a role to play.”

Those roles were expanded in March 2010, when Michael “Jonesy” Jones, a Sirens player on the men’s team, broke his neck during a tournament. Staples and her players organized a benefit golf tournament for Jones, sold wristbands, and took up collections at games and tournaments. They even made hand-painted T-shirts that spelled out “With you Jonesy” to show support for their fallen comrade.

Staples may work behind the scenes at her day job, but when she’s on the rugby field, she’s doing what she can as a youth rugby coach to enrich the community. In a sense, coaching is a way for Staples to pay it forward by helping the Sirens and the Capital District Rugby all-stars.

It’s a way for her to return the goodwill she’s received from playing rugby, a sport she’s had a love affair with for two decades.

“Rugby has given so much to me over the years,” she said. “Some of my lifelong friends have been gained through rugby.

“I’ve traveled the country and overseas because my involvement with rugby. For me, it’s a way of giving back to the sport.”

— Michael Lisi