The women's rugby team look to rebuild in the offseason after a disappointing season this past fall
The McMaster University women's rugby team opened their season on Sep. 2. with an exciting matchup against Western University. Unfortunately, the Marauders fell by a score of 10-22, starting the season on a lull that would continue throughout the fall.
Unfortunately, the Marauders fell by a score of 10-22, starting the season on a lull that would continue throughout the fall.
The team had an almost entirely new starting line up this year. Big name players such as Katie McLeod, who earned an Ontario University Athletics all-star nomination and scored in every regular season game last season, and Sophia Cornacchia, who played in all regular season games, did not return this year leaving gaps in the current team.
After their loss against Western University, the Marauders faced an even bigger loss of 8-48 to the University of Guelph.
In their next game, the Marauder received their first win of the season against the University of Waterloo, but by forfeit. Nonetheless, this win seemed to help spur a good streak, as the team subsequently won their next game against Trent University with a score of 37-0.
However, this dis not last long as the Marauders ended up losing their last two games of their season. They suffered a loss against the University of Toronto by close margins with a final score of 17-19.
The Marauders' final game of the season would see them face a familiar foe, Queen's University. The Queen's team was ranked number two in the U Sports national rankings and have historically gotten the better of the Marauders' by winning all three games they faced McMaster in. Their final matchup would see the Marauders lose by a score of 5-69.
Even with a difficult season, the team was able to earn multiple accolades. Head coach Chris Jones earned himself OUA coach of the year. Taylor Wood, a third-year player, was able to earn an OUA first-team nomination. McKinna Colley, a fourth-year player, was able to earn an OUA second-team nomination.
With a nod of approval to the team's head coach and these two players, the team has much potential to grow in the coming season. They will likely look to grow the strength of their roster and play in the time off to ensure a more successful upcoming season.
With a nod of approval to the team's head coach and these two players, the team has much potential to grow in the coming season.
It’s the biggest margin of victory yet, but this time in an unfortunate Marauders loss for the Marauders women's rugby team
As the McMaster University women’s rugby team entered week five of competition, they geared up to face the Queen’s Gaels. The Gael’s hold the number one spot on the U Sports women's rugby leaderboard and are the reigning national champions. It was obvious from the get-go that it would be a tough match ahead.
Coming into the week McMaster ranked quite highly themselves, having secured the number nine position in the U Sports ranking. They were coming off a 77 to zero win against the Laurier Golden Hawks and looked to provide a real challenge for the Gryphons.
Unfortunately for the Marauders, they weren’t able to provide much resistance in their battle with Canada’s number one, losing by a final score of 96 to three. Following the loss, McMaster was removed from the U Sports top 10 list.
Facing a top ranked team has proven to be a challenge for most teams. The top five ranked teams have yet to be beaten.
Katie Mcleod, the captain of the women’s team, discussed how difficult it can be facing teams like the Gaels and the strategy that goes along with these big games to ensure the team keeps on moving forward.
“We’ve been focusing on setting goals going into games. Not necessarily score focused goals, but systems goals,” said Mcleod.
“We’ve been focusing on setting goals going into games. Not necessarily score focused goals, but systems goals,”
Katie Mcleod, Captain of women's rugby team
She noted her team seemed to know this game would result in a defeat, showing the importance of goal setting to continue measuring progress regardless of the outcome.
“Going into our Queen’s game, we kind of knew it would be a loss,” explained Mcleod.
The game ended going in the way of the Gaels, as was apparently anticipated. Mcleod was the lone scorer for the Marauders.
But why do these scores keep occurring? How do these substantial margins continue to happen game after game and for every team, not just McMaster?
“It comes down to the legacy that teams have developed. Some teams have full time head coaches, which provides for better recruitment,” said Mcleod.
This message seems to ring true, seeing the recent scores throughout the league. It also makes sense that stronger players recruited to only certain schools would lend itself to the creation of uneven scores. Though it looks like McMaster is trying to compete with these top ranked teams with the addition of head coach Chris Jones and his coaching staff.
