It’s going to be a big year for the Jasper Junior/Senior High School rugby program.
Not only has a girls team finally come together, but the boys team is poised to challenge for a berth in the provincial playoffs.
According to Coach Marshall Corbett, this year is a high point for the program. Along with the 12 players that will form the new girls squad, 30 players have collectively signed up for the boys junior and senior teams.
The participation rate, the new equipment and the positive attitude on the field has Corbett eagerly anticipating the start of the season.
“With the all new sports budget through the new school, we’ve got brand new balls, brand new jerseys, new scrum machine—everything’s just coming together.”
He said that after five years of trying, he’s excited that there was enough momentum to start a girls squad. Each year a few girls have expressed interest, but never enough to form a full team. But things finally came together this year with some real enthusiasm from Grade 10 students.
“The program is growing, and our girls are really stoked on it: they’re really excited. No one’s ever played before, but they’re picking it up well.”
Crimson Derbowka and Hope Deagle are two of the girls on the newly formed team. They both say the team is “awesome,” and they can’t wait for the season to begin.
Derbowka said she thinks things finally came together this year because there was more promotion and acceptance of the idea that rugby is a sport for both boys and girls.
And why are more girls finally accepting that and joining the team?
“We want to beat people up,” she said with a playful grin.
Derbowka said that she’s not sure what to expect from the team’s first season, but that there is real potential for them to make an impact.
On the other hand, Deagle said that she looks at the first few games of the season more of an excuse to have fun than anything else, and the team’s chemistry should help them along.
“I think it’s going to go great because we’re all really tight,” she said.
While the girls establish their team, Corbett said the senior boys team finally has a chance to make it to provincials. A combination of good leadership and an abundance of Grade 12 players have put Jasper in the running—a position the team is not usually in.
“We’re the strongest we’ve ever been. The mentality is really high, we’ve got some new players that are really into it, and some strong leaders,” Corbett said.
One of those leaders is Zach Maludzinski, who has been playing rugby since he was in Grade 8. Now in Grade 12, he said the team is firing on all cylinders.
“I think it’s one of our better years. We have a good couple of teams forming, and we stand a chance of making it to provincials.
“We’ve got a lot of guys, and a lot of commitment. And there’s guys that have been playing for a long time, with a lot of experience too.
“There’s good sense of teamwork. It’s like a brotherhood almost.”
Trevor Nichols
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