Grade 9 Rugby 1

31 December 2013Shane Thompson

From day one the emphasis for the Grade 9 rugby team was to have fun, enjoy being part of a team, and to learn the game of rugby. It did not take long for this group of internationally-flavored individuals (who knew very little about rugby) to transform into a team. The boys soaked up as much information about rugby as they could and seemed to enjoy the bus trips, practices, games, and spending time together as much as any group I have been a part of. We focused on fitness, ball-handling skills, decision-making, tackling technique, team strategy and, of course, doing it all while having fun. The athletes learned multiple positions during the season as well as playing lots of games against other schools. The season started off with a surprisingly strong showing in the exhibition game against Shawnigan Lake School followed by a few wins versus Mulgrave and a touring side, Crossely Heath, which was a very good display of rugby that showed signs of the potential these boys have. The team also had some tough loses during the season in the SMUS 7s tournament & against St Georges School, but these were a great learning experience as, despite the score, these boys never quit, showing grit right to the end. We finished off the season on a high note with a much-deserved win versus Mulgrave, which made for a fantastic bus ride home. More important than the wins and loses is that all of these boys have been bitten by the rugby bug and have the passion for the sport, to be a part of a team, and to learn more about the game of rugby. Mr. Shane Thompson, Coach

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