A frustrating season for the Dauphin Mavericks got even more frustrating this past weekend.
The local men’s rugby side travelled to Yorkton, Saturday at the request of Sask Rugby, which reached out to Mavericks president Codi Harrigan about playing an exhibition game as part of the efforts to build a rugby program in that city.
But it was not to be.
“The team didn’t end up showing, so we just kind of hit the field there with some U18 players. They came with three players, so we didn’t really have a game,” Harrigan said, adding the trip was not a complete bust, however. “We gathered everyone and we took the opportunity to do some training.”
And that training was worthwhile as it included coaching from Jamie Cudmore a former professional rugby union player and captain of the Canadian national team, who played as a lock and as a flanker. Cudmore began his career with Capilano in B.C. He then played professionally in Wales for Llanelli and Llandovery, and in France for Grenoble, Clermont and Oyonnax.
“He was in the World Cup four or five times. Sask Rugby brought him down to do some development stuff,” Harrigan said, adding players present split into two sides and played a training game. “It was a great opportunity just to get his feedback and tap into some of his knowledge and his expertise. It was nice just making that connection.”
While the season has been difficult because Rugby Manitoba can not seem to find any competition for the Mavericks, there are still opportunities for the local club to play, with a game in Brandon scheduled for July 22, and a home game versus the Wasps set for July 29. But even that is presenting some hurdles for Harrigan.
“MARR (Manitoba Association of Rugby Referees) has pretty much said we’re on our own to find a ref, as well I don’t know why that is,” Harrigan said. “So that’s my next challenge I guess. I’m gonna make it my mission”
Harrigan is hopeful a refereeing clinic tentatively set for July 22 in Dauphin goes off as planned and adds to the pool of potential referees.
“I’m hoping we’ll have some newly-certified refs that can come to get their feet wet the weekend after,” he said. “There’s about 10 of us who did the online portion last year and we were waiting to do the clinical portion in person. They said they’d come out to Dauphin, but of course they didn’t. So we’re still after them.”
With the provincial U16 and U18 teams scheduled to play exhibition games in Dauphin July 22, it is the perfect opportunity to hold the refereeing clinic, Harrigan said.
“We’re trying to get it together for this weekend, but it just seems every road I take is a dead end,” Harrigan said, adding with Rugby Manitoba executive director Patrick Ryan stepping down, it is the perfect opportunity for the association to show it cares about rural programs.
“I would really like to see someone from rural Manitoba take that position over, because I think there’s a lot of potential outside the perimeter that just needs to get tapped into. We need to see that support from Rugby Manitoba.”
Exhibition
On July 22, exhibition games will take place at the Kinsmen Rugby Pitch at Vermillion Sportsplex between provincial U16 and U18 sides from Manitoba and Saskatchewan
The U16 girls get underway at 3 p.m. while the boys game starts at 4 p.m. On the U18 schedule the girls game starts at 5 p.m. while the boys kickoff at 6 p.m.
Local players taking part in the games include Felicity Salhuka and Paityn Bourgouin on the U13 roster along with Ben Miner, Colton MIner, Sully Fox and Kingston Stirling in the boys game.
On the U18 side Lars Gubjartson, William Miner, Rhett Thachyk, Joseph Lopez, Matt Zurba, Oliver Dandeneau and Scott Gower will compete with Manitoba’s U18 boys provincial squad. The girls roster will include Bree Walker, Brooke Miner, Chloe Fletcher, Mia Maguet, Emma Fox, Saje Marohn, Allee Hrechka, Raylyn Koshowski and Megan Thompson.
