Women's rugby club is growing in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Women's rugby is on the rise across the U.S., especially after Team USA medaled for the first time in Olympic history in Paris this summer.
Here in Minneapolis, there's been a growing community since 2017 called the Metropolis Valkyries. They have a variety of players drawn to the team, seeking skills and a community to call their own.
"I started playing for the Valkyries straight from high school," said Ayani Davilar, the youngest member of this team. "When i came here, all I knew was how to pass a ball and run."
She's leaned on the more experienced rugby players around her to learn and get stronger over the last three years she's been on the team.
"The players have been such an inspiration and so many mentors," said Davilar.
One of those mentors to her is Libby Berg, who is the most veteran player on the Valkyries.
"I just love the sport, so I wanted to play as long as I could," said Berg, who said she leads by example on the field at Columbia Park.
"I just try to go out there and set a tone and hope that people can kind of play off of that," said Berg.
Berg not only shows others what's possible on the field, but also in life as an athlete. She's a mother of two and took time away from rugby to build her family.
"That was kind of one of my big things about coming back after having kids was just to show everybody, especially my teammates, you can go do the thing and if you want to...you can come back," said Berg.
Each player on the Valkyries shows up for a reason bigger than the game.
"It gave me something to believe in and something to keep me going in life," said Davilar.
For Berg, she plays for her kids now, especially her daughter.
"Just to show her that women can do all the things, right? We can be strong, we can be smart, we can be competitive," said Berg.
The Valkyries are one of four teams in their DI rugby league. They hope that more players can join so the league can grow and become more competitive.
Learn more here.