Not many athletes can pick up a sport at the collegiate level and thrive at it, but that is exactly what one Cassville graduate is doing at Drury on the women’s rugby team.

Alexis Mann, a 2020 graduate, is a former multi-sport athlete for the Lady Wildcats and now captains the Lady Panthers on the pitch.

A soccer and golf athlete in high school who played softball, basketball and volleyball in middle school, Mann said she found the rugby team mostly thanks to her mother.

“My mom was the one who pushed me toward it after she somehow found out there was a team,” Mann said. “I was looking to get back into sports because I miss the atmosphere of high school sports teams. I decided one day to show up [to rugby practice] and I have loved it ever since.”

An official sport but not part of NCAA, Mann said Drury plays all kinds of other colleges nationwide.

“Because we are a smaller team with no conference to play in, it’s a lot different,” she said. “We’ve played against Mizzou, and played with Pitt State. And, we have played against Wayne State, which is a DI program. We have a tournament this spring at Missouri S&T and a few others.”

Commonly described as about 90 percent football and 10 percent soccer, the goal in rugby is to run the ball into an end zone to score a try, worth 5 points, and there are kicking elements worth 2 and 3 points depending on the situation. Players may also only pass the ball backward.

The defense is charged with tackling the ball-carrier, who is forced to release the ball upon touching the ground.

In joining the rugby team, there was a steep learning curve for Mann, and she only came in with what she knew — nothing.

“I don’t think I had ever even touched a rugby ball before,” she said. “It can be a little different at times because there are two versions: 15s, which are 90-minute games; and 7s, which are 14-minute games. Each version has a different flow because the time rules are different. We play 15s in the fall and 7s in the spring.”

Mann said the learning curve was not hers alone, as the team has attracted a variety of participants.

“We have some girls that have never played a competitive sport,” she said. “Some have played sports all their lives, and we’ve even recruited a few players with rugby experience.”

Mann said the combination of the newcomers and the experienced has made the team a joy to be on.

“I love this team,” she said. “We are so tight-knit and hang out constantly outside of practice. That helps a lot.”

Though Mann’s experience in athletics did not include rugby until now, she said playing all those sports over the years has helped her see the big picture.

“None of the sports I’ve played are close to rugby, but it helps to have that knowledge of how teams work, what the requirements are and the expectations on and off the field,” she said.

Mann said some of the off-the-field differences are in how she works out, much different from what she would do for soccer.

“Conditioning is easier than in previous sports, but weight-lifting is important,” she said. “You have to gain in certain muscle areas, so having some weight-lifting experience also helps.”

Mann said to girls who may be attending colleges with lesser-known sports programs, give them a shot.

“One of my favorite things about this is it’s such a brand new team, so it’s a king and loving atmosphere, and we all want to be there,” she said. “We are learning a new sport together, and that’s a nicer environment than some other established sports that can be more competitive.

“You don’t have to have played rugby before to excel.”