“Now that we’ve gotten a new coaching staff, I know that recruitment has become something more on the radar. Hopefully in a few years we can be at a higher level,” explained Mcleod.
Looking to finish the season strong, the Marauders women's rugby team will face York and Brock to wrap up the season. It will become very important for the team to keep their focus on the season ahead, despite the prospect of a promising future they may already be looking forward to.
With several coaching vacancies filled, let’s look at McMaster’s newest coaches
By Alyssa Wheeler, Sports Staff Writer
With the fall semester quickly approaching, McMaster University fall sports teams have also begun preparations for the upcoming season. Soccer, football, cross country, field hockey and lacrosse are amongst the many sports beginning this fall season.
Many teams this past offseason found themselves experiencing change, as a few teams have brought in some new faces to their coaching staff.
The men’s soccer team welcomed Chris Markou as its new head coach this year. Previously Markou served as the assistant coach for the team, alongside the former long-time head coach, Dino Perry. He also played for the team during his time in university, earning himself a spot in McMaster’s Hall of Fame.
"Last season I wanted to bring some value to the existing coaching staff regarding player development and bringing a winning team-first mentality through my own McMaster soccer experiences," explained Markou.
"Last season I wanted to bring some value to the existing coaching staff regarding player development and bringing a winning team-first mentality through my own McMaster soccer experiences."
Chris Markou, New COACH of MCMASTER UNIVERSITY's MEN's SOccer Team
In his former role under Perri, Markou worked on player development. With this background and mentality in mind, he has begun to implement those goals with his current squad. It’s important to Markou to create a strong team which competes for major titles this year.
Going forward, Markou wants to build an improved culture of McMaster soccer. He also highlights the impact of his younger players in building this culture and hopes to contribute to this culture as well.
"I'm focused on creating a positive soccer culture and enhancing the student athlete experience. I have made some very difficult decisions lately, but I also believe I've made some very good decisions for our team and program going forward," explained Markou.
"I'm focused on creating a positive soccer culture and enhancing the student athlete experience. I have made some very difficult decisions lately, but I also believe I've made some very good decisions for our team and program going forward."
Chris Markou, New COACH of MCMASTER UNIVERSITY's MEN's SOccer Team
The men’s soccer team is looking to improve on the previous season’s results, which saw them lose in the first round of playoffs to the Carleton Ravens. With a few new recruits and a new head coach the men's team is certainly one to keep an eye on.
The women’s rugby team has also welcomed a new head coach with the arrival of Chris Jones. His arrival has been praised by the associate director of high-performance sport, Keenan Jeppsen. These praises include being a coach who looks to develop players, while taking an all-angles approach to building a formidable team.
With the team losing several key players due to graduation, Jones is looking to fill those vacancies and build an even stronger team. Like the men’s soccer team, they are also looking to improve upon last season’s results, in which they lost in the first round of playoffs to the Guelph Gryphons. With a new attitude, led by Jones’ upbeat personality and holistic coaching nature, the women’s rugby team should be another exciting team to watch this coming season.
In four games this season the team has won three, two of which came in blowout form
In a four game season where every game matters, McMaster’s women’s rugby team has been making the most out of their opportunities. After starting the season with two wins and a loss, the team looks ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.
Upon returning to play for the first time since early 2020, the Marauders started their season on Sept. 13, with an exhibition match against the York Lions. There appeared to be no rust despite all the time off, as they took a huge victory with a final score of 31 to seven. With all cylinders firing, the team began their season on Sept. 24 against the Guelph Gryphons, which would be their only hiccup thus far.
Homecoming for the Marauders didn’t go so well, as they fell to the Gryphons in disappointing fashion. The final score wound up being 46 to 17 and it seemed like everything had fallen apart for the team. It would take significant time and effort to get back on track and prepare for the games ahead. Fortunately, the stars would align.
Not only was the team motivated to get back on track as they now had something to prove, but they were coming up against a team they knew they could beat: the York Lions.
