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TWHS graduate now a member of the Women's USA National Rugby Team

By: Ian Seale
| Published 06/13/2014

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Sports can open a number of doors for young adults looking to get an education and even the possibility of reaching the highest level of competition in their respective sport. Meya Bizer, a 2011 graduate of The Woodlands High School, can certainly attest to this. Bizer is now a star for the Penn State Women’s Rugby team and also a member of Team USA, but her road to success is not that of a typical female athlete.

In high school, Bizer played lacrosse and was a kicker on the football team (yes, she was on the football team) so her athletic capabilities were very apparent to her peers. During her senior year, Meya was approached by a friend who was playing rugby for The Woodlands Rugby Women’s u19 club encouraging her to come out and try the sport, but she was somewhat skeptical at first.

“To be honest, I had no intention of playing, but to get my friends off my back I told them I'd go to one practice and if I didn't like it I wasn't coming back. I ended up falling in love with the sport in that one practice,” Bizer explained.

Prior to her introduction to rugby, she had accepted a scholarship to play small college football. However, that did not last long after realizing, not only her high level of playing ability, but more importantly, her love for the game, Bizer decided to refocus herself and transfer to Penn State to play rugby for the eight-time National Champion Nittany Lions program. After further developing her skills and eventually being invited to train with Team USA, its safe to say that she made the right decision.

Her immense talent has given her many experiences that most athletes can only dream of: traveling the world while playing in the game she loves. Since 2012, Bizer has played in eight different countries, including France, England, Holland, China, Canada, Ireland, Wales and Italy. Most people would be more than satisfied with this list of incredible travels, but there is still one destination that she wants to add to her list.

“My goal is to push myself to see how far I can go. I've always been athletic, but when you get to the international level you can no longer let that carry you. It comes down to who will give more and push themselves harder to be the best. I'd love to play on the 2016 Olympic team in Rio de Janiero, Brazil,” said Bizer, when asked about her ultimate goal.

Rugby is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world, and its popularity among women has significantly increased, especially on the collegiate level. When asked about her favorite aspects of rugby, Bizer responded by saying, “I absolutely love the contact aspect of it. There is no other ‘mainstream’ sport for women that is full contact. It is the best feeling when you square up on someone and really lay them out! The other aspect is how there is a place for every body-type. In so many sports you have to be one certain type or you're looked down on. In rugby, with the diverse need for every position, every body-type is celebrated, which in my opinion leads to higher confidence levels.”

Bizer is not concerned with the public’s ever changing, and at times, harsh perspective on women and the “correct” physical image female athletes are expected to maintain. This independent mentality is something to admire, especially in this era where social media and physical appearance are looked at so closely with females.

“If I were to give young female athletes any piece of advice, especially those interested in playing rugby, it would be, go for it! Rugby has molded who I am today and made me a stronger, more confident, and independent person. I've gotten to travel to so many amazing places because of it and meet so many great people.”

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