Hunting gold
NNEC, NRHS vying for provincial rugby titles
It’s provincial rugby time, and that means one thing: high school teams from Pictou County are in the title hunt.
The girls team at North Nova Education Centre and the boys side at Northumberland Regional High School will travel to the Halifax area on Friday, each intent on winning the whole thing. The Gryphon girls haven’t won a provincial championship since going back-to-back in 2009-2010, while the Nighthawks are still looking for their first Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation title.
“We’re excited,” said Bryan Campbell, one of the NRHS coaches. “We think we have a really good shot this year.”
Both teams won regionals last week in dominating fashion; the ’Hawks turfed the Hants East Tigers 45-5, while the Gryphons beat up on the CEC Cougars, in an 88-0 romp.
“I think we do have a good chance as long as we go and play our game,” said NNEC captain Victoria Straub. “If we’re not in sync, if we’re not playing as a team, we’ll definitely have a bad game.”
Caitlin Taylor is one of the few Grade 12 students on the Gryphons. It’s her fourth year playing high school rugby.
The trip to provincials, she said, “is a good opportunity to see what we can do against the other teams. It’s going to be a real test, a good weekend to see what we can accomplish.”
“Over the years we’ve had really good teams, we have a good chance at winning this weekend. This year we’re all ready to go, and all have the same mindset. This being my last year, it would mean a lot to me to win this.”
NNEC will play twice on Friday and would like to win both of them and control their own fate.
“If you win both games Friday, you know you’re playing Saturday,” said Gryphons’ coach Dougal MacInnis. “But if you go 1-1, it starts going to point differential and all that crazy stuff.”
Carain Boone is in his second year playing rugby NRHS; he blew his knee out in a hockey game when he was in Grade 10 and couldn’t play until Grade 11.
One of the bigger-bodied Nighthawks players, Boone said the current group of Nighthawks is smaller this season than in past years, but makes up for it with speed.
“We’ve got a faster team this year. We’re not as big as we were last year but the guys are pretty quick,” said Boone.
“Hopefully, we’re taking a banner home.”