Cowichan and Frances Kelsey Secondary Schools are both light on numbers for boys’ rugby programs this season so it’s been decided there will be a School District 79 rugby team to represent Chemainus, Lake Cowichan, Frances Kelsey and Cowichan Secondarys.
It’s considered a great alternative to not running boys’ rugby programs at those schools at all this spring, Boys from all four schools are welcome to be a part of the program and no previous rugby experience is necessary.
The plan is to develop a senior (Grade 11-12) team, a Junior (grades 8 to 10) team and introduce all of these boys to the sport of rugby.
“The teams will play a number of games this spring throughout the Island and hope to enter the Scrum Fest rugby tournament hosted by Claremont Secondary School in Victoria,” noted Kenton McNutt, president of Cowichan Junior Rugby. “We are hoping to secure sponsorship from within the four communities of these schools and throughout the Cowichan region so we can outfit the players in new uniforms that represent our new regional school team.”
Training occurs at Cowichan Secondary School Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Start times are flexible for players having to travel and the intent is to host home games at all four high schools this spring, provided the facilities are available.
Head coaches are Tom Fogarty of Cowichan Secondary and Craig Schmidt of Frances Kelsey. They are supported by the Cowichan Rugby Club’s Junior and Senior members lending their expertise in coaching and development of players.