Niverville Collegiate is tackling a brand new sport this spring, launching its first rugby team—and none of it would have happened without one student’s passion.
“We had a Grade Nine girl who really made things happen,” says NCI teacher Tony Clark. “She called Rugby Manitoba and got a great coach, Sarah Duncan. She also rallied the players, and she convinced me I had time to supervise.”
Rugby is a very different animal from the school’s other sports programs, and from that fundamental difference comes a big opportunity, according to Clark.
“NCI has a great legacy for skilled athletes and teams,” he says. “But our traditional sports tend to favour a certain body type. In rugby, all you need is to be able to run and pass. It fits all shapes and sizes. There’s a position for every body type.”
Clark says that a high school rugby league has existed for decades in Winnipeg, but only recently has the sport begun to made in-roads in rural Manitoba.
There are two variations of rugby played at the high school level: 15s and 7s. Although there are several rule differences between the two, the main distinction is the size of team—either 15 players per side or seven—and the length of the matches.
The Niverville team will be playing Varsity Sevens. The fairly short games are divided into two halves of about seven minutes each.
“We will drive to Maple Grove Rugby Park for games,” says Clark. “There are no home games, because the field needs different posts and lines painted. They play three teams in one evening.”
The games will take place on Wednesdays throughout May, with the playoffs occurring on June 6. Maple Grove Rugby Park is located in south Winnipeg, down Frobisher Road near the intersection of St. Mary’s Road and the Perimeter Highway.
The Niverville team has ten committed players, and they will be up against 15 teams in the league.
Clark notes that rugby is a very physical game, and that he has a huge amount of respect for the refs, coaches, and players who take it on.
“This is most certainly tackle, just to be clear,” he says. “Big hits! I love this game. It’s one of the last places of pure gladiatorial competition. Players quickly learn deep lessons on self-control and resilience.”
Besides the physical challenge, rugby presents its players with a range of other key benefits. “Winning a game is always a high, but I really value losing a rugby game. It’s one thing to lose a game and keep your head up, it’s another thing to lose a game and get beat up, as it happens. I love how rugby is a crucible for character development—and for young people, that’s a great moment to step in and prepare them for future life experiences.”
He adds, “I really hope the girls continue with this and the program grows. It is so good to see the camaraderie, the smiles, the work ethic, the confidence. But any rugby program is only as good as its players, and we are going to need more players to keep things moving.”
