Rebecca Syrup
Four years ago, Anchorage’s Rebecca Syrup walked on the Army-West Point women’s rugby team having never played the sport.
Today she’s a team captain, starting flanker and key cog on a Black Knights team that is one win away from playing for a national championship.
Now she couldn’t imagine not playing rugby.
“Rugby has become a huge part of my life,” Syrup said by direct message. “It’s a special game with a very special culture.”
She appreciates how rugby players are fierce on the field but friendly off it. She likes how the sport pushes her physically, promotes teamwork and rewards sacrifice.
“Rugby is unique because we are putting the ultimate trust in our teammates to sacrifice their bodies and we know they expect the same from us,” Syrup said. “The bond is unlike any other.”
The Black Knights will lean on each other more than ever Saturday when Army faces Harvard in the semifinals of the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association Division I tournament.
Syrup expects an intense game with a trip to the national championship on the line.
“Our team is very competitive,” she said. “We like to hit hard first to get our heads in the game; and while we are very physical and competitive, we give the other teams the respect they deserve. We pride ourselves on having good sportsmanship.”
Syrup, a former West High flag football and softball star, has sc0red in her career a half dozen 5-point tries, which are like touchdowns.
Getting in the end zone is never a personal accomplishment, she said.
“Scoring takes more than one person on the field. When I score, it means that one or more of my teammates put me into a position that allowed me to put the five points on the board.
“This makes scoring special because I get celebrate with the whole team. One person’s try is everyone’s try.”
Take the time when a former Army rugby team manager joined the squad on the field and scored in her first game.
“This was my favorite moment because I knew that no one deserved that moment like she did,” Syrup said. “She had the biggest smile on her face, and it was the greatest feeling to see her so happy. Rugby is about everyone but yourself, and this moment really showed that for me.”