08/31/2026
🏉 MEET THE MAIDEN MONDAY: NORA EDITION 🏉
This week’s Meet the Maiden is a little different—and one that is especially close to our hearts.
Nora has been a part of the River Maidens since DAY ONE. Before we ever played our first match, before we had jerseys, sponsors, or even knew exactly what this team would become, Nora was there. And her own rugby story started more than four decades ago.
So this week, we’re introducing you to one of our River Maidens who may not be taking every hit on the pitch with us, but has been an important part of our journey from the very beginning. 💜
💜 Meet Nora
Name/Nickname:
Nora—or Hona to some of her teammates after her name was accidentally misspelled on a sponsor jersey. Apparently, the handwriting may have been to blame. 😳😂
📍 Hometown:
Originally from upstate New York. She attended college in southern Illinois and eventually settled in Muscatine with her husband, Rich, in 1994—long before most of the Maidens were even born!
👨👩👧👦 Family:
Nora and Rich have three children and one grandbaby.
💼 Occupation:
Nora has worn a LOT of hats throughout her life—marketing and communications, PTA, massage therapist, mother, wife, and community volunteer.
🏉 What’s your role with the River Maidens?
“Still evolving”—but currently a cheerleader and advisor of sorts, while also working toward her referee certification!
🏉 Her Rugby Story
When did you first start playing rugby?
Fall semester of 1979 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
How did you originally find rugby, and what made you want to play?
Her resident assistant, Jackie, invited her to practice during her first week of school. Nora loved that rugby combined pieces of so many different sports. After playing basketball and softball in high school and not feeling like she was particularly great at either, rugby gave her the opportunity to discover skills she didn’t know she had.
What position did you play?
Ho**er. Right in the middle of the scrum and responsible for throw-ins on line-outs—which meant Nora’s experience throwing things at her brothers finally came in handy. 😂
What was women’s rugby like when you were playing?
It was really just getting started. Her original club will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, which makes it pretty incredible to think that something they started for fun and community has lasted this long.
🏆 What’s one rugby memory from your playing days that you’ll never forget?
Winning the Midwest collegiate tournament toward the end of college. They surprised a lot of teams because they didn’t have any “superstars,” but they came together as a team and beat higher-ranked teams.
💜 What did rugby mean to you during that time in your life?
“It was definitely my happy place.”
Rugby gave Nora a place to embrace athletics without judgment and become confident in what she was capable of. She credits rugby with teaching her about teamwork—not just on the field, but in her career and eventually in managing her family.
🏉 Then & Now
What’s changed a lot since you played?
Quite a bit! Scoring values, rucking and clearing techniques have changed, along with lifting during line-outs.
What’s stayed the same?
At its core, rugby is still fast-paced, constantly moving, and a sport where all body types can participate.
💜 The River Maidens Journey
You’ve been with us since our very first meeting. What did you think when this crazy idea was first discussed?
Nora saw an opportunity. Muscatine has plenty of recreational activities, but very few provide a competitive team environment that’s as inclusive as rugby—one where people of all ability levels can participate.
And helping with the River Maidens has actually renewed her own interest in the game and helped her find her “happy place” again.
At 65, Nora says she’s just as excited to be on the field helping others learn how to pass as she was when she first picked up a rugby ball at 18.
Nora is the first to admit she can’t do everything she could at 18 and has to be a little more careful these days—especially with tackling. But we’ve seen her tackle, and let’s just say… she’s still got it. 😂 The years may have passed, but that rugby badass never really left the pitch. 🏉
At what point did you realize, “Wow, they’re actually doing this”?
“The first meeting.” She had a feeling the women there were all in.
What’s it been like watching the River Maidens grow from an idea into a team?
“Pretty special to see you all start from scratch and advance in skill and knowledge.”
What makes you keep showing up?
“I love this game and what it taught me.”
💜 What’s been your proudest River Maidens moment?
Watching a few women—especially Maya & Jenny—put themselves out there, start something completely from scratch, and create an opportunity for other women who need a place to thrive.
What makes this group of women special?
It’s a “conglomeration” of women from all different walks of life who genuinely care about one another, support each other’s growth, and don’t judge each other.
Does today’s team remind you of your own rugby days?
Absolutely. It doesn’t matter what you do for work or where you come from. Once you get to practice and step onto the field, you’re all there together.
💜 What She Hopes Rugby Gives Others
What do you hope the women playing for the River Maidens take away from rugby?
Nora is excited to see women of all ages get involved. She hopes that participating in and supporting the team encourages other women to show up—even if it’s simply to work out, learn about the sport, and see what rugby has to offer.
What does it mean to you to still have rugby in your life?
“It feels like a real full circle moment in my life.”
Something she started in her early days has come back around, and now she gets to help support and grow the game for another generation.
💭 Nora’s Advice
If you could talk to your younger rugby-playing self, what would you tell her?
“Don’t worry quite so much and be okay when things get hard, because usually it all turns out okay!”
What’s one lesson rugby taught you that you’ve carried through life?
“Find your tribe and do what you can to support them.”
And we think Nora has done exactly that. 💜
🌊 A Few More Things About Nora
What’s something outside of rugby you could talk about all day?
Water sports—surfing, sailing, and more!
☘️ Something the team might be surprised to learn about you?
Nora has Irish citizenship!
Would you go back and relive a decade of your life?
Not necessarily. She says her current sixth decade is “pretty darn special” and she’s happy to live every day of it. ❤️
💜 Nora, thank you.
Thank you for being there from that very first meeting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, showing up to practices, helping our players learn, cheering us on, and reminding us that rugby has a place for everyone.
You picked up your first rugby ball at 18.
Now, at 65, you’re back on the pitch helping another generation discover the same game that once became your happy place.
From 1979 to today, your rugby story has come full circle—and we’re incredibly lucky that the River Maidens get to be part of it.
We’re so grateful to have you as part of our River Maidens family. 🏉🌊
