St. Thomas University woman’s rugby team are feeling strong this year following a 36 to 17 win against University of New Brunswick during their season opener on Sept. 13.
Taylor Due scored two trys, four conversion kicks and a penalty kick, Kiaya Jordan landed two trys and co-team-captain Meghan MacEachern got one try.
“It was an awesome game, a great way to set the pace and show what we are going to do this year,” said 21-year-old MacEachern. “We were very prepared going into the game through practice and training. It was a better start than anyone could have anticipated.”
The team this year has a, “great mix of talent,” said MacEachern, through a variety of first to fourth year students with, “a high skill level and great athleticism that will make us successful this year.”
The team lost six players who graduated from STU but the new recruits, “have a ton of experience, talent and abilities,” said MacEachern.
“(The game was) awesome, (It was) really, really good! We ended up winning but UNB is going to be a tough team all season,” said Head Coach Meghan MacAfee.
“All the girls worked hard [and] stayed focused. After the game we didn’t hesitate, we got back to business.”
The team has four practice sessions per week, about an hour-and-a-half per session, plus a game or two. MacAfee plans to focus on intensity during practices.
“It’s really physical, we do a lot of contact,” said MacAfee.
Practices vary each day of the week depending where the team is scheduled between games. “We start off with a lot of heavy contact,” said MacEachern. The focus is on rucking, tackling, passing and team communication. As they get closer to a game the intensity of the practice will decrease. “[The] last day is a run through to prepare for the next game we face.”
MacEachern started playing when she was 15, after her older sister and a few friends brought her to a practice.
She is in her fourth year at STU and has been a co-team-captain since her second.
“I’m kind of a loud presence in the field,” said MacEachern.
MacAfee has been the head coach at STU for two years and has been playing since she was seven. She played through junior high, high school, university, provincial juniors and seniors, and Team New Brunswick. She still plays provincial seniors during the summer.
Last year MacAfee brought the team to the final game but lost in overtime sudden-death. “(There was) fresh snow on the ground, freezing cold, it was quite the game,” said MacAfee.
Last years team had a roster of 29 players, placing second in their division was quite the feat said MacAfeee. “The culture that we set last year is still intact.”
Both MacEachern and MacAfee say it is difficult to determine where they stand in the division until they meet all the teams on the field. But after winning their first game, and seeing the amount of talent the team shows during practice, the head coach and co-team-captain expect a good season this year.
