At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. women’s rugby team made history as it won its first medal at the Games. With global icon Ilona Maher elevating the sport on social media and a national team that’s continuing to make waves on the international stage, women’s rugby is having a moment — including at Columbia.

“We’ve seen a lot of interest, and we’ve capitalized on that,” says Karys Webb CC’26, co-president of Columbia Women’s Rugby. “We’ve taken advantage of the increase in excitement in the sport in the last few years.”

Webb, a financial economics major from Brooklyn, has been playing rugby for years. The team competes in the Tri-State Rugby Conference, facing off against other area schools throughout the year. Fifteens, or the traditional game with 15 players and 40-minute halves, is in the fall, while the fast-paced sevens (the version at the Olympics with seven players and seven-minute halves) takes place in the spring. But even while remaining competitive on the pitch, Webb and the team foster an environment where all are welcome, regardless of skill level or background.

“We create a culture where everyone can just come as they are; [we] are a very inclusive team,” Webb says. “We want this to be a fun, competitive atmosphere for everyone.”

Webb shared more about her experience with the team and how she hopes to continue spreading her love of the sport.

What position do you usually play?

I typically play scrum half or fly half. In the fall, during fifteens, I prefer fly half, and in the spring, during sevens, I prefer scrum half. But they’re similar — being a leader on the field during plays and a distributor of the ball.

Do you prefer sevens or fifteens?

I think sevens is a good mix of athleticism and skill. It’s less time on the field, but it’s a higher intensity. I like playing under pressure, and it’s definitely an aerobic challenge. There’s more movement with the ball, just a lot going on all at once. In fifteens sometimes you’re sitting back while the scrum is forming and the lineout is happening; you’re waiting for things to play out. I feel like I have more of a role in sevens.

When did you start playing rugby?

In high school. I went to a high school out of state, and it didn’t have a women’s rugby team — my friend and I created it. I got into rugby after hearing about it from a teacher at school, and I started watching replay film and international teams’ games. I played my junior and senior years, and then my first year of college at a different school before transferring to Columbia my sophomore year. Since then I’ve been part of the Columbia team.

What are your responsibilities as president?

Being president involves managing a lot of people and connecting them with whatever resources they need to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. You’re also everyone’s friend in a way; you want to cater to everyone’s needs whether they’re a newbie or a veteran. You’re a point of contact for a lot of things. It also involves coordinating with the athletics director, hiring coaches and coordinating tournament schedules — just all of the logistics. It can feel like a lot, but I have a lot of people that I can depend on the e-board.

What do practices look like right now?

We’re getting ready for sevens; our first tournament is coming up at the end of the month. Weather permitting, our practice schedule is three times a week. Once we have our first tournament, we typically have one every weekend after that. But from the end of winter break until the beginning of March, we have time to really practice and get the new recruits to a place where they feel comfortable enough to compete at that first tournament.

Will you keep playing after you graduate?

I do want to continue being involved. I coach at predominantly Black and Hispanic middle schools in the Bronx and Harlem, which I think is a very important way to get more players of color involved in the sport. Playing has been so rewarding, but so is giving back and seeing others develop and play. I’m definitely looking for ways to stay involved and engaged in the rugby world after I graduate.

What has been your favorite class?

I really enjoyed “Mediterranean Humanities” with Konstantina Zanou; I took it for my Global Core requirement but I also had a genuine interest in the topic. As an econ major, my whole academic trajectory has just been a lot of problem sets, so there’s not much room in those classes for discussion. I feel like that class started to widen my lens of study. This semester I’m taking “Comparative Study of Constitutional Challenges” with Elizabeth OuYang, which is also very discussion based. The issues and case studies we look at are very timely with immigration and human rights. Being in those classes and being forced to talk about these issues makes you form an opinion and inform yourself about what is shaping our country.

How have you taken advantage of being in NYC for college?

I’ve been really into Harlem, so I’ve spent a lot of time going to Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater on Wednesdays. I’ve also been trying different restaurants in the neighborhood; I really enjoyed Melba’s. It was just great to feel like I’m connecting to my roots a little bit. I’ve also recently been going to Greenwich Village a lot for karaoke and comedy shows, and trying different cuisines there.