When I was a sophomore in college, I learned how to tackle for the first time. A veteran on Western Washington University’s Women’s rugby team coached me through correct body positioning, safety and using my power to bring someone to the ground. I had a feeling that I would like tackling people, but was surprised by the camaraderie and compassion that I felt at my first rugby practice. It wasn’t only about tackling your opponent to the ground, it was also about helping them get back up.
I was hooked.
Rugby was a huge part of my college life. I played for Western three out of my four years at the university. I juggled the demands of school, work and the sport, and made sacrifices to show up to practice regularly. Despite its positive impact, I stopped playing rugby after graduating.
When sports abruptly end for people, it leaves a void, said Joel Weisser, the head coach of the Chuckanut Bay Geoducks, an adult men’s rugby team based in Whatcom County. Even as adults, we crave the healthy activity and community associated with sports.
In 2022, the Chuckanut’s Women’s+ team, the Chuckanut Mussels, was revived from a several-year hiatus. For two years following the revitalization of the Mussels, I went to practices now and again without committing to join the team. At the time, I couldn’t identify why I was caught in this limbo — unable to commit, while still feeling the need to keep tabs on the team. I reasoned it away with not having enough time. I couldn’t see rugby fitting into my already full schedule of working full time, maintaining my relationship and my social calendar.
Despite my inability to commit, something kept me coming back. At some point, I figured I would need the support that came along with the sport.
That time came In the spring of 2024 when I dealt with my first major heartbreak: the earth-shattering, mind-numbing breakup that marked the end of my first serious relationship. Suddenly, I was left to piece together jagged fragments of myself, re-forming my identity. This task seemed daunting.
Through the tears, long talks with friends and sleepless nights, I had a moment of clarity. It wasn’t even a question, more of an instinct: I knew I had to play rugby again — and commit.
With my legs still wobbly, I got myself to rugby practice and was amazed to discover I was able to take my mind away from the breakup and focus on the sport for a couple of hours. Seeing my friends at practice brought me joy. Running around and playing a sport that we all loved made it even better.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, I looked forward to rugby practice. It was a time when I could let go of my internal turmoil. Summer evenings began looking like rugby shorts, tank tops and bare feet at DeWilde Rugby and Polo Fields in Ferndale. Savory smells and hungry rugby players dashing to set up folding tables and prepare their contributions for a post-practice potluck. Hanging out with the Mussels and the Geoducks and grilling food became a highlight of my week.
Being a part of the team gave me a sense of belonging when I was terrified of feeling alone.
Weisser said that traditions like summer evening potlucks are why he works so hard, volunteering his time to coach the Geoducks. At age 28, he picked up a rugby ball for the first time and said he knew immediately it was what he was missing in his life. He played competitively with the Geoducks for 20 years before stepping into the coaching role.
Weisser’s late start with rugby defies the national trend. A study from NPR found that, while 73% of Americans over the age of 30 reported participating in sports when they were younger, only 25% reported currently playing sports. The same study found men were more likely to continue playing sports than women.
This is a statistic that Addie Cappello knows well. I have her to thank for spearheading the rebirth of the Chuckanut Mussels in 2022.
When Cappello moved to Mount Vernon in 2021, she was looking for a local rugby team after playing with a couple of club teams on the East Coast. She connected with Chuckanut Rugby Club and came out to a practice to find she was the only woman in attendance.
Cappello continued coming to practice with the Geoducks and traveled with the team to away games, despite her inability to play with the men’s team competitively. She said Weisser and his team were very accepting of her being there, but Cappello wanted off the sidelines.
‘I saw an opportunity to build something from the ground up,” Cappello said.
Soon, she found herself regularly attending board meetings with the club, figuring out how to make the Chuckanut Mussels a reality. Cappello teamed up with Mo Gallant who offered to coach the team. The two of them made flyers and spent hours passing them out in the streets of Bellingham, she said.
In the spring of 2022, Cappello and Gallant hosted the first Mussels practice since before the pandemic. Five people showed up.
One of them was Vanessa Ryan. Despite a recently rolled ankle, Ryan came to practice and helped Cappello and Gallant teach the new players rugby. Like me, Ryan took a couple years off from playing rugby after graduating from college.
Cappello, Gallant, Ryan and the rest of the early players began developing values they wanted the team to uphold. Inclusivity, positivity and safety were central to the budding team. On previous club teams Cappello played on, rugby took a back seat to partying, and team leadership was abrasive, she said. She was determined to make this new Mussels team different.
Though it was a struggle for the trio to recruit enough players to play in games, they remained committed.
“We forfeited all the time,” Ryan said.
Ryan, who is now a co-captain and president of the Mussels, felt a responsibility to continue showing up for the team and contributing to its growth, she said.
In the summer of 2022, the Mussels had enough players to play in their first game. The team represented their signature baby blue and orange jerseys for a rugby tournament in Tacoma.
“The win for us was having a team,” Cappello said.
Since then, the Mussels have more than doubled, all while upholding values that the team dreamt up in 2022. Cappello relishes the growth of her teammates, both in terms of athletic skills and character.
She said players who were rookies a year ago are teaching the latest cycle of new recruits. Those who were initially shy at practice are now team leaders.
“It’s not just about the sport, it’s about you as a person,” Cappello said.
My experience on the Mussels solidifies that. When I was picking up the pieces in the wake of a terrible breakup, I was welcomed back to the team with open arms. My teammates were a grounding presence when life felt like a whirlwind of chaos. I’m now heading into my third season with the Mussels. I aim to be that supportive teammate, helping my teammates and the sport grow, even in adulthood.
If you go
Who: Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club
What: Spring practices begin Tuesday, Feb. 4.
When: Adult practices are from 7:15–9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Youth practices are directly beforehand from 5:30–7 p.m.
Where: Whatcom Community College Orca Field for the duration of the spring season. Practices will switch to DeWilde Rugby and Polo Field in the summer.
Why: Meet new friends, and learn to play rugby or build upon your existing knowledge.
Experience necessary? No experience is needed, just come on out and we will teach you everything you need to know.
Follow Chuckanut on Instagram to stay up-to-date @chuckanutmussels @chuckanutbayrugby.
Maddie Smith is a former journalist who now works in local food distribution. She lives in Bellingham.
A previous caption in an image misstated Annie Gold’s last name. This article was updated at 2:53 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2025. Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
