Chase Thorpe

Wrestler and Rugby player Chloe DeLeon practices her ready stance on the new women’s wrestling team. She is also a member of the women’s rugby team.

Athlete Spotlight: Chloe de Leon, varsity wrestler and junior, discusses playing rugby and wrestling

How did you start playing rugby?

I’ve always been really drawn to contact sports through my life. I used to do taekwondo and jiu jitsu. I’ve just been really into contact sports. I just like how physical it is and I’m really competitive. When I moved here in middle school to Indiana from Philadelphia we passed the sign at the middle school that said “try rugby night” and my dad was like, “You should go,”, and at first I didn’t think I’d like it but I showed up and I actually really liked it. After one night of that I joined the team in middle school and I’ve been playing it ever since eighth grade, so I’m on my fourth year right now and honestly I started because of my dad and it’s given me a sport I really love it’s given me some of my best friends and it’s just really awesome.

How did you start playing rugby?

I mean, the interest was always there with wrestling so, I tried to practice in my freshman year but there was no girls team. There were absolutely no girls doing it so I didn’t feel really comfortable, but my rugby coach, Kelly Romano, made the first girls team and she had coached the first girls wrestling team at Carmel last year. She brought over the whole wrestling team; it was all rugby girls. And it was so fun because I knew my best friends were on the team and we were all learning new things so it wasn’t scary anymore. So when I actually went to practice, two years later from when I first tried wrestling at Carmel, I actually felt comfortable and safe. I wasn’t the only girl and I wasn’t the only one learning.

Do rugby and wrestling skills have a lot of overlap?

Oh yeah, fundamentally with the takedowns, that’s what I find the most common between the two. I mean contact is super important in both sports and getting the takedown is where both worlds kind of collide there.

Is the switch from playing rugby in the fall to wrestling in the winter difficult?

Honestly, not really. I find that going from wrestling to rugby is a bit easier because as much as I like wrestling, I used to be in cross-country and track and I really like running and there’s a little more of that aspect when it comes to rugby. So I find I’m already ready with all the tackling and the takedowns and, honestly, I just need a run, but going from rugby to wrestling is a bit harder than going from wrestling to rugby.

How are rugby and wrestling different?

Honestly the only difference for me because, obviously I’ve been doing rugby a bit more, I would say it’s just less running in wrestling. It’s a different kind of competition. In rugby, you run around and the only reason you can score and succeed in rugby is by finding gaps in the defense and getting your body in those positions where other people are not, and in wrestling it’s kind of the opposite. You want to get your body in a position where you’re on top and you’re dominating. It’s just the way you move and the way you compete are pretty different.

How have rugby and wrestling impacted your life?

It’s, more than anything, given me something to look forward to at the end of the day. After school when I’m not focusing on my academics and improving my mental state it gives me something to look forward to where I can improve myself physically, something to train for throughout the whole entire year. Even in the summer I can do camps and I go out on tours with the national teams. I’m actually going to the youth world cup for rugby this year with the international team this summer and I’m really excited for that. And if I didn’t join rugby in middle school when I did then all these opportunities wouldn’t have opened up for me and I don’t know where all my energy would’ve gone otherwise if I didn’t [play rugby].

What advice would you give girls who are thinking about playing rugby or wrestling?

I can feel for people who are in that position because I would just say that there are girls out there, there are so many girls out there who play these sports that aren’t masculine; it’s not just a guy thing. There are girls that are still feminine, like me for example, and I feel like you can still be in so much touch with your feminine side and still be able to do rougher contact sports. There is absolutely no correlation between doing a contact sport and being masculine or feminine; it has nothing to do with that. I’ve always struggled with that. I always thought if I played these rough sports I’d attract a lot of masculine guys and girls and I wouldnt fit in but honestly it’s what you make of it. And if you’re thinking about it, just know that there are girls like that on the team. I would just say explore your options. Don’t be scared to look around and try. It might be a little bit out of your comfort zone. Rugby is a pretty niche sport, same for wrestling for girls, but I would say try to get out of your comfort zone a bit. You’ll know if it’s not for you. It takes a little bit of adjusting just because it’s something that no one’s really heard of, but it’s not that hard, it’s just like any other sport.

If you’re a girl do not be afraid to join the teams. Carmel rugby would love to have you and Carmel girls wrestling, we would love to have you. Just come out and try it if you’re even the least bit interested.

What are people’s reactions when you tell them you wrestle and play rugby?

When I tell people at the high school, there’s a little reaction but I’m not the only girl doing it at the high school level. When I tell older people the reactions are so different, it’s kind of funny. I remember I was at the gym and I had my Carmel Rugby shirt on when I was lifting weights and one guy came up to me and was like, “Wow that’s a pretty rough sport, huh?” and I was like, “Yeah, you know we’ve had a team. We actually won State this year or last year now” and he was like, “Oh, really?” and I was like, “Yeah”, he was like, “That’s really awesome that you guys aren’t just in the kitchen anymore,” and my jaw kind of dropped. His mind was blown. It’s one of those moments that I really realized there is such a gap in the expectations and perceptions of women from generation to generation. When I tell kids our age, who havent talked to me, “Oh I play rugby and wrestle” they’re like, “Oh that’s cool.” It’s not that shocking. If you tell someone who’s a bit older than you it knocks their socks off; it’s crazy to them. There’s a difference between who you tell age wise.