Julieann Challacombe
Donny Fournier is a force to fear if you’re on the other side of the line.
If you’ve been hit by her, you know exactly who she is. But if you truly know her, you know the force she plays with is driven by the one thing that keeps her going, her coaches and teammates.
The finished product you see on the field itself isn’t a cakewalk. Her days consist of constant training and football. It could be easy to bail out of the training, studying film and late nights, she said.
But as Fournier looks at the people beside her, the painstaking grind of it all ceases to matter. Every rep and clash is worth it because she gets to do it with her teammates. To her, putting in the work is like breathing. She doesn’t even have to think about it.
“My coaches and teammates make it so easy to want to fight for them,” said Fournier.
“I just play for the people next to me. They put in so much hard work that I get excited to play with them.”
For seven seasons, Fournier said, all she has focused on is being “about it” by speaking with her pads. As it turns out, her teammates and coaches were listening the whole time. Her hard work paid off in the form of a team-wide vote for captain.
“To know they have the confidence in me and my fellow captains to lead a team of this caliber, it’s an honor,” said Fournier.
Her work ethic, among many other things, is what earned her the title of captain for the Renegades 2024 season. What many people don’t know is Fournier’s history with Boston women’s football began long before she took the field as a Renegade.
The General manager of the team, Ben Brown, first came to know Fournier when she joined the New England Intensity on the sidelines as a marketing intern. Soon after, he would learn Fornier was a college rugby player at The University of New Hampshire and a hardworking, team-driven person.
As years passed, Fournier spent time finding out who she was supposed to be. Brown kept calling now and then to see if the timing would finally be right, and on one fateful day, it actually was.
“Sure enough, the 12th time’s the charm,” said Brown. “She came out to play, and the rest is history.”
Seven years later, Brown’s consistency is still proving to pay off, on the field for the Renegades and off the field for Fournier. In the 2023 season, Fournier racked up 13 tackles, 35 assisted tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
“A team of Donny’s wins 1000 to nothing from now until eternity,” said Brown. “She’s a beast, an athletic freak and an awesome person.”
Now, Fournier is on a mission to give back to the Renegades for the confidence, friendships and memories they have given her by leading this team to a 2024 championship. Or, as the team tags it, their “Blitz for Six.”
This season turns the page to a whole new chapter for both Fournier and the Renegades. As a leader, Fournier said, she and this team couldn’t be more ready for what is to come. Until it does, she’s only focused on letting the pads do the talking, and leading this team back to the pearly gates of victory.
“Every season is a different challenge,” said Fournier. “But I’m excited for it, and I know the team feels the same way.”