Sevens rugby growing in Manitoba, at Steinbach Regional

It has been a memorable school year for the Steinbach Regional Secondary School rugby sevens team.

Not only did the season kick off with a trip to B.C. last fall, but the school saw a massive expansion to their annual tournament. Head coach Tahnee Grosskopf said the trip out West was big for the program, as playing competitive games and meeting Canadian Olympians was a great recruiting moment to convince players to give rugby a try this season.

The SRSS tournament, hosted May 23 at A.D. Penner Park, was a massive success. Instead of a one division all-girls battle with only a few teams, this year saw over a dozen teams competing across three separate divisions. Food trucks provided concessions as both the football and rugby fields were kept busy throughout the day.

Sevens is a shorter and faster-paced format than traditional rugby, with seven players per team on the pitch and only seven minutes per half.

“I think sevens has really started to grow in the province,” Grosskopf said.

“We don’t have a tournament like this in Manitoba that’s a real fun jamboree, so I think that was enticing to a lot of high schools to give their kids that fun experience.”

Steinbach Regional has enjoyed a dominant run, winning this tournament and the Winnipeg High School Rugby League multiple years in a row. This season was no different, as the Sabres won their home tournament, defeating St John’s Ravenscourt 31-5 in the final.

In the girls developmental division, Murdoch MacKay battled through injuries to squeak past SRSS 12-10 thanks to a last-play try and in the boys division Oak Park defeated St Paul’s, as Morris fell in the semi-finals.

“This is something we hope to do every year and hope to see it continue to grow,” Grosskopf said.

“It’s been really special.”

On the pitch the Sabres are led by reigning Manitoba junior female player of the year Elenoa Kaukirewa, who had a brilliant tournament including a pair of tries in the final.

“The friendship we have, being really close with the girls has really helped our gameplans on the field,” Kaukirewa said.

“The most important thing is having fun and working hard.”

Kaukirewa, who is in grade 11, is hoping to continue her sevens career at the post-secondary level.

The Winnipeg High School Rugby League finals take place at Maple Grove Rugby Park June 4.