Rugby Raiders

  • Published
  • By Airman Alec Carlberg
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  . Physical fitness has been and remains a vital part of mission success, unit coercion, and combat readiness in the U.S. Air Force. Exemplifying that culture, a few Ellsworth raiders possess the talent and dedication, to reach the physical performance standards of the USAF-level rugby team.

Senior Airman Atoa Ripley, Non-destructive Inspection technician attached to the 28th Maintenance Group, Staff Sgt. Tyler Hovis, non-commissioned officer in charge of system operations for the 28th Bomb Wing, and 1st Lt. Elizabeth Laboe, assistant installation deployment officer attached to the 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron, have all showcased the skills needed to join the Air Force rugby team.

Ripley’s interest in rugby began when he was just 14 years old. After joining the Air Force and arriving at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2019 he heard about the opportunity to play rugby for the Air Forces through a flyer at the gym.

“My recruiter once mentioned the Air Forces rugby team, but I hadn’t heard anything else about it until I saw the flyer,” said Ripley. “I knew instantly that I had to try out.”

After successfully making it through tryouts and becoming a team member Ripley began striving to become a team captain. The rugby team is composed primarily of commissioned and non-commissioned officers which made becoming captain an even bigger challenge for him as a junior enlisted airman. Ripley's persistence paid off in 2023 when he was awarded the position.

“It was a personal goal of mine to become a team captain and demonstrate leadership,” said Ripley. “I feel very humbled to have been given this position on a team with many officers and NCOs.”

Shortly after becoming a captain of the team, Ripley met Staff Sgt. Tyler Hovis. Hovis joined the Air Force in 2017 to help with college debt. After being stationed at Cannon Air Force Base he began playing rugby for a local team.

After arriving at Ellsworth in 2022, Hovis heard about the opportunity to join the Air Forces rugby team through Ripley. Soon after, he went to tryouts in Long Beach, California, and was ultimately selected to be a part of the team.

“At first I only knew two people on the team,” said Hovis. “This opportunity allowed me to meet people from all different backgrounds and experiences.”

The USAF also has a women’s team featuring the most recent member of Ellsworth to be selected, 1st Lt. Elizabeth Laboe.

Laboe's rugby journey began her freshman year at the USAF Academy where she joined the rugby team after completing cadet basic training. Seeking to try something new, she was drawn to the rugby club's energy, a refreshing change after the rigors of basic training.

“I just needed to be surrounded by positive energy after being in basic training for two months,” said Laboe.

After Laboe had graduated, her college coach put her in contact with a leading member of the Air Forces rugby team.

She then went to try out for the team in San Diego, California. The program lasted two weeks and consisted of two practices a day, one in the morning and afternoon, progressing from simple skill assessments to full-contact tackling and complex drills.

It was not for the lighthearted,” said Laboe. “I lost five pounds in the first week.”

Speaking on personal goals, Ripley and Hovis have made it their mission to win the gold medal in the Armed Forces Tournament and beat the Army, a historical rugby rival for the Air Force.

“We’ve won the silver medal a few times, but we are all striving to finally win the gold and beat the Army,” said Ripley.

As for Laboe, her goal is to continue to make bonds across the services and with the officers and enlisted members of her team.

“Being able to network and connect with the different members of my team has been vital to my personal and professional growth,” said Laboe.

In Laboe’s experience, those military connections are reflected in how her team honors the ultimate sacrifice a service member can give. After Laboe was selected she was awarded a team jersey, all of which said, “For those who can’t” and were accompanied by the names of Air Force Veterans who perished in combat.

On the back of Laboe’s jersey carries the name “1st Lt Roslyn Schulte” , a lacrosse player who was tragically killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

That connection profoundly affected Laboe’s view on where her playing fits into a bigger picture.

“I remembered hearing Lt. Schultes’ story at the Air Force Academy,” said Laboe. “ I now felt awed by the sacrifice of someone who shares my rank and academy heritage.”

To learn more about Armed Forces Rugby or to keep up with Armed Forces tournaments visit: https://armedforcessports.defense.gov/Sports/Rugby/