CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – It’s not an official festival, but Saturday has a palooza of Rugby Nova Scotia senior action on tap anyway.
Four games chew up the afternoon at Co-op Field in Charlottetown beginning with the Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (CRFC) hosting the Truro Saints in women’s Tier B action at noon. Both are teams 3-2.
For Craig Inward, who helps coach the CRFC Tier A and B teams along with James Voye and Sumara Profit, seeing the first-year side better than .500 is satisfying but the real triumph has so far been what the Tier B side provides.
“It’s less about the results, those are a happy bonus, than developing the team,” said Inward, who doubles as the president of the P.E.I. Rugby Union. “It’s more about giving the opportunity to get as many players as possible to play the game.”
The Tier B matchup spearheads a full day on the pitch. Game 1 is followed by the Tier A-leading CRFC (6-0) facing the Halifax RFC (2-4), at 2 p.m., as the CRFC aims to chalk up its second straight undefeated regular season. Last year, it rode that momentum to a perfect record and Tier A title.
At 4 p.m., the P.E.I. Mudmen men’s second division side (2-0) tangles with Riverlake (2-3) in a tight second circuit matchup. The Halifax Tars (4-0-1) lead the loop with 23 points, followed by Eastern Shore (4-2, 21 points) in second. Then it’s Caledonia (15 points), Riverlake and Pictou County, each with 11 points, and the Mudmen (10 points) in third through sixth, respectively. Playoffs are a month away and the Mudmen have four games in five weeks and, with a good run, has a shot at home-field advantage in the post-season.
The Mudmen division one side (5-0) ends the day with an Maritime Elite League tussle versus the Belleisle Rovers (0-0). Kickoff is 6 p.m.
P.E.I. is 0-1 in the league, which includes the Saint John Trojans, the Fredericton Loyalists and Belleisle from New Brunswick, and Halifax Tars and Enfield from Nova Scotia. The Mudmen lost to the Loyalists 22-20 in last year’s Caledonia Cup Maritime final.
In its inaugural season, the CRFC Tier B side opened with two losses then earned victories over Riverlake and the Dartmouth PigDogs before benefitting from a recent Pictou County forfeit which moved it into a second-place tie with Pictou County, Truro and the Tars.
Home-field advantage for the post-season could happen, despite CRFC’s minus points for-points against ratio (100-188), if it wins today and gets some help along the way. What might help is CRFC’s defeats came against first-place Windsor (3-1) and the fourth-place Tars (3-2).
Regardless, Inward likes what he’s seen from the squad and is optimistic about a playoff spot as the season winds down.
“We’ve had great numbers in practice, great coaching from James and Sumara, and the girls are working together. Dissension is not part of the club,” said Inward. “We have a (nice) combination of a good number of players, good talent and a lot of heart. Put those things together and you’re going to have good result.”
Need to know
Schedule for the Ruby Nova Scotia senior men’s and women’s games today at Co-op Field in Charlottetown.
Women’s Tier B
Noon – Truro Saints (3-2) vs. Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (3-2).
Women’s Tier A
2 p.m. – Halifax RFC (2-4) vs. Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (6-0).
Men’s division two
4 p.m. – Riverlake (2-3) vs. P.E.I Mudmen (2-0).
Men’s Maritime Elite League
6 p.m. – Belleisle (0-0) vs. P.E.I. Mudmen (0-1).
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A quick look at the P.E.I. teams in the Rugby Nova Scotia senior men’s and women’s leagues.
Men
Maritime Elite League – P.E.I. Mudmen, 0-1, third place, 33-41, remaining games: vs. Belleisle and Saint John.
Division One – P.E.I. Mudmen, 5-0, first place, 285-58 points for-points against, remaining games: at Enfield and Halifax RFC.
Division Two – P.E.I. Mudmen, 2-0, sixth place, 72-36, remaining games: vs. Riverlake, at Truro, vs. Caledonia, at Enfield and at Halifax Tars.
Women
Tier A – Charlottetown Rugby Football Club, 6-0, first place, 316-177 points for-points against, remaining game: vs. Halifax RFC.
Tier B - Charlottetown Rugby Football Club, 3-2, four-way tie for second place, 100-188, remaining game: vs. Truro.
Source: www.rugbyns.ns.ca.
