Today, LauraBen Moore '14 is an All-American. She is the public relations officer for the Brandeis women's rugby football club and a regular player on Beantown, Boston's Women's Premier League rugby team.

Yet, less than two years ago, Moore was none of those things. She was new-at Brandeis and at rugby. She was a kid who had a bold prediction: "We're going to win this game."

As far as guarantees go, that promise before Moore's first collegiate game was as ambitious as they come. Heading into the fall 2011 season, the Brandeis team had grown accustomed to losing. The squad had gone so long without winning that not a single team member at that time had ever tasted victory. Moore decided it was time for a change.

"She said 'We are going to win this game,' and everyone said 'Ok, that's cute,'" coach Matt Cameron said.

In fact, they won handily, beating Framingham State University 27-5.
"First thing she said when she walked off the field was 'I told you so,'" Cameron added.

Nineteen months later, the team has kept the winning tradition alive. After winning games in Division IV, Brandeis moved up to Division III this fall and qualified for the playoffs. Next season, the squad will be compete in Division II.

"The team as a whole is growing incredibly, and it's a really exciting time to be a part of it," Moore said.

Additionally, Moore has begun to accumulate individual accolades. She joined Beantown last semester and began making regular appearances in the past few weeks.

What happened next was even more impressive.

Of the tens of thousands of women who play rugby in America, only 160 were chosen to attend one of four prestigious USA Rugby camps last month. Out of that pool, 38 were selected for the AIG Women's Junior All-American team.

Last week, Moore learned that she was one of the few that made the cut. When that team is narrowed down to an active 26-person roster at a camp in Chula Vista, Cal., she'll have the chance to be in the Nations Cup, a U-20 tournament that will take place in Nottingham, England in July.

"She's a very special person and a very special athlete," Cameron said of his decision to nominate Moore. "She's made rugby her priority."

Not that long ago, rugby was the last thing on Moore's mind. After transferring from the University of West Georgia, she arrived at Brandeis as a sophomore. She decided to take up studies in anthropology and sculpture, and soon, began looking for a place to fit in.

"I came in as a transfer and I really just needed to make some friends," Moore said. "I hadn't played a sport in a little while, so I thought I'd try something new. I'd never played rugby before, never touched a rugby ball, never even seen a game."

As Cameron stated, the sky is the limit for his star athlete.
"Nothing would surprise me with the height of rugby that she could get to," he said. Even the Olympics or the World Cup, "she has the drive to get there."