A team of Williams Lake girls will put its skills to the test early next month at the two-week-long Edmonton International Sevens after a long stint away from contact rugby due to the pandemic.
Training for the Williams Lake squad — made up of 12 high school girls rugby players from grades 10 through 12 — began at the beginning of August.
Longtime Lake City Secondary School rugby coach and teacher Morley Wilson, who retired from teaching at the end of the 2021 school year, will be at the helm, and said he expects strong competition at the tournament, which will see Williams Lake play games from Sept. 3-5.
“This past year we played fall and spring flag rugby, which kept the girls up on their passing skills and kept an interest in the game,” Wilson said. “So far practice has been good. The girls are excited.
“We’re focusing on contact and decision making after contact. It’s a small group of girls and they’re super keen and working hard, so pretty awesome.”
Normally hosted in May, the Edmonton International Sevens is an annual event featuring not only youth teams, but also men’s and women’s divisions, as well as an old boys and gals division and a three versus three dodgeball tournament.
At the tournament, the team will be competing in the U18 sevens division. The competition will see Williams Lake play a minimum of three games, plus knockout stages if successful in pool play matches.
“We’ve got five Grade 12s and seven Grade 10s, but we’re in the same boat as everyone else (in terms of competition over the past year),” he said. “So we’ll see what happens.”
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Grace Turner (left) and Joelle Thurow work a ball release drill following a tackle. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Players listen to instruction during practice. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Hailey-Anne Dunbar (left) and Shailynn Brommit work a tackling drill. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
(Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Erika Heimlich hops over Shantii Lamoureaux during a possession drill at practice. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Shantii Lamoureaux (bottom left) and Joelle Thurow hoist Erika Heimlich (left) and Shailynn Brommit in a lineout drill. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Ila Watson takes possession after a lineout. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Ila Watson takes possession after a lineout. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Ivy Watson looks to gain possession and to make a dash up field after a lineout during practice. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Grace Turner (left) looks to tackle Ivy Watson. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Ila Watson (left), Grace Turner and Joelle Thurow. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Ivy Watson (from left), Grace Turner and Joelle Thurow. (Greg Sabatino photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
