Scrum and Get It

Meet Anna Brown, the president of Southern Pines Rugby Club. Not only is she the first female president over all of the teams, she also helped start the women’s team in Southern Pines, which is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. The men’s club has been around since 2001. Anna was first introduced to rugby around 2007 and immediately fell in love with it. “It was just an inclusive social culture that I had never been introduced to in sports before,” she says. “Finding rugby was like finding another family.” 

Though both the men’s and women’s teams have their own governing boards, Anna’s job is to oversee all of it to make sure things run smoothly and that new rules are implemented. The main goal she wants to tackle in her two-year presidency is to try and get one private field built for Southern Pines Rugby Club. “It’s also a way for us to give back to the community,” says Anna, as it could give other sports teams more field rental options.

The rugby club regularly volunteers for youth programs and various community events such as Beef & Beer and the Southern Pines Chili Cook-Off. They’ve even shown up to help people in need with yard work.

Anna encourages anyone even remotely curious in the sport, especially women, to come try it out and see if they like it. “We’ve had women from all walks of life. Military, lawyers, stay-at-home moms, hairstylists. It’s amazing. There is a spot for everyone in rugby,” says Anna. No fancy equipment necessary. There are no formal tryouts but practices are typically twice a week. Just send them a DM. 

• Sunday, May 3, 1-4 p.m.: Join the Southern Pines Rugby Club for a taco cook-off at Railhouse Brewery. The cost is $10 to sample. Taco ’bout it.