Full Name: Sally Shatford
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
Position played: 6, 11, 13, etc.
All Blues since: 2017
Best advice you have ever received about playing rugby: “The worst decision you can make is no decision”
Sally first started playing rugby sophomore year of college at Colorado College. She had some friends that had already been playing who said she could give it a try. She used to play soccer, and missed playing a sport, so she came out to a practice and found that she loved it. After graduating, some of the same rugby friends who played at CC and also later played with the All Blues—Sydney P, Denali G and Monika R—encouraged her to come play for our team, and in the summer of 2017 Sally first donned our blue and gold jersey.
When asked what her most memorable time was with the All Blues thus far, Sally said that the most recent D2 finals stuck with her. According to Sally, “it was the best game we played all season and made me feel and recognize all the progress the team had made in a few months.” She also especially credited the leadership team with her own personal rugby growth during that season. She said that she’s “never been on a team where everybody is invested in developing everybody else! It's a really nice atmosphere. I am not afraid to ask questions or make mistakes.” She appreciated that leadership explained not just what to do, but also the how and why. According to Sally the focus was “on becoming better at reading the field instead of [solely learning] very specific plays.” This worked out well for her, since besides improving her defensive skills, developing her field vision was her other goal.
Outside of rugby, Sally’s passions are cooking and making things. She is currently trying to improve her wood working skills, which she did a lot with her dad growing up. She also just recently earned her Master's in Geography at SFSU, successfully defending her thesis on mapping areas of income-based segregation and affordable housing locations in San Francisco. Congratulations Sally!
