Local rugby players got a chance to showcase their talent at home this weekend in a province-wide tournament in St. Albert.
The Alberta Regional Championships, a major event in the province's youth rugby community, took place from June 30th to July 2nd at Riel's St. Albert Rugby Football Club. The tournament featured some of Alberta's most talented young players, and also attracted teams from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, painting an exciting picture of the game's vibrant future in Western Canada.
"The tournament creates meaningful competition for developing athletes across all the regions of Alberta," said Alastair Lillico, senior rugby director for the hosting St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
"The impact is that it elevates the rugby club among athletes in the province, and for those visiting from out of province."
The Edmonton Gold teams, one of the event's regional squads, was partly made up of rising stars from the St. Albert Rugby Football Club. These Gold teams showcased their talent and determination over the course of the tournament with great success.
Head Coach of the U16 Girls team, Scott Gargan, praised his team's performance.
"The girls played extremely well together this weekend, gaining momentum and confidence with each game."
Gargan's squad ended the tournament on a high note, undefeated and crowned as the Alberta Regional Champions.
Gargan particularly highlighted the performances of the St. Albert athletes, including Hailey LeClercq, Sarah Clark, Kate Brady, Hailey O'Rourke, and Madeline Roe.
"The (St. Albert Rugby Football Club) girls selected on the roster played very well. It is nice to see that our junior programs are on equal ground with the other clubs within the Edmonton Rugby Union, producing good rugby players that can compete at the rep level," he said.
Paul Looker, Head Coach of the U16 Boys Edmonton Gold team, echoed Gargan's sentiments. His team started strongly, winning their first three games before narrowly falling to Calgary 15-7.
"The team played really well, putting all the coaching into the games and developing more and more over the weekend," said Looker.
St. Albert boys Jaxen Thompson, Jaxen McNeil, Evan Denesiuk, and Xavier Neri-Leebody were part of Looker's squad.
"The St Albert boys all played extremely well, contributing to the overall team performance throughout," said Looker.
Looker also highlighted the contribution of assistant coach and St. Albert native, Josh Looker, who offered his personal experiences from the Gold program to the team.
Apart from being a showcase of raw talent and passion, the tournament also served as a platform for these young athletes to impress scouts, potentially securing their futures in the sport. While the Alberta Regional Championships aren't a direct qualifier for a larger provincial or national tournament, Lillico pointed out the opportunity it presents to players.
"It is often a good opportunity to be scouted by the Wolfpack team, a regional team that competes across Canada," he said.
