After playing rugby for eight years, an injury forced Brandon Scott to the sidelines, and that, in a really positive sense, is where he has been since then.

Scott has remained in the game as a coach, and in just a few weeks has helped form a women’s rugby program at Coastal Carolina.

Scott was looking to coach, since he couldn’t play, and was contacted by a couple of students at Coastal who wanted to start a rugby program. The ground-up plan was not exactly what he was bargaining for, but Scott said he’d help and about six women showed up for the first practice. Within a few training sessions that number had swelled to over 20, and as many as 40 women student-athletes have participated at times.

It is a startling development, with a club that had basically two players at the beginning of the school year now has a full squad and subs, and is ready to play.

“The players did a lot of recruiting,” Scott told Goff Rugby Report. “They got women to come out. Not all of them stayed - it’s not for everyone - but a lot did.”

People say it’s hard to start a rugby program, but it depends on the circumstances, and who is starting it. Team captain and founder Leanne Hudson is much of the energy behind the team. She brings friends out, and continues to spread the word.

But, said Scott, the school administration has been supportive, too, and that’s been key.

“We have received huge support from the school,” said Scott. “The fact that it’s a women’s team has made them more willing to help with funds and other assistance.”

The Coastal Carolina men’s team has also helped, and in fact the first game every for the CC women will be on the same day and venue as the men on Feb. 20 - the men host Towson and the women will face UNC-Wilmington.

As for the players, Scott said “they’re sponges. They listen and pay attention and execute what they’ve been taught really well,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of freshmen, but they are working really hard.”

And while we haven’t seen the games yet, this is an impressive tale of a rugby club that didn’t exist six months ago, and now is ready to play.