A natural leader, Ali was president of her college team before joining the Lexington Black Widows, where she served on the board in many capacities including holding the team's longest tenure as president. In 2023, Ali became a full member of the Gypsy Rugby Club, a select traveling rugby team. A fierce competitor and teammate, Ali was most well known for having the strongest stiff arm on the pitch, then being the first to welcome you to the social.

When COVID-19 prevented in-person rugby gatherings, Ali took to Facebook and became a founding member of "QC4QR", or "Quarantined Chuggers 4 Qualified Ruggers". Initially a fun way for teammates to socialize during the earliest days of lockdown, the group rapidly expanded and became a bastion of the rugby community and mental health resources.

The Widows organized a GoFundMe campaign to ensure a proper send-off to our former president, teammate, and friend. Our goals were met and exceeded in true rugby fashion, allowing us to establish the Ali Crane Memorial Fund for new rugby players in Kentucky. Shannyn Drummond currently manages the fund. Please direct questions to lexwidowsrugby@gmail.com.