WPL Spotlight: Coach Ryan Dunnett and Player Caroline White from New York

YSC: What team do you coach and how long have you been coaching?
Ryan: I coach the New York Rugby Club women’s team. I have been coaching for 16 years, beginning when I was 15 years old back in New Zealand.

YSC: What year was your club established and who established it?
Ryan: The New York Rugby Club’s Women’s Team was originally founded as the Cornell Medical College Women’s RFC and played under the Cornell colors of Red and White. In 1987, we joined the Met New York Rugby Union as Gotham City and changed our team colors to pink and black. In the Spring of 1997, we merged with the New York Rugby Football Club, Inc. (“NYRFC”). At the time the NYRFC had never fielded a women’s team. Even though this meant that Gotham City would be trading its pink and black jerseys for the orange and blue colors of the NYRFC and giving up the Gotham City name, we believed that being part of a rugby tradition that extended back to 1929 and the NYRFC’s strong administrative structure would assist us in improving our level of play.

YSC: Is there a specific style of play that your trying to instill in your team?
Ryan: I’d like the team to read what is in front of it on both attack and defence, and react according. We are working to have plenty of options on attack, looking to exploit mis-matches and overload singular players in a defensive line.

YSC: As a coach do you have a specific area of expertise (ie: forwards, backs, kicking, scrumhalves etc.)?
Ryan: I played mostly as a 9 and/or 10, so perhaps some might say that is my personal expertise, but I have had plenty of coaching experience in both the forwards and the backs, and I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in the game.

YSC: What are you doing as a coach to involve your local community in the newly formed WPL?
Ryan: I would like to be involved in as much local rugby as possible during my time in NYC, offering my services within the club, as well as helping to introduce rugby into schools in the NYC area.

YSC: What are your expectations for the WPL?
Ryan: I expect there to be a high standard of competition set. There will be experienced refereeing and a skill level among participants that will allow for running rugby, and not stop-start affairs.

YSC: What specific preparations, training camps etc, will your team be participating in to prepare for their upcoming WPL games?
Ryan: I was unable to arrive in NY until late August, but our interim coaches, Annie Collier and Lisa Lake, got the team off to a great start, building a good base of fitness and understanding of team tactics. We had a training camp preceding the Saranac Lake tournament. With over 40 women at each training session, there will be a high level of competition for spots within the team that should lead to improvement across the board.

YSC: Throughout the season, how will you continue to keep your team on the top of their game?
Ryan: We will aim to make small steps each week, pinpointing areas exposed in the previous round game that need improvement. As mentioned previously, good-spirited competition within the side should keep all involved motivated to continue to learn and grow.

YSC: Where do you see the WPL in 5 years? 10?
Ryan: Hopefully the WPL will become a training ground for future US WNT representatives who are used to playing in high-pressure environments, and demonstrating improved skills. Time will tell whether more teams should be added to the Premiership, and how that will affect the concentration of talent between teams.

YSC: If you could send a message to all of your alumni and fans, what would it say?
Ryan: We welcome your support! On my first visit to Randalls Island, I was struck by the NYC skyline behind the rugby pitch. This is a special place to play, and to coach. The NYRC women have a strong tradition of success, and we aim to continue that this season in the first WPL.

Name: Caroline White
Nickname: Carrie
Height/Weight: 5’3”/140lbs
Birthplace: San Jose, CA
Current Team/How long have you played for your current team? I have been with New York Rugby Club for just over one year.
Past teams? Chico State Rugby Football Club & Christchurch Football Club
Primary Position/Secondary Position: Scrumhalf
Occupation: City Parks Worker
Superstition/Pre-game Ritual? No superstitions, but I write out my pre-game goals and the and visualise them.
When I retire from rugby I will…live simply in the woods and not worry about having to check my email.
If I had a private jet I would…be tempted to travel like crazy with it, but I would probably sell it use that money to live off and just be a ski/mountain/travel bum the rest of my life.
Who do you predict will be in the final for the 2016 Women’s 7s Olympics Games? I hope it will be US vs New Zealand, but i have a really hard time think about anything that far in the future.