Gabriella Lomuto, senior captain of the girl’s Algonquin-Westborough-Shrewsbury rugby team, is excited to take on her final season as a part of the co-op. Lomuto was first introduced to rugby during her freshman year of high school by her varsity field hockey captain. After having expressed an interest in playing a sport during her off-season to stay in shape, her field hockey captain pushed her to try out for the rugby team. Although hesitant at first, Lomuto states that joining the rugby team is one of the best decisions that she has ever made. Not only did trying out for the rugby team provide Lomuto with a new opportunity to grow her athletic abilities, but it also allowed her to become a part of one of only six girls’ rugby teams in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).
Even though women’s rugby remains less common in Massachusetts, the sport has gained much more popularity after the 2024 Summer Olympics. For those who don’t know, the United States women’s rugby team won the bronze medal for their excellent performance on the pitch. Lomuto explains that between the team’s Olympic victory and the rise of rugby stars like Ilona Maher on social media, the popularity of the game has grown tremendously. “People see more diverse role models, like Ilona, excelling in their sport and breaking barriers, which encourages others to try it out as well,” she notes.
Because rugby involves a complex set of rules, Lomuto says that it is unlike any sport she has ever played before. In terms of athletic ability, she had no problem keeping up with the fitness of the team when she started playing. With that being said, Lomuto does admit that it took her some time to get comfortable with the rules. One example that she noted is the fact that in rugby, the ball can only be passed backward. Although this rule may sound contradictory to other sports, like field hockey, Lomuto says that they have become common knowledge over time.
These challenges have positively impacted Lomuto’s life. Not only does she credit rugby for growing her confidence, but she remarks, “I have become a more social person and have gained leadership skills that I will retain throughout my life that will benefit me in my future career.”
In addition to Lomuto’s increase in social, leadership, and self-disciplinary skills, she also thanks rugby for the bond that she has made with her teammates. Rugby is a physically demanding sport that requires its athletes to be aggressive towards one another, so Lomuto explains that once the whistle blows to end the game, both teams come together in a celebratory manner. In the past, Lomuto and her teammates have even gone out to get dinner with the opposing team after a game. She states, “It is amazing to see how everything that happened on the pitch gets left on the pitch,” and that “you can be civil enough to enjoy one another’s company.”
Given the team’s supportive environment, Lomuto was quick to accept the nomination for captain at the end of her sophomore year. After having received the most votes from her teammates, she was given the title of team captain for her junior and senior seasons
“These past two seasons as captain have shaped me as a person,” says Lomuto, “I originally accepted the nomination sophomore year because I had so much passion for the sport, and I knew from the moment I started out as a freshman that I wanted to play for as long as possible.” Lomuto’s hard work both on and off the pitch, as well as the incredible support from her teammates, have set her up for success in her post-high school career.
With that being said, Lomuto still has an exciting season ahead of her ”I am looking forward to seeing the progression of our new players this year,” she remarks, “I love watching people try out their first year with no prior experience and see them gain the same love for the game that I have.” According to Lomuto, every new rugby player has a moment when the rules of the game click. Whether it is during a drill or scrimmage, she is excited to witness her new teammates develop an understanding of the sport.
While rugby can be a very intimidating sport, Lomuto encourages everyone to try out, as “absolutely no experience is required to try out, all you need are cleats, a mouthguard, and an open mind.” Mistakes come with the learning curve of the new sport, so the team stays supportive towards everyone to ensure that the pitch is a safe space to try, get better, and fail too. Lomuto stated, “No one’s ever going to be mad at you for trying a skill and messing up, in fact, we’ll be happy you are actually putting in effort to improve and learn from your mistakes!”
In her role as captain, Lomuto does everything she can to recruit new players and people into the girls’ program. A major portion of the advertisement is through their Instagram (@gonk_girlsrugby), but she also works hard to schedule fundraisers throughout the season and put flyers up around all three of the schools. Lomuto states that the most impactful decision was “co-oping with Westborough and Shrewsbury last season for the first time.” She mentions, “It never occurred to me until then that there are girls who aspire to play but just don’t have the opportunity because their school doesn’t have a team.” By expanding the program, many more girls were able to join, significantly growing the size of the program.
Lomuto’s time with Algonquin Rugby has allowed her to grow and evolve as not only a player but also a leader. For her, taking on the part of captain at such a new program was overwhelming at times to be learning for yourself while also trying to help others, but Gaby states that everything was balanced out by the immense support she received from her teammates and coaches. To continue her passion for rugby, Lomuto was recruited and will be playing at the Division 1 level for Mount Saint Mary’s University next year while majoring in health science.
