Something that may surprise readers is that Fredericton has a rich history of rugby. After restrictions were placed upon the sport during WW2 and it inevitably died out, rugby was later revitalized. Its first start in Fredericton was at CFB Gagetown and the beginning of rugby in our own Leo Hayes High School began in Spring of 2001. Over the years, Leo has produced many players who moved onto the University level as well as national level programs.
Just like many sports and social activities around the world, rugby was harshly impacted by the corona virus outbreak. For a long time, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding whether it would ever start up again the way it was before lockdown. That is why coaches and players alike are so excited to begin a new (hopefully more normal) rugby season. Our school’s coaches are of course going to take the events of these past few years into consideration. “We’re all coming out of Covid so our fitness levels may not be where they used to be,” said Mr. Edwards, coach of our school's rugby team and the president of the Fredericton Loyalists Rugby Club, a public community-based rugby league in Fredericton.
The coaches are ecstatic to share that non-contact introduction sessions will take place on March 22nd, March 29th, and April 1st. Soon, they will start out on the field and begin introducing contact sessions. Training sessions will cover the basic parts of the game such as how to tackle properly, how to ruck properly, how to scrum, how to maul, as well as understanding key terms like the ones just listed.
If you are planning to try out for the team, our coaches have recommended some ways to prepare, “Just like every sport, go for a run or two [...] maybe do some pushups, […] simple body weight exercises,” was the advice offered by Mr. Edwards. He also shared with us that they are planning to ease back into it since everyone’s bodies will need time to get used to playing again.
Even if you have no experience in the sport, the coaches encourage you to come to the meets and contact them if you’re at all interested. Again, the first few non-contact sessions will take place on March 22nd, March 29th, and April 1st. The boy’s sessions take place at 4:00PM and the girl's sessions take place at 5;30PM. Contact Mr. Wilson (room number E-104), or Mr. Edwards (room number E-108) for more details!