The Rockers Athletic Club was founded in 1976 as the city’s first female rugby club and was the brainchild of several wives and girlfriends of the local Edmonton men’s rugby clubs. During the early years of the club, players ranged in age from 16 to 28 and many were high-school students or students at NAIT and the University of Alberta. The athletic and aggressive nature of rugby was a large draw. Founding members Laura Jackson, Susan Campbell, and Marilyn Scott were local track athletes that were recruited within the first month of the inception of the club and quickly immersed themselves in the newly discovered sport. The women’s sheer athleticism transferred well into rugby. Several early Rockers were sprinters, one participating in cross country, and fellow founding member Shirley Bergland played field-hockey at a provincially competitive level.