Second Term Rugby

Every year, the population of the rugby team dips slightly in the winter training season. Some athletes go to the comforts of an inside sport like basketball or squash, but there is always a fierce core of dedicated rugby players who stick with the program through every season.  Second term rugby is not for the faint of heart. The boys rugby squad walks ten minutes to “B” field every day in cold weather and inclement conditions. This year there has been much more Canadian-like weather than we are used to below the 49th parallel, with a few intense snow storms temporarily altering the team’s practices. These whiteout conditions, however, could never halt the rugby team’s development. Whether they were running up and down the stairs in the Ross building or playing touch rugby in a foot of snow, the team’s persistence always overcame the bad weather. During these winter practices the focus is not on game strategy, rather it is on basic rugby skills for forwards and backs, with a fitness at the end. It is on these cold days that the players perfect their rucking, passing, and tackling. These drills are thought up by the dedicated coaching staff who are the first to arrive to every practice, and the last to leave. All the rugby team’s hard work in less than ideal conditions merited time to play hard too. It was this attitude that led to some days of touch competitions, American football games, and even a trip to the Duncan Aquatic Centre - activities that helped keep morale high. As the rugby competitive season fast approaches, the Brentwood boys’ team will have much of its success thanks to these gruelling winter sessions. The Senior Boys will play their first game of the season against Saint Michael's University School tomorrow. Keiran MH, Rogers ‘17