Rugby Coming to Wallaceburg

For the first time since the 1990’s, Wallaceburg District Secondary School will attempt to field a girl’s rugby program this spring.

In the late 1990’s Wallaceburg had both a girls and boys rugby program, however the teams were cut as declining enrollment made the programs difficult to run. Now however, with a resurgence in rugby across Chatham-Kent, the Wallaceburg high school will take another kick at the can.

Wallaceburg teacher Alicia Huston, and former Tartan and Kent Havoc rugby player Chris Mahoney, will be at the helm when the season starts this spring. According to Huston, the time was right in Wallaceburg to start this program,

“Rugby in Chatham-Kent has been growing, phenomenally fast with women in particular. Wallaceburg is in a good position to develop some very strong players.”

Huston, a former Kent Havoc player and rugby coach at CKSS, also sees the value in running a rugby program in Wallaceburg for the students both athletically and socially,

“I wanted to get a program started here to help expand the game throughout the community, and share the positive effects of being on a team with the students,” said Huston. “I think it’s very important to have some extra-curricular goals and involvement throughout high school.

Currently the Kent County Secondary School Athletic Association features three rugby programs at Ursuline College, Chatham-Kent Secondary School, and in Blenheim. Blenheim’s girls program captured the Kent Championship last season. Many girls playing for these teams have started without any rugby experience, while others are members of the Kent Havoc Club.