With You: A Womxn’s Rugby Podcast

Welcome back for season 2’s finale! Episode 15 is the second of two episodes featuring Angela Smarto, NCR D1 director, Penn State alum, & head coach of Robert Morris University. In the first, we looked at collegiate restructuring post 2020 in regards to the USA Rugby bankruptcy & the global pandemic. Today, Smarto shares her joy & calls us to action - to support our local clubs & alumni collegiate teams alike. For more about NCR, upcoming tournaments & to get in touch visit ncrugby.org WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 14 is one of two episodes featuring Angela Smarto, NCR women’s director, Penn State alum, & head coach of Robert Morris University. Not familiar with National Collegiate Rugby? You’re about to be. Smarto talks reorganizing after the 2020 break & IG stalking teams to get them reconnected. Tune in next week for part 2 of this episode featuring joy & ways to support our collegiate teams. For more about NCR, upcoming competitions & more visit ncrugby.org WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Bri (she/they) brings the coaching perspective to episode 13 of season 2. Now settled outside Greenville NC, Bri shares how she came to coach for the Greer 76ers & how it’s been getting back into coaching after the pandemic. If you in the upstate of North Carolina & looking for youth rugby (middle & high school), check out Greer Youth Rugby! https://www.cityofgreer.org/958/Youth-and-High-School-Rugby WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 12 features Jess, former D1 captain & current starting WPL fullback for the Colorado Gray Wolves. We chat fall return to play & how she thought about giving up the sport, but what kept her coming back. Support the Wolves on their road to nationals & follow along on IG @cograywolves WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 11 features Tink, winger and former co-captain of the Colorado Gray Wolves D1 side (FKA Glendale Merlins). We chat leadership & rebranding, as well as, Tink’s path to rugby & how she’s finding joy in rookies. Support the Wolves on their road to nationals & follow along on IG @cograywolves WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 10 features Tamara, returning to play after raising a couple kids & excited to be part of a new social team practicing in Camp Pendleton, California. The Warriors were founded in January 2020 & even against the separation of covid, have built a social team & are back to the pitch. You can check out a Camp Pendleton Warriors game or boot up for practice by following along on IG @warriorswomensrugby_2020 WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Christina joins us as rugby elder this week. She walks up through a stint with breast cancer & finding her home again in rugby, where she can’t believe she ever left. If you’re in the Columbia, Missouri area, reach out to the Black Sheep through their page https://m.facebook.com/MidMoRugby/ WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Aadra joins the show as the youngest of WITH YOU guests. She play varsity rugby as a freshman at Eagan High School outside Minneapolis, moonlights as the Amazons water girl, & is committing her life to rugby. If you’re in the Twin Cities, check out a Eagan Rugby match & cheer Aadra on! https://www.eaasports.org/rugby WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

This week Grace joins the podcast to talk return to play at Berkeley and about transgender rights, access, & boundaries. You can find her advocacy work on IG @rugbyforall.co If you’re in the Bay Area, check out the Berkeley All Blues or watch a match! https://www.berkeleyallblues.com IG: @allbluesrugby WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Mudge returns to WITH YOU for a convo about joining the Berkeley All Blues & on return to play protocols. Sus & Mudge also chat about taking care of our bodies as we age in rugby. If you want to hear more from Mudge, check out Season 1, Episode 2 for her rugby origin story. If you’re in the Bay Area, check out the Berkeley All Blues or watch a match! https://www.berkeleyallblues.com IG: @allbluesrugby WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 3 is an homage to women’s history month & in celebration of International Women’s Day. It features throwback clips from episode 10 of season 1 & a teaser from a future episode- both centering around women’s experiences in rugby as it’s become a space for their growth and expression. To hear more from Leslie, check out Episode 4 of Season 1 in the main feed of WITH YOU. For more about Grace’s experience, listen in for a future episode or check out her work for trans inclusion on IG @rugbyforall.co

Episode 2 features Jess Brown, scrum half at the Pittsburgh Forge & a professional fitness coach. With Sus, she reflects on return to play and the two examine how a healthy mindset & developing mindfulness skills can affect one’s performance on the rugby pitch. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, and interested in a successful women’s club, check out the Forge! https://pghrugby.com/womens-club IG @pittsburghrugby Follow along with Jess Brown & inquire about coaching services on IG @jessbrownfit // WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 1 of Season 2 features Patsy’s return to play with the Pittsburgh Forge from a break before the covid era. Patsy’s found a new love in the Forge and has been examining and rebuilding her confidence on the rugby pitch. She was featured on episode 4 of Season 1, if you want to hear her rugby origin story. Cheers! If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, and interested in a successful women’s club, check out the Forge! https://pghrugby.com/womens-club IG @pittsburghrugby Follow along with Patsy on IG @eleanor_and_i // WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Buckle up for a second season of WITH YOU, where guests join Sus to reflect on return to play in 2021.