In their second matchup against Lions, the first of the regular season, the Marauders would make an absolute statement. The previous 24 point lead wasn’t enough, as they would take the victory with a final score of 53 to five — a 48 point spread. In the final [regular season] home game, they were sure to leave a great taste in the mouths of their supporters.
The Marauders dominated the game right out of the gate, holding the Lions to only one secured try in the match, which came after 71 minutes. The long list of scorers for the Marauders by the end of the game would include Vanessa Webb, Tia Svoboda, Ila Bett, Malaya Mizal, Stacey Warner, Katie McLeod and Brie Clarke, compared to that of the Lions, featuring only Miyah Samson.
Beyond the impressive victory against the Lions, McMaster would continue their run, beating the Brock Badgers on Oct. 16. Although a much tighter match than that against the Lions, the Marauders still maintained a respectable lead, winning with a final score of 19 to 12. This win would advance their record to two wins and one loss in the season as they head into their final match.
The last matchup of the season comes on the road and will take place in Kingston, Ontario, home of Queen’s University. The Marauders will take on the Gaels with a desire to redeem themselves. The Gaels are arguably the favourite heading into the match, having beaten the Marauders eight times in 13 tries over the last ten years. Members of the team from the 2019 season likely remember the 100 to zero loss in the last game against the Gaels, but after a strong start to the 2021 season, they could look to turn the tables.
Despite not having a head coach anymore, third-year player Payton Shank takes us through what the women’s rugby team has been coping through this season.
As we enter the first couple weeks of 2021, many individuals continue to live their lives from inside their homes, just as they have been for most of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes countless student-athletes who have been sitting idle in their homes during the 2020-2021 season.
In October 2020, McMaster Sports announced the cancellation of winter sports for the 2021 year, ultimately closing any sort of hope for athletes to compete at a collegiate level. With that being said, many McMaster sports teams have found alternative measures in place of in-person activities, including the women’s rugby team.
Prior to the pandemic, the typical season of the women’s rugby team would begin with training camp in late August, where training would last from morning till night. Payton Shank, a third-year student in the human behaviour program commented on the summer training.
“You’re going non-stop every single day. You’re training in the heat, you’re tackling, hitting people and running around till you almost throw up, every day per week,” said Shank.
“You’re going non-stop every single day. You’re training in the heat, you’re tackling, hitting people and running around till you almost throw up, every day per week,” said Shank.
From training outside during the fall season to indoors in the High Performance Area during the winter season, there would not be enough words to highlight the intensity of these workouts.
As the first wave of the pandemic heightened in March, the university announced they would be shutting down all in-person classes and activities, including all sports matches and practices.
“I remember being in the HPA the day before everything closed down. We were trying to get the last workout in. We had to move to Zoom workouts at home. We [went] from using dumbbells and squat racks to putting cans or textbooks in your backpack,” said Shank.
Maintaining a workout routine is important so athletes do not revert into muscular atrophy and hence, do not spend as much conditioning time required once the new season begins.
When considering the topic of mental health, Shank identified that the loss of practices and in-person workouts has taken a toll.
“For me personally, it was very hard to be motivated. In fact, I was missing a vast majority of the workouts. [I thought:] “I can’t put myself through this, I have nobody to push me through this. I don’t have the HPA. I’m not blaring music like usual. I don’t have my team cheering me on”,” said Shank.
“For me personally, it was very hard to be motivated. In fact, I was missing a vast majority of the workouts. [I thought:] “I can’t put myself through this, I have nobody to push me through this. I don’t have the HPA. I’m not blaring music like usual. I don’t have my team cheering me on,” said Shank.
The weekly Zoom workout sessions have been a place of comfort for the rugby team, even if they just wanted to pop by and say “hi”. With that being said, the head coach of the rugby team quit this past season.
While many other McMaster sports teams were able to resume in-person training, women’s rugby was not able to do so. Shank emphasized that other universities’ women’s rugby teams have been able to train in-person, which puts McMaster at a disadvantage for the 2021-2022 season.
