Rugby girls en route to provincials

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

With 20 minutes left on the clock and Foothills Composite High School narrowing in to close the gap to 10 points, the Strathmore Spartans rugby girls’ team turned their apprehension into productivity and cemented a monumental lead that awarded the team its first zone championship.
The Spartans – a combination of players from Strathmore High School, Holy Cross Collegiate, and Drumheller Composite High School – secured an early lead on May 25 and were able to perform quick steals when their opponents came back aggressively, contributing to a 49-27 win.
“We’ve kind of relied on certain aspects of our game in the past, where this time, I think, the whole team worked together to make sure they got the win,” said Jerry Flaws, Spartan rugby girls’ coach.
“It’s our first zone championship at our school for the girls, so that’s pretty exciting. We’ve come close a couple of times, there were a few seconds, but never first. So all three schools really came together to work and contribute to that win.”
Flaws had previously praised the speed of the backs and their ability to move the ball well. While he attributed their skill to winning two 7s tournaments this season, the team’s performance last week signaled an aptitude for teamwork.
In contrast to recent practices, where the team focused on individual skills, the Spartans will dedicate their practices to the team aspects of the game before heading to provincials this weekend.
“It’s a huge accomplishment, but we would still like to go into provincials and hopefully medal,” said Flaws.
“I think the speed in our backs has been amazing this year, but now we found a way to play for those hard yards inside too.”
Although the win signified the first zone championship win, a berth was given to the team in the past for hosting the provincials where they received a bronze medal.
The Spartans rugby girls’ team will head to Lethbridge to take on three teams during the provincials on June 3-4.