Head Coach: Jodie van Ogtrop

Jodie van Ogtrop joined CUWRFC in 2010 as a backs coach, and will begin as head coach in the spring of 2012. A former member of NYRC Women herself, she now coaches their summer 7′s program. She is an alumna of Pennsylvania State Women’s Rugby. CUWRFC has greatly improved with the aid of her leadership, and we look forward to even further development.

Forwards Coaches : Heather Martin, Koma Gandy & Becca Gobeille 

Heather joined CUWRFC in the Fall 2011 season to help the team prepare for the advanced level of play of joining the Ivy League, and in Spring 2012, she will take over as one of the team’s primary forwards coach, alongside Koma. Heather is an alumna of New York Rugby Club, and her expertise and advanced skill have helped CUWRFC to improve tremendously. Her guidance has been exceedingly important to CUWRFC, and we are quite grateful for it. We hope to continue to grow with her coaching, especially within the pack.

Koma joined CUWRFC in Spring 2011 to help with contact drills as Head Coach Becca Gobielle was pregnant, and in Spring 2012, she will step up as one half of our new forwards coaching team. Koma is an active member of the NYRC women, and she has been involved in the US Combined Services Women’s Rugby community. She has been an invaluable asset to the team, and we welcome all her advice and expertise.

In 2010, Becca Gobeille began her first year as Head Coach of CUWRFC. She has been involved for the past four years, lending her assistance with the forwards and greatly improving the success of CUWRFC. She stepped down from the Head Coach position at the end of the Fall 2011, choosing for personal reasons to remain involved with the team from a different perspective. She is an alumna of University of Pennsylvania Rugby, and has also played with Detroit Rugby Club and New York Village Lions.

Additional Coaching Support

Phaidra Knight

CUWRFC trains with Phaidra Knight, a USA Eagle who plays with and recently won the Women’s Premier League National Championship with NYRC Women. She has played in two World Cups, and she is an invaluable resource for the team. Training sessions take place in the Crossfit gym in the Bronx or in Dodge Fitness Center, and CUWRFC is very lucky for such an opportunity.

NYRC Women

The New York Women are forces at the national level, and have been Women’s National Champions in 2009 and 2010. NYRC players attend occasional CUWRFC practices before big games and tournaments, and help to improve our team’s technique, ability, and skill in scrums, line-outs, and backline plays. Like individual members of their squad Koma and Phaidra, the NYRC women are instrumental in CUWRFC’s success.