CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Elianne Sacher of the Harvard women's rugby team recently competed on the Israel national sevens team at the European Championships. 

Sacher, a rising senior and captain-elect for the upcoming season, represented the Crimson overseas, competing against multiple teams in Europe, where she scored a try in the game against Ukraine.

However, the chance to participate in a championship competition and represent her country meant more than just the game to Sacher. "It's an honor to represent Israel in the European Championship. My great-grandfather was a European gymnast who was unable to represent his country due to discriminatory racial laws. For me, wearing the blue and white uniform allows me to continue my family legacy and honor Jewish athletes around the world who were not afforded the same opportunities," Sacher says of her family legacy and what it meant to compete in the championship. 

Sacher will take the field alongside her Crimson teammates for ten contests in the Fall, six of them on home soil. The home opener will be played on Friday, September 8th at 7 p.m. on Mignone Field.