Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
By their own admission Danette Senterre and Armand Schellenberg say that rugby is a non-typical Canadian sport, but the pair are doing their best to resurrect an interest in the game.
“We are doing better than last year,” says Schellenberg. “We are growing, but we wish we could grow faster.”
“Parents see it as a rough and tumble sport, but it is not like that,” added Schellenberg, who is coaching male players in an attempt to rebuild the Prince Albert Whiskeyjacks program. “I’ve coached both and rugby is safer than football. The laws of the game dictate it to be safer.”
Once entered in the North Saskatchewan Rugby Union, the Whiskeyjacks, along with the female counterpart the Panthers, were derailed when the Covid pandemic arrived in 2020. Since then it has been a slow process in getting players back, but there are signs of that changing.
“It’s been a long rebuild,” acknowledges Senterre. “Our goal is to have full junior and senior teams in the future.”
“To sustain a 15-man team you need around 50 players,” added Schellenberg.
The numbers presently are nowhere near that total as there are approximately 30 local players who attend weekly workouts on Sunday at PACI field.
Of those who are committed to the game, Senterre says about half are travelling to Saskatoon on a weekly basis to compete with clubs down there to gain more experience.
“We have a good relationship with the Saskatoon teams,” says Senterre. “It is a good opportunity for them.”
Junior players range in age from 13-18 years while senior players are 18-and-over. For the younger players they get more of a jamboree experience rather than game exposure, but Schellenberg says everyone works together on skill development.
Senterre also says that if the physical aspect is worrisome for potential players she says there is another option for them to get introduced to the game.
“They don’t have to play the contact game,” says Senterre. “They can come out and run around and play touch. We would love to have them out.”
By doing that both coaches hope potential players see the beauty and safety of the game and then decide to move into the main training program.
Anyone interested in seeing what the game is all about can either show up at a Sunday practise session or they can contact Senterre at 306-280-5918 for more information. The local group also has an Instagram page where more information can be obtained.
