Historic Society to present ‘Rugby Day’ at Plover’s Heritage Park

By Patrick Lynn

The women’s rugby program at UW-Stevens Point is now 30 years old.

To mark the occasion, the Portage County Historical Society is presenting “Learn to Play Rugby Day” at Heritage Park, 2700 Madison Ave. in Plover.

The event will be held on August 12 starting at 1 p.m. The rugby clinic, operated by current and past UWSP Rugby members, will be open to all ages and abilities.

Jessica Burda from the Wisconsin Badgers and USA Rugby, also a former Pointer, will also give a short presentation at 2:15 p.m. about the growth of rugby across the state and beyond.

This event is in coordination with the new PCHS feature exhibit, “We Just Wanted to Play: The Story of Women’s Athletics in Portage County,” which is on display at Heritage Park through the fall of 2024. The exhibit tells of the development of women’s athletics going back to the 1890s, through Title IX legislation, and to the triumphs of today.

The Portage County Historical Society was founded in 1952 to share the stories of Portage County through education and preservation. The Society operates four historical sites: Beth Israel Synagogue in Stevens Point, Firehouse No. 2 in Stevens Point, Heritage Park in Plover, and the Rising Star Mill in Nelsonville. The Society also runs regular tours and other educational programming throughout the year.