Rugby football is not quite like any other sport. Originating in England in the 19th century, rugby has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years, but many Americans are still unfamiliar with the team sport. This excludes Bella Vogel of Washington Boro, a recent graduate of Cornerstone Homeschool Co-op with an unrelenting passion for rugby.

At first glance, rugby appears similar to American football; both sports involve teams of players clashing as they attempt to carry an egg-shaped ball to the opponent's goal post. Both sports are descendants of games commonly played in medieval Europe, but rugby is known for its intensity and matches that can turn a rugby pitch into a battlefield.

"I like how aggressive and man-on-man it is," Vogel said. "When you're on a team, it's like a family; you're out on the field fighting for each other. The camaraderie is different than other sports."

Vogel discovered her passion for team sports when she began playing soccer at the age of 5. After competing on a boys' soccer team for several years, Vogel sought a game that matched her athletic drive, and she found rugby to be a perfect fit. In the last seven years, Vogel has played on local teams via Penn Legacy and the Knightmares rugby club, which is based in western Lancaster County. Vogel has also played on the national team The Rugby Advantage. Last December, Vogel competed as a member of the United States' U17 rugby team in the global tournament in New Zealand. At the end of July, she will fly to the United Kingdom as a current player on the United States' U18 team to face off against England, Wales and Scotland.

In addition to the sport's intensity, Vogel said she appreciates the values of rugby and applies what she has learned from it in other areas of her life. "You have to be respectful in rugby. Only team captains can talk to referees, and you can't yell at them or disrespect other players," said Vogel.

Vogel and her family operate the Petal Pot Market outside of their Washington Boro home to raise funds for rugby-related expenses. Last spring, a small homeschool co-op in the Southern End asked Vogel to teach students about rugby; Vogel visited the homeschoolers once every other week to explain basic rugby skills and the rules of the game, sharing her own experience as a player and offering resources to kids who became interested in pursuing the sport further. "It was really fun," Vogel said. "Some of them were definitely hooked, and it was exciting to see."

Vogel will attend Life University in Georgia this fall to study exercise science and to compete on its Division I women's rugby team, and her ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympics someday.