Rugby Player with an Ostomy Aiming for the World Cup

Came across an inspiring article about Cass Bargell, a U.S. rugby player who has an ostomy. She's been open about her journey and is now aiming to play in the upcoming Rugby World Cup. Her motto is “No colon, still rollin',” and she's using her platform to spread awareness and show that having an ostomy doesn't mean giving up on big goals.

It's always great to see stories like this where someone proves that life with an ostomy can still be active, competitive, and full of possibilities.

Here's the full piece if you'd like to read it:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/20/no-colon-still-rollin-cass-bargell-us-scrum-half-and-ostomy-advocate-sets-sights-on-world-cup

Love this! Not only is she an inspiration, but her openness helps to remove the stigma from having a bag... or two in my case. 🤣

Thanks for sharing.

That's great. It's neat she is willing to share her journey with the world. And to show that you can still dream big and do great things even if you have a bag.

She's quite a light. I admire her courage, openness, and tenacity.

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Can be done

I played for 17 seasons from the age of 30

Only low-level local rugby, but fantastic for me as I thought my whole life was over, never mind my sporting life

Vanity handicaps many — glad you didn't see yourself as handicapped. I have friends who will wear eyeglasses in private but never in public. Another friend is ashamed to wear a hearing aid, would attend meetings, and barely know what is going on. My mom refuses to use a cane because it would make her look old. Artificial limbs, ostomies, etc. are all designed to enable us to continue functioning. I have a colostomy, wear eyeglasses, and often use a cane. I want to be able to see, walk without pain, and have a pain-free bowel movement. When I first got glasses, they made me extremely sick, but I adjusted — often called 4-eyes as a taunt during my youth. I had to learn to use a cane in the hand opposite my injured side — being perceived as crippled brings out kindness, even from strangers. I have learned to manage my colostomy. I enjoy my life and am quite appreciative of assistive devices.

Great to hear! I've had mine for 50 years, and I would have died if I didn't have it. I have been living a full life and doing whatever I want and traveling all around the world, too. The best thing is to keep a good attitude and be thankful.

Love this! Thank you for sharing!

Very inspirational!

Such an inspiration and a matter of pride for us ostomates.

Fantastic, what an inspiration!

I think he's a she, marecat. The Women's World Rugby Cup is on at the moment; a handful of matches are being played in my city, but the tickets are selling for £1,250, so I have to pass. What a brave woman she is.

Some of the matches are being played in my home city, but the handful of tickets still available starts at £1,250 each, so I have to suffice with TV. This woman is amazing.

Rob Hill is another ostomate inspiration. He climbed the 7 highest summits after his surgery and after that went on to be a climbing guide. He said he had it better than others in a high climb as they had to drop their drawers to defecate and he just whipped out his bag and didn't have to bear his bum. He is one of my personal heroes.

I totally agree! I can't even believe how she does it! I read that article with complete awe!

Wow! I will definitely look at his story. Thank you. That's amazing!

How inspiring! Thanks so much for sharing! Still rolling! My new go-to motto!

Wow!!! What position do you play? None of them are impact-free anyway. That's really impressive, Waingap! I've been watching since my earliest memories; my mom was a fanatic. It's a religion in South Africa, as you probably know.