The Bow Valley Rugby Club is sending a contingent of eight players to Toronto this week for the Canadian Rugby Championships.
AJ Mears (under-16 girls), Oscar Holbrough, Isiah Springer (under-16 boys), and Branden Mangold, Rylen Waugh, Austin Dixon, Craig de la Mare, and Brennen Bourchier (all under-18 boys) will all be testing their mettle against the toughest competition the country has to offer.
For 15-year-old Mears, it’s the pinnacle of a year where she discovered rugby and has since steadily progressed to join the elite in her age category.
“I just started playing at the end of February,” she said. “I was blown away about being picked. It’s incredible since this is such a small sport and not a lot of people know about it.
“I’m lost for words.”
Does she think her passion for the sport is something that has seen her develop her skills so quickly over such a small period of time?
“One hundred per cent,” she confirmed. “When you love something all you want to do is keep getting better. Whenever a coach told me to work on something, I would take that to heart and keep improving. It seemed to help.
She’s not the only one who has made the fast track to the big time.
Two of the U18 players, Brennan Bourchier and Austin Dixon, have both been playing rugby for less than a year. The fact the two friends made it to the main show together is something extra special, especially considering how much they’ve sacrificed.
“I’m really excited but also quite nervous,” Bourchier said. “This is the highest level a couple of us have played at. We’ve been training hard, and I feel we’re prepared.
“I just want to get to (Toronto) and play the first game, words can’t describe how humble I am about making it this far.”
Both Bourchier and Dixon distinguished themselves during the school season with the Cochrane Bears, but making the Prairie Wolfpack team (a select squad of players from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia) was never something either thought would be in the cards so soon in their careers.
“It’s crazy,” Bourchier said. “Just to be able to come out with three guys from our school shows how dedicated we are in town for this sport and how the club has helped us with building our skills to get here.”
All of the teams are going to be facing some stiff competition in Toronto, in particular from Ontario and B.C. who are traditionally rugby powerhouses in the Canadian game. Bow Valley vice-president Anthony Battistone feels his player have what it takes to do their hometown proud, in particular the U18 squad, all of whom he has coached.
“All of our U18s were starters of the Calgary Mavericks (a Calgary and area select side),” Battistone said. “Going into the Wolfpack, there’s no reason they can’t be key players.”
Ty Hawes, who is the player/coach for the Bow Valley Grizzlies, is the head coach for the U18 squad and Battistone says he knows how to get the best out of the Cochrane contingent.
“Ty knows all of these guys very well,” he said. “He’s knows what they’re capable of and what they’re not capable of. There’s no reason with his guidance these guys can’t be standouts.”
This coaching excellence that Bow Valley provides, is something Bourchier credits for his and his teammates’ success.
“I don’t think if we were at any other club or school program we would have stuck with it this long,” he admitted. “If Austin or I had a bad school year, we would have probably quit, but thankfully it didn’t happen that way.”
The Cochrane players are walking into the unknown, never having faced any of the teams or having seen of any of the players they will be lining up against at the tournament, but that sense of mystery adds to the adventure and doesn’t shake the firm belief any of them have in their abilities for one minute.
“I’m expecting to play some good rugby,” Mears said. “I love my team, they’re all great girls. The other provinces are a lot different than us. We’re the small and fast side, so I expect to go have a good time and hopefully win.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by her U18 counterpart.
“I’ve heard all of the other teams are good, but I don’t see why we can’t finish in the top three,” Bourchier said. “We’re striving for first.”
