How in the world did a gracious dancer with the AVAD Christian Dance Ministry since 2002, find herself playing and excelling in a sport most young ladies shy away from due to its physical nature? For the past four years Kameka President, 22, has been playing rugby, a sport that was never her first love. In fact out of all the sports she has played, and there are quite a few, this discipline was at the bottom of the totem pole. So how did this unlikely union come about?
“My sister Signa who plays introduced me to rugby,” said President. “She told me to come and watch a game to see if I would like it. So I went to one game on the Corinth Playing Field and saw girls running. I looked at them and knew I could run faster. That’s when I decided to give it a try and ended up joining a team.”
She began playing with VBCC Stingers (which is now defunct) then switched to the Renegades Rugby Football Club. No doubt about it President is a speed demon and is among the fastest female players. The fear of being hit or tackled gave her more incentive to run even faster to avoid being caught. Speed makes it impossible to catch her from behind.
As a dancer this gal has fancy moves to evade tacklers. In fact she told me, “Dancing helps a lot with my coordination, agility and balance.” The fear factor and blazing speed is her greatest asset on the playing field. With a slender build more suited to the dance stage than rugby field, she said: “I don’t like the physical aspect of the game at all. Since I play on the wing there isn’t much contact playing that position so I am alright with that.”
In the past officials had problems attracting female players but things have changed over the years after the St Lucia Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), under the leadership of Roger Butcher, introduced the game island wide and in schools.
President feels the physical aspect of the game has a lot to do with young ladies staying on the sidelines. “It is a rough sport. The physical contact is what scared me at first,” she said. In time she learned to appreciate all aspects of the game, even absorbing the occasional hit from anyone fast enough to catch her. She said: “What I really like is the comradery that rugby has. People just look at it from the outside and say that’s too rough, people throwing down each other, but that’s not really what it is on the inside.”
President has not only excelled locally but has also made her mark on the international scene. In 2017, just a year after she joined rugby, St Lucia placed second at a competition in Guadeloupe where she received MVP honors. The year after St Lucia competed at their first Americas North Competition, placing fourth. President was outstanding throughout and was named to the tournament’s Dream Team.
Never in her wildest dreams did this former St. Joseph’s Convent student imagine that a sport she never considered playing would pay off. Not long ago she signed up with the ASM Scholarships Group, who created a profile for her online, where coaches from various schools have access to. It was only a matter of time before she was contacted by at least four coaches.
It was a difficult choice but this rugby speedster selected Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland. The school participates in NCAA Division I— the highest level of intercollegiate atheltics in the United States. She enrolled in a four year Bachelor Degree course in Cyber Security. Naturally, family, friends and teammates are delighted that this former Sir Arthur Lewis Community College graduate received a scholarship overseas.
She left the island for a new home on Sunday, but before leaving encouraged other ladies to play rugby. “Don’t be afraid to try something new, because you never know whether or not you will like it. Just look where it got me.”
Can’t argue with that.
