Be a Try Maker, Not a Try Scorer

Where I thought I was a great fit for Bookstr.inc, I was made for the position in Play Rugby USA. As a Munster rugby fan growing up, helping to promote the sport in one of the biggest cities in the world was a privilege.

Play Rugby USA (PRUSA) is a non-profit charity in Midtown, Manhattan that endeavors to bring the sport of rugby, and a few life lessons, to children and teenagers around New York Boroughs. In primary schools, they take the form of after-school programs, getting children into a club and off the streets. Once they hit high school, there are PRUSA camps and training in picturesque settings such as Pier 13 in Brooklyn every week. PRUSA helps teenagers apply to colleges with sports scholarships to help them achieve their academic goals while also keeping the sport of rugby close.

I was a communications Intern with PRUSA I for 6 months at the end of my Visa. I was tasked with getting photos, videos as well as designing content for their social media channels. I also curated the monthly newspaper sent out via email to the coaches in PRUSA. I attended schools that allowed filming and captured footage of the children playing rugby and learning life lessons with Play Rugby’s 7 statements.

I created content to show off the great work I saw Play Rugby was doing. From children making friends and becoming teams after school to teenagers working together to improve and hone their skills. I also tried to show the coaches I encountered too. They pushed their students while also teaching them the values of Rugby. Coach Rick and the kids of PS208 in Harlem were my usual cases to study. They provided me with great snippets and quotes to then post online. They were a little family in the Gym every week and all came together to compete fiercely at the Harlem Rugby Cup. Their Coach Rick also brought his group on trips to show his students how to give back and appreciate their own lives.

I attended some academy training sessions too to capture some content to show that PRUSA doesn’t stop after elementary school. I met a lot of promising future athletes through the program and was able to capture some of their stories, like Suzi who was on her way to the Olympics!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Play Rugby and made some great connections and friends during my internship there. I learned a lot about social media management in this role. I was also tasked with gathering data and analytics to then use to create our next campaign or which content in general did well with our audience. It deepened my knowledge of social media and how to manage it all.

“Adding a ton of value to Play Rugby USA with amazing,
thoughtful, well-designed content throughout her stay”
– Mark Griffin, Former PRUSA CEO.