Crouch. Touch. Pause. Engage.

If you're a rugger — aka, a rugby player — you're familiar with these words. Chances are, if you're an American rugger, you discovered rugby in the Northeast and Midwest, where it's become a staple of progressive sports programs. But the game, which traces its origins to Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, and gained popularity in the U.S. at Ivy League colleges and prep schools, has only lately made headway in the South. Women's rugby is even less common hereabouts, but that's changing, thanks to a locally based coach with national credentials.

There are arguably three primary reasons to play rugby.

First: Everyone fits in. There are no height, weight or speed requirements. The diversity of backgrounds, strength levels and sizes means that everyone has something to contribute toward a powerful, cohesive unit.

Second: The beer. Yes, the stereotypes are true. Ruggers like to drink. A lot. Often, after games both teams get together at a local pub to socialize. There is a sense of camaraderie that breeds healthy competition, not opponent-bashing.

Third: The game itself. Half football, half soccer, rugby is played in two halves. The ball can only be tossed backwards and there's a lot of tackling. There are no time-outs, no pads to cushion the blow when you're tackled and no talking back to the Sir (referee) unless you want to be immediately ejected from the game. It requires stellar endurance, agility and a high threshold for pain. In other words, you have to be a true, well-rounded athlete in order to play competitively.

Safety is the number-one priority; we are taught how to tackle and be tackled properly in order to avoid injuries. I'm not saying you will avoid pain after playing a game (not if you played it right). But I know countless ruggers who have avoided injury.

I was introduced to rugby as a junior in high school. When the coach yelled from the sidelines before the game, "Who wants first hit?" I knew I'd found my niche.

But women's rugby has had to overcome a certain amount of stigma, acknowledges Candi Orsini, assistant coach of the U.S. women's rugby team. Orsini began playing rugby in 1976 at FSU and went on to play for Florida, regional and USA Teams and was in three World Cups, as well as recently coaching in her second World Cup cycle. She is rallying women to join the Tampa Bay Women's Rugby Team, appealing both to those who are interested in playing recreationally as well as those at the collegiate level, such as Eckerd College.

"I would say the biggest misconception about the sport is that women can't or shouldn't play it," says Orsini, "as if women can't handle such a tough sport or that it is in some way 'unfeminine,' both of which are ridiculous. Girls, young women and women have the capability to be very strong mentally and physically, but are rarely encouraged to be so. Rugby is a very empowering sport for women."

I know that from experience. One game in particular is forever etched in my memory. It was a spring game in Indiana, and that means snow, freezing temperatures and the loss of feeling in most of your body. (This sport is played rain or shine, extreme heat or cold.) The opposing team's star player was a blur of shiny blue spandex and bright red hair as she flew past us, repeatedly scoring tries while we looked at each other in awe. When in doubt, her teammates somehow got her the ball. We lost in line-outs, yet remained steady in our scrums. During mauls we tried to keep from being tackled and during rucks we did our best to get the ball back into play.

Rugby is not just a sport, it's a culture. It is a family on and off the pitch that promotes athleticism, competition, fun, bonding and, of course, beer.

Those interested in the Tampa Bay Women's Rugby Team can contact Coach Orsini at tbwrfc@gmail.com.

Danielle May is a Creative Loafing intern studying for a Master's in Journalism at USF.

This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2010.