Success isn’t limited to the scoreboard—just ask Tess Feury. The Denville native has mastered the art of excelling both on and off the field, proving that female athletes don’t have to choose between their passion for sports and thriving careers. As both a rugby champion and pediatric nurse, Feury embodies the balance of athletic excellence and professional ambition, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
Her achievements on the field speak for themselves, showcasing the dedication and talent that have driven her success. Some of her many accomplishments include high school rugby player of the year; captain of USA Women’s Youth Olympic Team; Collegiate All-American; and Big 10 Rugby Freshman of the Year. In 2017, Feury was selected for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and was nominated multiple times for the MA Sorenson Award – one of the most prestigious awards in rugby.
Feury’s journey, however, began long before the championships and titles—rooted in a childhood love for rugby that started at an early age. “Rugby is pretty unique. At the youth level, it’s coed. When I was five years old, I was running around with the boys,” Feury said.
By high school, co-ed rugby was no longer an option because of its physical, contact-driven nature. With the help of her father, Feury founded the Morris Rugby Girls High School team. “Right from the beginning, I’ve had to create my own opportunities,” she noted.
Rugby is often seen as a male-dominated sport, but that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. “The first women’s rugby world cup was in 1991, so women have been playing this sport for a long time! People forget to open their eyes and look at it,” Feury clarified.
Despite the opportunities available, female rugby players, unlike their male counterparts, aren’t paid a living wage. “I work my 9-5 hours and then I train for rugby in between. It’s this special balancing act that I’ve learned. It’s definitely challenging, but it’s a challenge I wouldn’t change.”
“I think my on-field performance helps my career in nursing and my nursing career teaches me things on the field. The combination of the two has made me a better person, a better nurse and a better player.”
Offering some advice, Feury opined, “At the end of the day, we all spend way too long chasing someone else’s approval, whether that’s a boss, a coach, or a parent. I try to make myself proud and my teammates proud before anyone else and I think that’s what makes me a strong leader. If I can make myself proud, then I’ll be able to work and lead the people next to me.”
Women’s sports teams have been gaining popularity in recent years, and Feury has her own perspective on that.
“I always say with female sports, the grass is greener where you water it. We’re here, we’re working every day to put our performance in, but we need that help from the community and our fans and our sponsors to be able to keep our grass alive – we don’t want this to just be a blink of fame for women’s sports. We want it to keep growing and that’s really going to come from the fans [and the] little girls being inspired and wanting to be their favorite player when they grow-up.”
As for the little girls who may aspire to be like Feury, she suggests, “Anyone who wants to be in these shoes, it’s 100 percent worth it, every single challenge and every single up and down is worth it to get to the moment where you can make yourself proud and you can make the teammate next to you proud. Take every opportunity and if there isn’t an opportunity, create your own. It’ll be worth it.”
for pull quote on page 4:
"I always say with female sports, the grass is greener where you water it. We want it to keep growing."