There are plenty of explanations for seeing double in scorching Calgary summer heat at high noon on Saturday.
For those at Calgary Rugby Park on July 11, the explanation was legit.
Ben and Ollie Mayo suited up for Cochrane’s Bow Valley Grizzlies. The 20-year-old, ginger-bearded giants bear a striking resemblance to each other. Being twins will do that.
Once you stopped rubbing your eyes to be sure it wasn’t an optical illusion, you were mesmerized by their textbook play despite rejoining competitive men’s rugby after almost a year off. The 6-foot-3 twin terrors were all in for Grizzlies’ 47-24 win over host Calgary Canucks in Calgary Rugby Union Second Division men’s play.
“It feels good to be back. I put off coming back,” said Ollie Mayo, who played fly half July 11 against his former club. “I didn’t do anything in the offseason. You miss an offseason, you’re going to suffer. But I needed a team and the Grizz are a great bunch of guys. Love playing with them. It’s great to be back.”
Like Ollie, Ben Mayo played for Canucks’ Second Division side last year.
“It was definitely fun. It was getting chippy at the end there. But there’s always fun and laughing behind the scenes and stuff like that,” Ben Mayo said of competing against former teammates. He was spotted at the outside centre position for Grizzlies. “It was a great challenge. I was nervous coming into the game because they are a strong team. But we just worked hard and we came out and showed what we can do.”
Part of what they can do involves empathic-like connectivity on the pitch. Playing organized rugby together for 11 years will do that for you.
“I definitely have a link-up with Ollie. If we’re playing next to each other, I don’t have to ask. I just know what he’s going to do,” Ben Mayo explained. “Just playing with him for so many years. It’s definitely easier having that.”
And they’re confident in the direction the Grizzlies are headed in the Cochrane-based team’s inaugural Second-Division men’s season.
“It’s just a great group of guys. Great teamwork,” Ollie Mayo surmised. “Obviously some stuff to work on, but that’s what practice is for. I definitely think we could go pretty far. I think we can win it.”
