As summer is the time for pathway teams it’s worth remembering that elite rugby prospects can come from all over.
And what elite prospects have that make them elite is a combination is athleticism, physical characteristics that make success easier, a desire to learn, and a desire to compete.
So that brings us to Claremont Colleges lock/flanker Caroline Bullock. At six feet tall and with a wingpsan of 6-3, Bullock has the height and range to be success as a second row forward, and then she’s also proved it, helping Claremont Colleges to two CRAA Women’s D2 championships before they moved to D1, made the CRAA playoffs, and won NCR’s CRC 7s in the D1 bracket.
Bullock was a standout in volleyball, basketball, and track in high school in Montana, and didn’t think sports would be a big part of her college life. That changed after her first year at Claremont McKenna.
“I had convinced myself to focus on academics, and then the freshman year was entirely online,” Bullock told GRR. “So my sophomore year I was brand new to campus.”
She was clearly looking for some additional activity, and she went to the club fair.
“I saw a dog, and went over to pet the dog, and the dog belonged to one of the rugby coaches,” she said. “He said to me, ‘you’re an athletes, aren’t you?’”
She said yes, and he said “now you’re a rugby player.”
“I thought there was no way in hell I would play, but I went to my first practice and I fell in love at first tackle and never looked back. But more than that the culture on the Claremont Foxes team is incredible. Rugby is just the most amazing sport culturally, not just in within the Claremont team, although that is special. I have been to play camps and met players from other teams and we’ve become friends and stayed friends. It’s really cool. It’s not about being flashy, it’s about playing for each other. The players are incredibly supportive; we have a culture where everyone is building each other up and it was the first time in my life when I played on a team where everyone was so supportive.”
Quickly bullock became a big part of the Claremont team’s success. While the Foxes move the ball well and play a fast game, Bullock was able to lead a strong forward effort that showed strong defense, dominance at the lineout, and interior power.
“Caroline is blessed with amazing physical gifts,” said Claremont Head Coach Evan Wollen. “But her intangibles are what make her so special. She’s a smart, hardworking student of the game. She is also the best captain I have had in 20 years of coaching.”
High praise for a man who also coached at West Point.
After a year playing and studying on campus, Bullock took a semester abroad at the University of Edinburgh. That experience has stuck with her as she has watched former teammates from there go on to play professionally in the women’s premiership in the UK and for their national teams.
“That really was the most incredible opportunity, playing with players who have played since they were five years old” she said. “I also got a wider appreciation for how big the world is.”
She returned to help Claremont to their second straight CRAA title.
This senior year, she said, “was a perfect season. We got promoted to D1. We got to see some awesome competition and see how we stack up with the higher levels. We won the CRC.”
Currently in San Diego training for 7s with the San Diego Surfers and Richie Walker. She has attended development camps and while she calls 7s “fast and free” she clearly seems to prefer the battle inherent in 15s rugby. She says she really enjoys the contact and the physicality of the game. She works hard, keeps studying the sport, and is outstanding on lineouts.
“I feel like if I can get three fingers on the ball, it’s mine,” she said.
