ATHABASCA – Edwin Parr Composite School (EPC) is ready to officially break in the new rugby season with its inaugural home opener tournament April 19.
The Predators will be joined by teams from Devon, Drayton Valley, Spruce Grove and Smokey Lake for the all-day event, which will see the squads play a round robin bracket before playoffs.
Games will start at 11 a.m., and Coach David McLenaghan said he’s hoping they’ll be able to fit three games in each hour — rugby sevens games last 14 minutes, with a one-minute intermission.
“The boys are super excited to play on their home field as this will be their first home games ever,” said McLenaghan, an RCMP constable by trade. “They are really looking forward to playing in front of their family, friends and community members. They have put in a lot of hard work learning the skills and strategy of the game and want to put that on display.”
What to expect
Sevens is a variant of rugby union which has seven players per side instead of the 15 seen in the larger game. Halves are seven minutes instead of 40 and the game is faster paced as a result; smaller scrums mean the ball is live earlier, and players have more space on the pitch which can result in higher scores.
Scoring is similar, albeit slightly different than football. A try is scored when a player touches the ball down after the try line (the endzone) and the player then attempts a drop kick at the goal posts, which counts for two points if it’s successful. Unlike football, there are no forward passes, and the ball travels across the field in a series of lateral or backwards passes.
Community Support
McLenaghan encouraged anyone interested in the game, or who has an interest in supporting local sports to show up on Friday — by his estimate, games should be running until 6 or 7 p.m.
A concession stand will be set up to help the boys fundraise for their upcoming New Brunswick trip, an initiative McLenaghan has been pushing. The fundraising goal has always been to reduce the cost as much as possible for the students, but their coach has stressed the importance of working for the funds. In addition to bottle drives, the students also acted as designated drivers during Christmas parties and ran concessions for a Theatre Athabasca production.
McLenaghan’s work with the team hasn’t gone unnoticed. Aspen View School Division board trustee for the Athabasca area Anne Karczmarczyk said she’s been inspired by his dedication to the team and to the sport, and the importance he places on unique student experiences.
“From a rural perspective, to have this opportunity to compete, to have teams come to Athabasca, and to go away and compete, it’s another outlet for kids to perform,” said Karczmarczyk.
“I’m really excited for all the hard work the organizers, coaches, and athletes have put into the event.”
