Claire Griffiths never expected rugby to become such a defining part of her life. When a friend from New Zealand launched a women’s team in Burnie eight years ago, she turned up more out of loyalty than enthusiasm. “I thought, oh you poor thing, like nobody’s gonna go along. I better go support my friend because there’s gonna be no interest because it’s a terrible sport. And then I loved it,” she recalls.
Now, the doctor and Launceston Rugby Club player has been named in the Tasmanian state women’s rugby fifteens team, which travelled to Melbourne in September to play Melbourne University and a western suburbs team.
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Balancing medicine with rugby has meant long hours and plenty of kilometres. As a medical student, Griffiths recalls playing in both northern and southern competitions each week. “I’d drive home to Burnie, and then on Saturday I would play in the northern competition,” she says. These days, she trains with her club twice a week and joins state squad sessions on Sundays. “It’s our opportunity to try and get some practice in before we face the Victorian teams. Usually we’re on the other side of the field against each other.”
Griffiths is clear that rugby’s appeal lies beyond the bruises. She values its inclusivity and the way it accommodates all kinds of players. “It doesn’t matter your size, it doesn’t matter how fast you can run, it doesn’t matter how tall you are. There’s always a role for you,” she says. She enjoys the tactical dimension too. “You can do what I love to do and bash it up the middle. But also the strategy is by doing that, you’re bringing in more defensive players as well, which creates space out wide.”
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Though she has suffered a major concussion and a knee injury early in her career, Griffiths believes rugby is less dangerous than many assume. “When I compare it to my time playing AFL and then professionally from what I see from other sports, I actually think it’s not as prone to injuries as people think,” she says.
Just as important to her as the game itself are the friendships and networks rugby has fostered. She notes the strong sense of belonging for women who might otherwise step away from sport. “By the age of 18 to 20 most women stop playing sport. To be still playing significant sport I think is really about the social aspect,” she says. Clubs, she explains, also act as support systems. “This is for people who didn’t have a job or didn’t know where to go. We’ve used the club as a ship for steering them into a direction of where they could get those opportunities.”
Her involvement has also connected her with Pacific Islander communities working seasonally in Tasmania. Rugby, she says, gives them an outlet beyond work. “Sometimes they will be spending their time working and remaining in their groups and don’t really see anyone else from community. And it’s been a way that I’ve really been able to connect with them as well.”
Although her original teammate has since moved to Western Australia, Griffiths remains one of only a handful still playing from that first Burnie side. She hopes more women will join, whether through contact rugby or through non-contact formats like tri-tag. For those in her adopted home in the Meander Valley, she recommends contacting the Launceston Rugby Union Club.
Since relocating here earlier this year, Griffiths has been struck by the warmth of the community. “It’s nice to really meet your neighbours and really get to know them and that community feel is what I love the most.”
