Rugby rookie Nelles speaks of about life off the field

Rookie Marauder Cindy Nelles achieved about as much as one could hope in a freshman season. She racked up 99 total points in her first campaign in Maroon and Grey, and was subsequently named as the OUAs Rookie of the Year as a result. Sil Sports’ Maggie Cogger-Orr catches up with the rookie to discuss rugby, video games and dance moves.

Maggie Cogger-Orr:  What made you decide to come to McMaster?
Cindy Nelles: Mainly because it had the program I was interested in (Engineering) and a great rugby program. The facilities also were a big part of what drew me in. Also seemed like the place I would fit in the best. It was the place to be.

MC-O: Obviously you’re only in first year but what so far has been your favourite rugby memory at Mac?
CN: Probably training camp. A bunch of things stick out, ranging from meeting all the other rookies to dropping a weight on my toe in the first two days and having my coach think I was completely stupid. The trip to CIS nationals with the whole team was also a great time.

MC-O: Do you have any pre-match rituals?
CN: I mostly just try to do the same thing I do every morning, eat my regular bowl of cereal. I also like to be by myself for a bit before a game, thinking about game goals.

MC-O: Who’s your favourite international rugby team to cheer for (other than Canada)?
CN: I guess England for the women’s game, I really like watching Maggie Alphonsi [England’s open side flanker] play. For men’s rugby I don’t really have a favourite, I just like watching quality rugby, although I guess I was cheering for New Zealand during this year’s World Cup.

MC-O: Do your teammates have a nickname for you?
CN: One of the vets started calling me Snelles (pronounced snell-es) which is basically just my first initial and my name...I don’t really know how it started. I’m also called ‘greyhound puppy’ by one of our captains along with Tash [Natasha Turner] because we’re both tall and lanky and tend to goof around together and wrestle.

MC-O:  Do you have any pet peeves?
CN: When people sit around you in a lecture and they start speaking to each other in a language other than English and they operate as though they can’t be heard just because they are speaking another language. When people can clearly hear them! Or people who play Tetris in class on their laptops ahead of me. I have Tetris A.D.D. and I get so distracted.

MC-O: What’s your perfect Subway sandwich?
CN: Ham sub on brown bread, with lettuce, cucumbers, pickles, green peppers and mustard.

MC-O:  If you could only have one video game to play for the rest of your life what would it be?
CN: I feel like I’d have to go with Tetris.

MC-O: That doesn’t really count. I mean like Nintendo or Playstation.
CN: Oh okay. Definitely Super Smash Brothers then. Only for the Nintendo 64 though.

MC-O:  What’s the top played song on your iPod lately?
CN: Well I don’t actually own an iPod but the songs I’ve been listening to a lot lately are probably ‘Take Care’ by Drake or ‘Starship’ by Nicki Minaj.

MC-O: What’s your favourite pump up song for before a game?
CN: I don’t really listen to a whole lot of music before games but if I do, it’s got to be Eminem.

MCO: What’s your favourite type of drink?
CN: Chocolate Milk

MC-O: When you were in elementary school what did you want to be when you grew up?
CN: I wanted to be a vet since I was in kindergarten, but then I realized you had to spend all day with sick animals and I reconsidered.

MC-O:  If you were a dance move what would you be? Like the running man or the sprinkler.
CN: The awkward white girl dance.

MC-O: How would you describe that to our readers?
CN: Basically it’s awkwardly swaying to the music with various hand movements and clapping.

MC-O:  What was the last book you read (for non academic purposes)?
CN: Over Christmas I read Paper Towns, which was pretty good. In the near future though, I really want to jump on the Hunger Games bandwagon and read those books.

MC-O: If you could have any super power what would it be?
CN: That’s so easy. Teleportation obviously!

MC-O:  What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
CN: It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get up. And that if you keep working eventually you’ll get what you want.