As the province is in lockdown with a stay-at-home order in place, there is still uncertainty about the future of the team’s season.
“We thought that we might get back into Sports Hall in [the David Braley Athletic Centre], that was our hope. Now, we’re still going to have to do Zoom calls unfortunately,” said Shank.
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“We thought that we might get back into Sports Hall in [the David Braley Athletic Centre], that was our hope. Now, we’re still going to have to do Zoom calls unfortunately,” said Shank.
Although the team is still currently without a head coach, Shank stated that there has been vast support for the women’s rugby athletes from Shawn Burt and Claire Arsenault, the director of athletics and recreation and the coordinator of athlete services, respectively.
Looking ahead to next season, there are many unanswered questions as to whether or not students will return to campus in fall 2021.
“I can’t see a season happening next year . . . but I do see us being able to train at least and getting into some facilities,” said Shank.
“I can’t see a season happening next year . . . but I do see us being able to train at least and getting into some facilities,” said Shank.
Entering her fourth year with the McMaster women’s rugby team, centre Britni French led a promising squad who looked to conquer Ontario University Athletics. Following a 2017 bronze medal, the hopes were high to surpass that in 2018.
Part of a crop of solid senior players who have been a fixture of Marauders’ rugby for the past few seasons, the veteran centre was chosen to captain the team throughout 2018.
“That was really awesome and I enjoyed kind of finding myself in that role and where I stood among everyone else,” French said. “I'm not a very loud, outspoken person, so it took me a bit to understand how to lead in a different way than some people would.”
The Marauders would go on to finish the season 2-2, including a dominant 71-10 win over Western University, and were ready to make a convincing run at the gold medal. They opened their playoff run with a mind-boggling 109-0 thrashing of the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks, with 11 players getting their name added onto the score sheet, including three tries from French herself.
Coming off such a dominant win, the Marauders were flying high heading into a rematch with the Queen’s University Gaels, a team they lost to in the second game of the season. Unfortunately, the Marauders ultimately ran out of time as their comeback try fell just short, losing 29-24 in a hard-fought game.
“We were able to perform, and we did some pretty amazing things,” French said. “We confronted them physically and we let them know that we were not just going to let them have an easy way to the national championship.”
The team did manage to bring home some hardware, repeating as OUA bronze medal winners following a 59-5 beatdown of the Brock University Badgers.
The season would turn out to be a personal success for French, being named to the U Sports All-Canadian Second Team for the second year in a row. French was a force on both the offence and defence, scoring five tries throughout the regular season, leading the balanced Mac team.
C/O Catherine Goce
[spacer height="20px"]“It's pretty exciting,” French said. “To me, it reflects the team because I think I was able to perform as well as I could because of everyone else around me… I think it shows that our team is a very strong team and I was recognized, but I think it is a recognition that is shared with other people as well.”
Although the team did not get the result they had hoped for heading into the season, French highlighted that tight OUA semifinal loss to the Gaels as a key moment in their season, as they rallied against a team that had beaten them soundly just a month before.
“It was a complete change from when we played them in the regular season,” French said. “We maintained our composure, we gave them a fight, and you know, if he had maybe five to 10 more minutes, it may have gone a different way. We were gaining momentum and we just did not have enough time to finish off what we had gone into the game hoping to do.”
Hoping to return for her final year of eligibility in 2019, French noted that there will be a noticeably different roster next season. However, that will not hurt their chances of bringing home a medal once again.
“Next year, we have senior players leaving which will be really hard because they're all part of my rookie class,” French said. “But we have some really strong incoming athletes; rookies who showed themselves this year. I'm really excited to see them move into those starting positions, and being able to show their skills, because I think they have a lot to offer and are excited to see us build.”
With an offseason of recruiting, planning and adjusting ahead, the Mac women will have time to assess their 2018 campaign and prepare for the next season. With a dynamic player and strong consistent leader like French dominating the centre of the field, the sky is the limit.
