Coyotes to lean on past successes and a whole team leadership mentality

The Chinook Coyotes senior boys rugby team will look to build off of past successes and a full team effort to find success this season.

The team won the ASAA Sportsmanship Award at provincials last year, which coach Connor Kopp was most proud of, on top of winning a Tier 1 zone banner and a provincial bronze medal.

“So I think that speaks a lot to the character of these young men, it speaks a lot to the things that are important to them and that are important to this program,” said Kopp.

“So we had a lot of successes last year and carrying those on to this year. Those ideas of having a program that focuses on developing these students as people first and then as rugby players as well that follows along behind it.”

Kopp pointed out that one of the strengths is leadership from all the senior grade levels.

“Something that’s beautiful about Coyote rugby is the buy in to our culture and they realize how important it is and the importance of keeping that healthy and keeping it strong,” said Kopp.

Kopp didn’t really pinpoint certain players that will lead the team.

“What’s beautiful about rugby is there’s 15 people on our pitch at all times,” said Kopp.

“It can be anybody at any game and that’s an approach that we take is rugby isn’t a sport played with one person or two (people), it’s played with 15 people. So everybody has that opportunity to have that game where they pop.”

Kopp stressed the importance of taking the season game-by game.

“We can’t look too far ahead, we got to focus on each game as it comes,” said Kopp.

“Probably communication and working as a team, said Mitchell Qually, on what will lead the team to success.

Gage Parker sees the Coyotes focus as playing at a high level.

“We’re trying to be at our highest every time we step on the pitch ,with the goal of peaking out for provincials and going for that first place this year,” said Parker.