Cass Bargell has suffered from surgery and the loss of her colon. However, that has not slowed her down.
Cassidy “Cass” Bargell may not be from New England, but she has been representing us since college. Bargell was born in Silverthorne, Colorado. Bargell started playing rugby in the 8th grade. Ever since then, she knew it was what she was meant to do. She went to college at Harvard University and now plays for the Boston Banshees.
At Harvard, she became a co-captain in her senior year and had six tries during the 7s season. Three of those tries were scored at the Ivy 7s, and the other three were scored during the National Championships. She helped lead the 7s team to the Ivy 7s title. During this season, she earned the NIRA All-Academic Team honors. Now, Bargell plays for the Boston Banshees as a scrumhalf. She had her debut game in March 2024. However, her athleticism and commitment to the sport aren’t why girls should look up to her.
When she was 21, Bargell suffered from ulcerative colitis. This is an inflammatory bowel disease. During this time, she lost her colon. On her social media, she is very open about her journey. She now has an ostomy bag, and through all these adversities, she continues to play rugby and shows up when she is needed.
Bargell has been featured in many stories, one of which was TedxBoston. Her story was called “No Colon: Still Rollin’,” where she not only shared her story, but also a video where she added clips of herself during the time of surgery. She had a huge setback, but continues to play and even played in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Bargell isn’t just a player to look up to because of her talent. She perseveres through struggles and shows others that a setback doesn’t mean you can’t play the sport you love.