London (AFP) – When Cass Bargell had her large intestine removed four years ago, her surgeon was adamant she would play rugby again, even with an ostomy bag. That surgeon might not have realised, however, that for Bargell, playing rugby again would involve representing the United States on her sport’s biggest stage – the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
After coming off the bench against England in Sunderland last week, the 25-year-old will start at scrum-half in Saturday’s must-win encounter against Australia in York. It is a remarkable journey for a player who was diagnosed with acute ulcerative colitis in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring surgery to remove her colon as a result. That led to her being fitted with an ostomy bag, and when she plays rugby, that is protected by a belt.
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And while there are challenges that come with living with a bag, Bargell explained that once she crosses the white line, she is like any other player. “It’s challenging in its own way,” she said. “Everyone has their own differences on a rugby team; we have girls who have gone through different injuries and have different modifications for that. I don’t think it’s terribly different in terms of what makes it different for me. It can be emotionally very hard because it’s something that will go on for the rest of my life and it’s annoying.”
“My surgeon told me you will play rugby again and I definitely believed her that I would. I had doubts about how far I could go in rugby. I don’t think I was thinking ‘am I going to be able to play in a World Cup?'” Bargell continued, “I don’t know if she knew that I was trying to play international level rugby, having the best tacklers in the world hit me. I definitely had those doubts, but I was so focused on becoming healthy again, and I had to take it day by day at that point. I wasn’t overly consumed by those fears. I was more worried about what clothes I would wear and the new jeans I needed to buy.”
Once rugby started happening and she knew that she could be the same player with her bag as without her bag, and it didn’t change the level she could play at, Bargell said, “I knew I could do it.”
Bargell, who made her Eagles debut last year, will now be trusted from the off against the Wallaroos, with the United States knowing they have to beat Australia to keep their dreams of reaching the quarter-finals alive following a heavy 69-7 defeat by England in their opening pool match.
As she prepares to start in the biggest game of the competition for the USA, Bargell knows she is an example to follow for others who live with an ostomy bag. “I think it’s important that I show people that you can do it because there are people out there who have an ostomy bag and stop living because they got one,” she said. “Showing that life goes on and my life got better, I’m doing one of the hardest things you can do in my sport with my bag and in some ways because of my bag, not despite it.”
© 2024 AFP
