Rugby players of all ages are hitting the pitch in Cold Lake.
The Cold Lake Penguins Rugby Club, which was founded in 1990, has teams of all ages competing. According to president Sean Verheyde, the club has seen growth in their junior groups.
The U13 boys are sitting at around 12 athletes, while the U13 girls are at about 10 players. In the U15 group, there are 15 girls signed up to play and eight boys. In previous years, the Penguins only had a U17 team that practiced and competed in a couple of tournaments.
In order to meet the 15 player requirement for games, the U13 and U15 groups play together.
When it comes to picking a sport to play during the warmer months, Verheyde believes younger athletes turn to rugby because “there’s a spot for everybody.”
Starting in April, teams hit the field to face-off against groups from Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, and Lashburn.Unfortunately on the senior side for the club, the numbers aren’t as good. There are currently six men registered for the senior team, and the women only had enough players to form a tournament team.
”The last two seasons, (the senior men’s team) have joined with the Lloydminster Reapers,” Verheyde explained.
In hopes of attracting more players to the sport, the Penguins will be hosting a Super Saturday at the new turf field at the Energy Centre on Saturday, July 27. It will feature activities and drills to teach attendees about rugby.
”We go to these big clubs in Edmonton, they have these U5 programs for little kids and we want to try and grow rugby in the community, so that in the future, when these young rugby players are 17 and 18-years-old, or even young adults, they can come and have more numbers for a senior men and women team,” he detailed.
The event kicks off at 10 a.m., and will feature rookie events for boys and girls from five to 12-years-old.
Two games will be happening of touch rugby for anyone 13-years-old and above. Everyone is welcome to attend.
To finish the day off, the senior men’s team will be taking on the Strathcona Druids at 2 p.m.
Although rugby has a reputation for being a dangerous sport, Verheyde believes it’s an enjoyable past time.
He continued, “You’re more likely to get hurt playing hockey or football because you have all the extra equipment. In rugby, all you’re really wearing is... a pair of boots, a pair of shorts, and that’s it, at least for the men. They’ve got to get up on Monday morning and they’ve got to go to work. They’re going to hit you, yes, and you’re going to feel it, but they’re not out there to kill or injure you. They’re just out there to have fun.”
For more information, visit coldlakerugby.ca.
