For BYU’s women’s rugby team, the jersey is more than a uniform — it’s a symbol of legacy, faith, and unity.
Each player who pulls it on steps into a tradition that stretches beyond herself, carrying the standards of the university and the women who built the program before her.
Through their experiences, these athletes show how representing BYU shapes the way they play, the way they behave, and the way they growon and off the field.
Ask anyone on the team what it means to represent BYU, and they’ll eventually come back to the same moment: the jersey ceremony. It’s where players learn that the number on their back carries the weight of everyone who wore it before them.
Lucy Allen remembered her first ceremony vividly.
“The first time I got to play in a game, they did this whole thing where you sit down, hug everyone, and talk about the people who wore the jersey before you," she said. "I had never thought of a sport in that sense before. It was really special. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you want me to wear that? No way. Okay, you trust me?’ It just felt like such an honor."
That sense of meaning wasn’t unique to her. When other players were asked what the jersey represents, they agreed it carries far more than a number.
“You’re not just playing for yourself. You’re playing for your team and the people that have worn that jersey before you,” Alyssa Hine said.
"It’s a higher commitment,” Jo Peterson added.
Representing BYU on and off the Field
Playing for BYU doesn’t just influence what happens during a match; it shapes how players carry themselves every day.
"I think about BYU and the standards we have and the example we set. I need to hold those standards no matter where I am, especially on the field. I want to represent my school well,” Allen said.
“We’re not going to play dirty. We’re going to play clean, we’re going to play safe, we’re going to be respectful. We’re playing the best game in the most respectful way possible,” Hine said.
“I think integrity and being a good person matters. It’s hard to be a good person in a competitive sport, but the respect you carry for the other team says a lot about you,” Peterson said.
Facing the Pressure
For BYU athletes, stepping onto the field often comes with added expectations; not always positive ones.
“I feel like everyone wants to destroy us… I think people judge us because we’re religious. It really bugs me, but I keep it contained. In a nice way, it makes me want to beat them, but I try to channel my Christlike qualities,” Allen said.
Family on the Pitch
In those moments of pressure or doubt, players say they lean hardest on each other.
“It’s more of a family. Your teammates are your sisters. Everyone’s there for each other: rides, support, everything," Hine said. "It’s a healthy competitive environment where we push each other to be better."
“If we don’t play as a team, we lose... and maybe not walk away. You lean on your teammates a lot more. It’s a very team game, not a you game,” Peterson said.
What Rugby Gives Back
Beyond athletics, rugby has shaped these players spiritually, emotionally and physically.
“I don’t think I’ve ever relied on the Lord more. I pray all the time," Allen said. "Socially, I love the girls so much, and I’ve met some of my really good friends. It stretched me beyond belief."
“It’s given me confidence. I didn’t take very good care of myself before, but rugby taught me how good it feels to actually be healthy. And it teaches you how hard you can work,” Peterson said.
In the end, wearing the BYU jersey means playing with purpose, carrying the program’s legacy, and choosing to represent something bigger than themselves.