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By Adriana Skaljin
Sara Svoboda has been playing for the McMaster women’s rugby team for the past five years, and has reached the end of her university career.
While playing for the rugby team, off the field, Svoboda has been busy completing a degree in Kinesiology, a subject that has been helpful for her even outside of the classroom.
“Kinesiology teaches you about the importance of cognitive and physical breaks, which is complementary to playing rugby,” Svoboda said.
She has described her time on the rugby team as one that brought balance into her life, and emphasized the importance of doing everything in moderation.
“I have learned so much through the camaraderie of the sport,” Svoboda said. “It tends to get a bad rep because it is so physical, but it is one of the sports [in which] I encountered the most respectful and all-around great people. Having sport as an outlet allows me to uplift any bad days, whether it is stepping onto the field or seeing my teammates."
Svoboda has had the chance of playing with both of her sisters, fifth-year flanker Katie and second-year fly-half Tia, on the McMaster team. This is her twin sister Katie’s final year on the team as well, who plays on the back row with Sara.
“Katie has been a huge part of both my team and my own success in rugby,” said Svoboda. “Having a twin is like having a biologically perfect training partner to rely on.”
Svoboda was ecstatic when her younger sister, Tia, moved from playing rugby in British Columbia to McMaster, getting the chance to play with both of her sisters who were already mainstays of the Marauders lineup.
“Seeing my younger sister develop as a player has been exciting,” Svoboda said. “She is only in her second year, but plays fly-half, so she fills a major role. It is cool to see her step into a leadership role and follow her guidance.”
At their last McMaster practice, Svoboda noticed Tia getting emotional; realizing that the three sisters’ time together on the Marauders was coming to an end.
Throughout the regular season, coach Tim Doucette used checkpoint conversations to look at the team’s progress. When entering the playoff season, he emphasized that this was no longer a test, and that the team needed to execute their game plan.
“We internalized what he said and switched to a mindset that focused on having heart and grit,” said Svoboda.
The Marauders effectively implemented this game plan, and finished third in the Shiels division by the end of the regular season. Mac followed up their strong finish with a dominant quarterfinal win, beating the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks 109-0.
“We weren’t happy with our result when we played [Queen’s] on our home field earlier in the regular season,” Svoboda said. “We executed our game plan and pulled off a better performance this time around.”
In their Bronze Medal match on Oct. 19, the Marauders put on another authoritative win, this time rolling over the Brock University Badgers 59-5; sealing the Bronze Medal for the home team.
Women's Rugby -- FINAL: The Marauders repeat as the @ouasport bronze medalists, defeating the @brockbadgers 59-5! #GoMacGo
— McMaster Athletics (@McMasterSports) 20 October 2018
This game was a strong end to Svoboda’s final season with McMaster. Reflecting upon her time as a Marauder, Svoboda expressed her gratitude to both her parents and her teammates.
“Coach Tim always stresses that after the game, we clap to the stands,” explained Svoboda. “Like most parents, mine have never missed a game and are the most supportive fans.”
Each year, the women’s rugby coach implants a word into the player’s heads. This season, Doucette created the hashtag #HFOR, which stands for “Here For One Reason.”
“This really resonated with me and my teammates, because no matter [your age], McMaster women’s rugby has always been about playing for each other and creating an inclusive environment both on and off of the field,” Svoboda said. “We have preserved a culture that stresses inclusivity, whether it be in terms of sexual orientation, ethnicity or background. I am honoured to have been part of such a wonderful community.”
“I am grateful to have been able to inspire the next generation of women to get involved with such a rewarding sport,” Svoboda added.
Over five years with McMaster athletics, women’s rugby star Sara Svoboda has developed as both an individual and a rugby player, with the help of her family and teammates. Mac’s famed number eight will always remember gathering on the field beside her fellow Marauders after a game, and seeing all of their fans and families in the stands.
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The McMaster women’s rugby team is well known at Mac for being one of the top athletic programs over the last few years. Winning the U Sports, formerly know as Canadian Interuniversity Sport, finals in 2015, in addition to taking three trips to the Ontario University Athletics playoffs over the last four years.
