CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A full day of rugby is set for today at Co-op Field.
There’s two women’s and two men’s Nova Scotia rugby league games between noon and 8 p.m. The day begins with the rookie jamboree at 9 a.m. in Charlottetown.
“The whole concept is starting rugby at the grassroots,” Hunter’s Ale House Mudmen president Phil Gallant said of the rookie program.
For many years, players wouldn't get exposed to the sport until they were teenagers in high school. Members of the Mudmen and Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (CRFC) women help run the program
“These kids now know what rugby is at that young age and they aspire to want to keep playing rugby,” Gallant said. “We’re hoping they look up to us and the CRFC girls and want to be part of one of those teams someday.”
The CRFC women’s division 1 squad (3-2) plays the Halifax Rugby Football Club (HRFC) at noon and the division 2 team (1-2) plays Truro at 4 p.m.
CRFC’s division 1 squad was forced to forfeit a game last weekend as many of its players also play with the P.E.I. Abbies super league squad, which was preparing to play Quebec for a berth in the nationals. The qualifier was called off the day before the game as another qualifier in western Canada was cancelled giving the Abbies and Quebec automatic berths into next week’s nationals.
Today will be their last game before the semifinal at the nationals in Markham, Ont.
“They’re really excited to get a game in for sure,” head coach James Voye said.
There will be a number of familiar faces in the Halifax lineup including Islander Tessa O’Donnell, former CRFC and UPEI Panther Holly Jones and current Panther Brinten Comeau.
Voye is expecting a good division 2 game with a loyal Truro squad, which CRFC defeated in the semifinal a year ago.
“I noticed a big improvement from them last year and thought that they made some big steps,” he said.
The Mudmen division 1 squad (1-1) meets HRFC at 2 p.m. while the division 2 squad (4-0) plays the Truro Saints in the finale beginning at 6 p.m.
Mike Lloyd, one of the Mudmen’s four coaches, said the Mudmen’s first division squad is getting healthier after some guys played a number of physical games at the end of the super league season with the Abbies.
Gallant said the club has had 23 rookies this season, which has helped fill some holes created by injuries.
“They’re all fast, dynamic, exciting players to watch,” he said.
There will be a fundraiser for the Abbies tonight at The Factory from 7-10 p.m.
Schedule
A look at today’s rugby schedule at Co-op Field for the Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (CRFC) women’s squads and the Hunter’s Ale House Mudmen teams.
9-11 a.m. – Rookie rugby jamboree with the young players from across the province.
Noon – CRFC vs. Halifax Rugby Football Club (HRFC), division 1.
2 p.m. – Mudmen vs. HRFC, division 1.
4 p.m. – CRFC vs. Truro, division 2.
6 p.m. – Mudmen vs. Truro, division 2.
