Rugby tourney fast approaching

TIMES FILE PHOTO BY TREVOR BUSCH

By Greg Price
Taber Times
gprice@tabertimes.com

W.R. Myers Rebels girls rugby program has some spring its step as it prepares to host its April Thaw Tournament April 7-8. for the varsity team.

“There are local teams and teams coming from Calgary and Red Deer also,” said Hamish Elrick, a coach with the junior varsity girls rugby team. “We did lose a lot of influential seniors last year (to graduation), but the program is still looking pretty strong. There are a number of girls stepping up to fill the gaps with the girls we lost.”

Teams have been settled in tryouts of who will play varsity and who will play junior varsity, but Elrick encourages any of the younger girls who want to give rugby a try to attend W.R. Myers field for practices during the week starting at 4 p.m. to give it a try.

“This year there seems to be not as much interest. The more the merrier for us. Even if girls have never played before, they can come out to the practices and train, especially in the JV program” said Elrick of students as young as Grade 7 to train with the JV team, where match play is reserved for Grade 9-11 students for the JV team.

The first regular-season match of the season goes April 12 at Chinook in Lethbridge with varsity at 5:30 p.m. and junior varsity at 6:45 p.m. W.R. Myers home opener is April 25 against LCI, with varsity at 5:30 p.m. and junior varsity to follow at 6:45 p.m.

“The girls were provincial champions in Tier III last year, so we are looking to continue that success and to keep growing the program,” said Elrick.