Rugby kickoff

Times Reporter   

 

Strathmore High School Spartans are at it again for boys and girls rugby, with practices that began Feb. 25 at Wheatland School. 

Roughly 25 players took part in drills, and more are expected to join as practices progress towards the season’s start date in April.

“We worked on ball handling, and introduced a little bit of tackling,” girls coach Jerry Flaws said. Both he and boys coach Brad Steele lost in rugby semi-finals last season at Zones.

“This year the girls are shooting for at least second at zones,” Flaws said.

Flaws mentioned he and the squad will need to work harder this season to achieve such, but also that his girls are a little more skilled for 2014.

“We’re a stronger team, and we’ll definitely work on the stuff we need to work on to get us there,” he said.

Eventually, both boys’ and girls’ squads will have rosters of roughly 30. Flaws has approximately 15 returning players, including nine veteran starters.

“Most of them will see game action. Actually all of them will, throughout the season,” Flaws said of his Grade 10, 11 and 12 mixture. Their biggest competition, he believes, will be Holy Trinity Academy and Springbank.

“They just have some unreal talent, and big teams too – big numbers,” he said.

Many rookies are projected to make the girls and boys rugby teams as well, as some previous Crowther Memorial students – who have participated in tournaments – try their hand at high school rugby.

“We have a whole crew of new 10’s coming in this year,” Flaws said. “Working with Crowther’s rugby has definitely helped us.”