Meg (they/them) captained the Denver Black Ice last fall & this spring. This episode serves as reflection into the past, as Meg & Sus talk fall RTP as Black Ice just finished up their spring season. Meg has so many great thoughts & reflections, I hope they prompt thought in you! Meg is a musician. You should give them a listen! You can find their work at unclemeg.com or on IG @unclemegmusic and listen along on Spotify under the artist name Uncle Meg If you’re in Denver & looking for an awesome D1 team to play with, reach out at denverblackicerugby.com or follow along on IG @blackicewrfc WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Episode 8 highlights four guests from Season 1 of WITH YOU. The first three are clips about family members who had a big impact of their rugby lives. The last is a clip from Pinto the Bean, one of our rugby elders, and someone who’s committed so much of her life to the game. Lina’s rugby origin story & coming out is available in Season 1 Episode 17. Sarah’s whole story can be heard in the back catalogue at Season 1 Episode 20 Katie Cross talks a lifetime of rugby on Season 1 Episode 13. And Pinto’s full episode is available in Season 1 Episode 18. We’ll be back next week with a full RTP episode. WITH YOU is a self run passion project for Sus Kitchen, who can be found on IG @s.kitch or visit the WITH YOU website for transcriptions & contact information at www.withyoupodcast.co

Alli is one of Sus’s favorite humans on this planet. She helped get WITH YOU off the ground & now shares her story to finish off Season 1 of the show. This conversation is tender & vulnerable, as Al tells about her experiences of loss & decline of her mental health until injuries forced her to step away from the pitch. She shares on discovering this correlation & how she’s taken steps more recently to prevent injury. Then, the two get into the curiosity that brought Alli back to the pitch & how she’s found a new space of belonging & been able to fall back in love with the game. Along the way, the two explore the idea of “honoring your weird” as well as reflect on how women’s rugby has grown so much in the US in the last decade. Don’t miss a collective glory moment for the Hoosier women against Penn State & a lit afterparty. Enjoy! WITH YOU will be taking a break through the fall to envision & produce Season 2. If you have ideas or thoughts for the show, please reach out to Sus! For more information about how to be a guest on the show, or for questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to Sus at the email address below. Check out our website for episode transcripts. 🌎 www.withyoupodcast.co 📧 sus@withyoupodcast.co

Lauren helped make this first season of WITH YOU possible by sharing with her rugby communities & this week y’all get the treat of hearing her rugby story. As a college student, she found a local D2 women club to join, fell in love with rugby, & stuck around 7 years before seeking more competitive play. A tour to Australia gave Lauren the itch to make herself uncomfortable, so she joined WPL team Chicago North Shore & played 7s with the Chicago Lions. Lauren shares with Sus how she found “type 2” fun at ARPTC, where she’s spent the last 4 summers in residency. They finish out the convo with a discussion on starting an intercity rugby program for youth girls in Little Rock, how she’s thought to provide a space for them to grow & also allow a proper support network by considering resources. They finish the convo with a wonderful memory from Barbados 7s & how Lauren proved she really is a “big bear.” Enjoy! For more information about how to be a guest on the show, or for questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to Sus at the email address below. Check out our website for episode transcripts. 🌎 www.withyoupodcast.co 📧 sus@withyoupodcast.co

Shevi found herself on a rookie collegiate team that saved her from dropping out of school & allowed her to become familiar with her own identity. Shev shares with Sus what a life changing experience it was for her when she realized the rugby team could be her family away from home. She was introduced to cultures outside of the one she grew up in & formed important friendships along the way. She began to see exercise in a different light. Rugby was also her first introduction to the LGBTQIA+ community & was a safe space for her to own being gay. Don’t miss the story of an ass out try for the closer! For more information about how to be a guest on the show, or for questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to Sus at the email address below. Check out our website for episode transcripts. 🌎 www.withyoupodcast.co 📧 sus@withyoupodcast.co

Sarah has been playing rugby since middle school but she’s been watching her older brothers play rugby since early elementary school. From the founding of a girls 7s team and moving into high school XVs, she found her best friend & an undying love for rugby. Plagued by injuries in college, she took some time away from the pitch, but didn’t want to let go. This led her to an internship with USA Rugby, working closely with the 2016 Men’s 7s National team on their road to the Rio Olympics. While in Chula Vista, she found her way back to the pitch, the. to Canada for high level play, and then to NYC as a coach with Play Rugby USA. Sus & Sarah chat coaching, reffing, & so much more. Don’t miss Sarah’s high school rugby glory moment all the way at the end! Oh & somewhere along the way there’s a great story told about getting the nickname “Daddy.” https://playrugbyusa.org if you want to find more about what Play Rugby USA is currently doing in outreach & youth rugby! WITH YOU is looking for just one more guests to come on the show! If you’ve ever been part of a womxn’s rugby program, I want to hear from you 🙃 Find a participation survey on our website About page or email Sus for more info. 🌎 www.withyoupodcast.co 📧 sus@withyoupodcast.co