At Bottom of the Ruck, the goal has never been to simply amplify one perspective on grassroots rugby, even when it is our own. The real strength of Clubland has always come from the shared experiences, debates, frustrations, and perspectives experienced by volunteers, players, administrators, and supporters everywhere.

While our accents, competitions, and geography may differ, rugby clubs across the globe wrestle with many of the same challenges. We all struggle for sustainability, identity, inclusion, and how to grow without sacrificing the core values of rugby. Creating space for those voices to be heard matters here at Bottom of the Ruck.

This guest interview from Mike Farrell is part of that commitment, not just to tell the story of grassroots rugby, but to let the wider community help write it. Mike runs the Rugby Breakfast Club and much like Bottom of the Ruck, his goal is spreading the good word of Rugby as far and wide as possible! 

This interview also follows in our celebration of Women’s in Sports Week which is taking place from March 2-8, 2026. Creating welcoming spaces for girls and women to begin their rugby journey is paramount to the success and growth of our sport. 

on to the interview

St. Petersburg, Florida is an idyllic, quirky community with a lot of heart. It is home to sports teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Tampa Bay Sun as well as Pelicans Rugby!

Pelicans men’s rugby was established back in 1977. Pelicans women’s rugby is much more recent, so much growth is needed, and hard to come by.

This is the story faced by several rugby clubs in Florida. Rugby Breakfast Club caught up with Dom Beeck to ask questions about herself, Pelicans Women’s Rugby, and the future. 

Here’s how it went:

Rugby Breakfast Club (RBC): Tell us a little bit about yourself and Pelicans women’s rugby!

Dom Beeck (D): My name is Dominique, but most people call me Dom! I started playing rugby my freshman year at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. I played scrum half and was backs captain my junior and senior year. During my last semester at Eckerd, the Sirens rugby team started working with the St. Pete Pelicans men’s team. We would join them at practices and social events. I was approached by several of the men’s coaches about creating a women’s team. Their goal was to expand rugby in Florida, especially women’s rugby. After graduation, I started with creating a St. Pete Women’s Pelicans team for the Beerfoot Sevens tournament on Fort Myers Beach. I thought this would be a perfect introduction for our team and a great experience! The team mostly consisted of current Eckerd Sirens and Eckerd alumni. A month or so after Beerfoot, we began hosting weekly practices and recruiting girls for the club. Our goal is to expand the team and create an inclusive and welcoming community! 

RBC:  Rugby most likely isn’t the first sport girls/women in Florida pick up. What was that light bulb moment that made you realize this was the sport for you? 

D:  I definitely agree that most girls/women don’t naturally gravitate towards an aggressive sport like rugby. The light bulb moment that made me realize the sport was for me was my sophomore year at Eckerd when we all returned from summer break. During that summer, I had come home and practiced with the SWFL men’s Hammerhead team (there was no women’s team yet.) I had worked with amazing coaches that took the time to better my skills and actually cared about my growth in the sport. To backtrack a little…When I started playing rugby I struggled a lot with tapping into my aggressive side and I was having a hard time grasping the flow of the game. When I had the opportunity to work with the men’s team in Naples, they were patient and taught me everything I needed to know. 

Okay, fast forward to the beginning of sophomore year, our first practice back from summer break and me working with the Hammerheads lol. During Sirens practice we were passing, running lines, and doing drills and I saw the game “click” and had that light bulb moment. It was such a great moment for me because it showed that all of the hard work I had done over the summer practicing had paid off and I could contribute more to the Sirens than I had the year before. I immediately was the starting scrum half, which was crazy because I barely rostered the year before .

RBC: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about women’s rugby in Florida?

D:  I think one of the biggest misconceptions about women’s rugby is that there is a specific body type you need to have to be a good and strong player. People are always shocked to hear I play rugby because I am on the smaller side. What I love about women’s rugby is how inclusive the sport is to all body sizes. Whatever body type you have, you will play an important role on the field. I strongly believe this sport requires variation in body shapes and sizes to function! 

RBC:  What’s the one thing you wish more people knew about the culture of this team? 

D:  I wish more people knew that the culture of the St. Pete Pelicans women’s rugby team is extremely inclusive and uplifting, but still has a competitive atmosphere. Everyone is encouraged to be themselves and bring their “weirdness” to practice. We also always want our players to try their best and be their best selves. I love how close our team is, it’s like one big friend group. We spend time with each other outside of practice and attend social events with the men’s team to create a more tight-knit community. 

RBC:  If you could change one thing to get more local schools or the community involved in rugby, what would it be, and how could someone reading this article help? 

D:  If I could change one thing to get more local schools or the community involved in rugby, I would encourage more exposure at the youth level. I know the head men’s coach and organizes youth rugby practices in St Pete, where kids and their parents are encouraged to participate. I think that is a great step in exposing rugby to the community of St. Pete. To start, I think someone reading this article could bring their kids to a rugby game and introduce them to the sport. Once kids and parents see how inclusive and uplifting the sport is, I believe the parents would want to introduce their kids to a great community such as ours. 

RBC:  For a woman in St. Pete who is looking for a new activity, but has never touched a rugby ball. Why should she show up to your next practice? 

D:  She/they should show up to our next practice because it will change their life!!!! I am in my early twenties and I understand how it can be hard to make friends at this age. As I said earlier, our team is extremely inclusive and welcoming of players at all different ages and skill levels and I can assure you that if you come out to a practice you will leave with a new friend!! I feel strongly that we as people have to step out of our comfort zone to grow as individuals and learn life lessons. I think that anyone who sees this who lives in the St Pete area should come to at least one practice just to see if it is for them! Even if they decide they aren’t the biggest fans of contact sports or can’t commit to many practices, we would LOVE to have some fans cheering us on the sidelines! 

grassroots Rugby Matters

Stories like Dom’s are a powerful reminder that the future of rugby is built on training fields, in borrowed spaces, and through the courage of people willing to start something from scratch. The Pelicans Women’s side may be young, but the foundation is unmistakably strong: inclusion, community, opportunity, and a genuine love for the game. That passionate combination has launched countless clubs around the world and it’s exactly how sustainable grassroots programs are born.

If this interview resonated with you, consider supporting the people doing the work on the ground. Follow their journey, share their posts, bring a friend to a match, or lace up your boots and show up to a practice.

That’s how Clubland grows: one connection, one conversation, and one brave first step at a time.

To find Mike Farrell/Rugby Breakfast Club on social media:
Facebook
Instagram

To find Pelicans Women’s Rugby on social media:
Facebook
Instagram

If you have a story that you’d like to share with us, please contact Bottom of the Ruck to get the conversation started.

No grassroots, no rugby.