By: Breanna Sutherland, Seneca Student Sports Reporter
“The will to win has to come from within,” said Ken Forsyth, head coach of Seneca’s varsity women’s rugby team, on Friday night after a tough home loss against the rival Humber Hawks, 49-0 at Seneca’s Markham Campus Field.
Without a doubt this was a game that The Sting wanted to win, after losing the gold medal to Humber last year in the OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) Championship game, Friday’s game was about addressing some unfinished business.
When “Coach Ken”, who has been coaching rugby for more than a decade, was asked how this team plans on winning future games after the difficult loss, he expressed frustration that the Senecan community hasn’t yet risen to the challenge of replenishing his roster with new players.
“Seneca is one of the smallest teams in league, [and] we need as many live bodies as we can get our hands on,” said Forsyth after the loss.
Because his is such a small team, they struggle when facing larger opponents like Humber. In order for the team to be successful and win games, they will have to rely on their speed and athleticism.
Women’s Rugby is a fairly new sport to Seneca (in its second year of varsity competition), and The Sting roster, which mainly consists of rookies, some of them having little to no experience playing rugby are very much like pioneers in their sport. New sport, new team, a new frontier for varsity athletics at the college.
Despite the loss, there is still a significant chance that this team will make it very far in the league this season. With an experienced coaching staff, one that was able to bring a first-year women’s rugby team to the championship game, and with players, though lacking in size, that possess big hearts and determination, giving their all until the very last whistle of a blow-out loss, this team is hoping to make it to the last game of the season for the second year in a row.
The team is eager to add a few more players to its roster; driven student-athletes that are: hard working, determined and those in search of a once-in-a-life-time experience. Coach Ken sells it best as not only an activity that will keep someone physically in shape but will also allow them to be part of a sisterhood.
The team offers the chance to participate in a lot of fun functions, team-building activities, which will help them work together as a cohesive unit, activities such as: Prom Rugby (where the players play rugby in their prom dresses), Hallowe’en Rugby (rugby in costumes) and they’re also planning a trip to Ireland in February, where the team will play three exhibition rugby matches. But not in costume.
If you think you have what it takes; heart, determination, the will to win, dreams of traveling abroad and a desire to become a part of something bigger than yourself, a sporting family, then I urge you to try out for Seneca’s women’s rugby team. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.
The Seneca Sting Women’s Rugby team plays their next home game at Seneca’s Markham Field on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. vs. the Mohawk Mountaineers. Prizes and giveaways are available for those wearing red in attendance at the match.
Those interested in joining The Seneca Sting Varsity Women’s Rugby team are encouraged to contact Sport Coordinator, Chris Sousa, chris.sousa@senecac.on.ca, 416.491.5050 x7250.
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