DD did crew 1st semester as a Plebe. She thought the coaches and her teammates were great, but she ended up having a conflict with another activity, and so did not continue crew. She knew Mids on all of the crew teams (women's, men's lightweight, and men's heavyweight) who had never rowed before I-day.
We also know Mids on women's rugby. It is a great club team which has excellent camaraderie. Rugby travels a lot. This year, they traveled to tournaments over many weekends, and over spring break, the team went to England to play several teams there. While these are outstanding opportunities, if you (or your Plebe) joins such an active club team, be certain that your time management skills are really well honed. That particular team travels almost as much as the various varsity teams.