Peugeot part of Navy's winning rugby program

Natalie Peugeot arrived at the United States Naval Academy last summer knowing she would have to play a sport. All students at the nation's military academies have to be involved in athletics, whether it's at the varsity or club level. Peugeot, a 2024 graduate of St. Mary Central Catholic, played four traditional sports in high school but had her eye on a new challenge when she arrived in Annapolis: rugby. "I didn't know the first thing about it, but I knew it was a cool sport, a pretty gritty sport," she said. "I learned more about it and felt like it was a sport where my personality fit in. I picked it up and stuck with it." Peugeot walked on the team and started the fall season on the Varsity B unit before being moved up to Varsity A. The fall season features 15-on-15 competition while the spring season goes with a 7-on-7 format. The goal in rubgy — a contact sport that features elements from many sports, including football — is to score a try. A team is awarded five points when the ball is touched down in the in-goal area. Peugeot has enjoyed learning the sport. "I have teammates who have played their entire lives," she said. "I had no idea what I was getting into, but I wanted to play rugby because I knew about the whole tackling aggressive part of it. That first contact practice, I think I got hit before I got to hit anyone else. One of my teammates tackled me and I thought, 'this isn't that bad.' "I think my adrenaline was pumping. I got to tackle some people and got tackled a whole lot more. I thought it was fun. I woke up sore the next morning and I was like, I'm probably not going to feel good for the next nine months." Peugeot recently finished her freshman academic year at the Naval Academy (she spent her first college year at the Navy's prep school in Rhode Island) and is on break before a busy of summer of training on the East Coast. Last month, Navy finished in third place at the prestigious Collegiate Rugby Championship National 7s event in Boyds, Maryland. Peugeot didn't get a lot of playing time in the tournament, but she did make a positive impression this season by scoring a couple tries and ripping off some long runs. She scored her first try of the spring April 19 in a 22-14 win over West Chester. "I like to break tackles," she said. "It's the most fun to beat people with my feet. When you break the line, especially in 7s, I have to shake one defender and I'm off. It's like a 50-meter sprint. "In 15s, I like the hard carries. It might not be a try, but a hard 5-to-7-meter gain. I think that's a lot of fun, just put my head down and keep going." Peugeot, who played soccer, football, basketball and ran track at SMCC, is just scratching the surface as a rugby player. She suffered no serious injuries in her first season of competition but did partially tear a pectoral muscle. "I'm excited for the offseason," she said. "It's kind of that passion I've been missing since probably playing football my senior year. It's just fun to be back competing. I love watching film and getting better at it." Peugeot, who lives in the famous Bancroft Hall at the Naval Academy, is majoring in Operations Research, a line of study that includes plenty of math. She has some lofty career goals. "I'm hoping to be a pilot," Peugeot said. "When I graduate in 2029, I'm hoping to service select pilot and fly F-18s. It's one of few officer jobs when you're actually doing it instead of being in an administrative role. I don't think there's a cooler job than flying fighter jets." About one-third of the midshipmen at the academy are women. Peugeot said there are challenges to academy life — "sometimes it's harder doing the more physical things; the guys are better at that" — but she's glad she made the choice to serve her country. "It's definitely something I've always wanted to do," she said. "My great-grandfather served in World War II; he was in the Navy. I honestly think we live in the greatest country in the world. I think it's an awesome opportunity to do something bigger than myself. I think it's worth my time and talents to serve." Peugeot said her parents, Gregg and Sarah, have been very supportive of her decision. "They definitely seem to be happy with it; I'm sure they're happy they don't have to pay for college," she said. "It was a pretty easy sell for them. When they come here, they enjoy going to the bookstore and buying everything in site, or at least my mom does." Navy went 13-5 this spring in rugby 7s and won three of four matches at the national tournament. But there is one obvious place where the team can improve: Navy split two matches with Army last month. "That's something we need to fix," Peugeot said. "With a third-place finish and a loss to Army, there's a lot to be desired."