Two athletic sections of St. Thomas University ecently made a huge step forward.
After their second consecutive title in the ACAA division, STU women’s rugby team has been officially placed in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS).
This conference is part of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) which involves teams from all over the country. Joining the rugby team in the AUS is St. Thomas’ track and field team.
The track and field team has been used as a training program for cross-country in recent years. Now that the team has reached a more competitive level, the expectations will be higher. With track and field now running with more on the line, the Tommies will be expected to show their progression.
They will be in a division competing against teams from all over the Atlantic regions, including cross-campus rivals the University of New Brunswick and l’Universite de Moncton.
With rugby’s popularity soaring over the last few years, the women’s rugby team made great strides and now find themselves making the same step up as the track and field team.
With five of the seven competitive rugby teams in Fredericton winning championships this fall, the STU women were one of only a few to be part of back-to-back championships. The ACAA title was the last one for the STU ladies for the time being as they now are officially on the hunt for a national championship.
What this means for the team is not only a growth in skill and competition, but a growth for rugby in New Brunswick. Coach Sherry Doiron and Fly-Half Hannah Davies saw the recent news as encouragement for women’s rugby and a good sign of things to come in this part of the country.
“We are the only CIS women’s rugby program in the province so we have to take advantage of that,” Doiron said.
While the general vibe amongst players was excitement, Doiron was aware of the conference change and waited for the most appropriate time to make every one of his players aware. However, there was no better time to celebrate the news than after a successful defense of the ACAA banner.
It appears to be a well set up program and Hannah Davies agrees. “We owe most of our success to Sherry, and I think the team will agree with me on that.”
It appears the team is in good hands with a respected coach who’s in control of discipline and team chemistry.
By the same token Sherry said “the attitude and commitment of the players, as well as trusting me that I’m not crazy,” is what she relies on for her success. A good balance between players and coaches is always a long-term advantage, and everyone seems to be on the same page.
Both Davies and Doiron are aware of the task that lies ahead. With support from fans, alumni and the athletics department, the goal for the Tommies is to stay patient and focus on quality rugby.
“If we stay committed, and keep our work ethic high, it won’t matter what the competition does. Every player has as much of a role as the next on our team,” Davies said.
