Steinbach take wet and wild home rugby tournament

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This article was published 03/06/2024 (509 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) Sabres girls sevens rugby team continues to thrive, no matter the elements.

With a scheduled downpour just holding up enough to get games in, the Sabres went undefeated in their home tournament May 24, in their quest to repeat as Winnipeg league champions.

“We have a really young, really fast team and a lot of them were in grade 9 last year,” head coach Tahnee Grosskopf said after a dominant performance in the finals against Vincent Massey.

“This year they’re starting to hone in on specific rugby skills instead of using straight speed. It’s been really fun to add some finesse to their game and add some plays to their repertoire.”

The tournament was set to have six teams this year, but two dropped out, leaving Stonewall, Lorette and Vincent Massey Brandon to make the trip out to A.D. Penner Park to battle in the rain.

“All the teams out today were really strong, and the tackles were really great,” Grosskopf said.

“It’s really nice to see the direction rugby is heading in our province.”

A team from Kelvin dropped out due to the weather.

“The weather held out, so we were really excited about that,” Grosskopf said after the final, noting that several contingency plans were made, but not needed.

“Everything worked out, and it was a great day for rugby.”

High school sevens rugby is growing across Manitoba, with the league introducing a developmental division for girls this year. In Steinbach, a deep roster of players is eager to hit the field and succeed.

The Steinbach team is preparing for a busy finish to their season, and are planning a tour of B.C. to play games against different schools this fall.

“Our team’s been really successful the last three years,” Grosskopf said.

“We’re looking to go out to B.C. and play some competitive rugby and learn and grow as a team from there.”

In other rugby action, the Eastman Warriors opened their regular season in the premier division against the Manitoba Wombats in Winnipeg May 25. The team was only able to field 14 players, but battled hard in a 38-30 losing effort.