I am lucky. Because everyone went home for Fall Break, I was forced to go away from my norm of covering soccer games and had to go to my first-ever women’s rugby game.

I spent all weekend dreading having to cover a sport I had never even watched before, but when I arrived I was positively surprised.

Before the game, I couldn’t tell a hooker from a flyhalf, and I guess I still can’t, but what I saw has changed my mind on the sport I once knew nothing about.

Rugby, is well, it’s just awesome. Where has it been all my life? The speed, strength and skill needed to compete is amazing.

In my mind, it is a combination of football and soccer – two of my favorite sports to watch. I got the soccer aspect with the kicking to clear the ball for field position and the switching the field for scoring strategy.

I got my football fill from hard hits and attempts for breakaway runs.

Before I make any longtime rugby fans and players mad, I know it is much more than that, but after my first experience this is what I saw.

If I could go back in time this would have definitely been the sport for me. My years of playing soccer were great, but at the same time I always wanted to give football a try. Rugby would have given me a chance at both.

Not only was I able to become a fan of the sport, I was lucky enough to catch the Panthers’ final home game of the season and see some of their best players before they graduate.

Hearing about how good a tackler Kate Taake is, how quick Mary Archer is, and at 5-foot-4 how good Nikki Ponce is, was not enough.

I had to see all of this for myself. If Vincent Webb wouldn’t have had such a good game against Murray State, I would tell Bob Spoo to take a look at Archer for his running back position.

She can straight out play. On several occasions, Archer faked Arkansas players out of their shoes and then blew past them for scores. She even got her teammates involved with a few assists.

And as for Taake and Ponce, those two are just great athletes who really impressed me with how well they seemed to know a game they also had to learn when they got there.

And to make my day of rugby complete, when I got home I caught a little bit of the United States Rugby World Cup match against Fiji.

A 19-18 American loss was more realistic than the 86-3 beating I saw Eastern give to Arkansas and made me appreciate the sport even more.

I hope the near win by the American team is a sign of what is to come in U.S. rugby.

Those who have not witnessed this sport and are any kind of sports fan should check this out. It might just change your mind because it sure did for me.