“Winning CIS was a crazy unreal feeling. Plus winning in November meant that whole year we were on top, which was pretty amazing,” said fifth-year outside back Madeleine Seatle. “We've also been lucky enough to go to three Nationals, so now just getting back there is all you can think about.”
For Seatle and the Marauders getting back there has not been as easy as the past. The team ended their regular season coming in third place in the OUA Shiels division with a 2-2 record. This is not exactly where they want to be, but they still plan to make the most of it.
[spacer height="20px"]In their last game of the season, the Marauders were faced with an uphill battle. Their opponents, the two-time OUA defending champions, the University of Guelph Gryphons, were not going to go down without a fight. Although coming off a big win against the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, it seemed achievable.
“We had just lost against Queen’s, so we were really just looking to bounce back,” said Seatle on the victory against the Mustangs. “We really wanted to be in a better place so it was really just about getting out there, and getting back into a rhythm and playing a game we wanted to play.”
Against the Mustangs, Seatle lead the team in tries, bringing in three in the 71-10 victory. Madison Cohoon was right behind her with two while Kayla Boisvert, Cassidy Calvert, Britni French, Taylor Price, Tia Svoboda and OUA try leader Sara Svoboda all brought in one try each.
The win showed off the amount of depth the Marauders have in their line up, which is something that they have been able to boast about the past few years. Their incredible talent is what Seatle attributes to keeping her motivated through up and down seasons like this one.
“I have really amazing teammates who are just so motivated and so passionate about rugby,” said Seatle. “It’s hard not to feel motivated when you're surrounded by amazing women every day, and you see how much work everyone puts in in.”
Going into the Guelph game, as hard as it was cracked up to be, the Marauders tried to keep one thing in mind.
“Our coach Tim [Doucette] keeps using the phrase, ‘these are tests’,” said Seatle. “This is our last regular-season game. After that, it's going to be playoffs, and not that regular season doesn't matter but playoffs are where it counts.”
Head coach Tim Doucette wanted the team to use the Guelph game to solidify their playing on offence and defence, pinpoint what they need to work on and to see where they match up with the best of the best. Unfortunately for them, the game did not end in their favour, but it was a learning lesson nevertheless.
“Going into the game, we were very focused because we knew that we wanted to really go out there and prove something to ourselves and to everyone else,” said Seatle. “Though it didn’t go the way we wanted it to, we were probably the most connected than we’ve ever been, and it was a great stepping stone and a learning point that will really help us in the playoffs.”
The lone try of the game was courtesy of Sara Svoboda, one of the few veteran leaders still left on the team. Although Svoboda, Seatle and French and other upper-years bring seasoned talent to the table, the majority of the team is still quite young and it shows in games like these.
Through their losses they are able to identify their weaknesses and to pinpoint what they need work on for not just the playoffs, but if they face a team like Guelph again. But first, the Marauders will host the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, on Oct. 5 at Ron Joyce Stadium. The Golden Hawks are in second place of the Russell division, sporting a 3-1 regular season record, and are not a team to be taken lightly. If the Marauders can pull off a win, they have a chance to bring home that OUA Championship once again.
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Football
The main event of the weekend ended in success for the McMaster Marauders as the men’s football team defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 37-3. With quarterback Andreas Dueck starting and playing the entire game and a breakout performance from receiver Tommy Nield, this big win coming off two tough losses is exactly what the Marauders needed before they face their rivals the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks. This game on Sept. 22 will be just as much of a mental match as it is physical, as the Marauders’ 2017 season came to an end at the hands of the Golden Hawks.
Women’s Rugby
The women's rugby team faced the Queen’s University Gaels, but were unable to hold their own and lost 34-14. This loss caused them to drop five places to 10th in Tuesday's U Sports national rankings. Up next, they face the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, who are currently 0-3, and will hopefully be able to see a positive change in the rankings the following Tuesday.
Men’s Soccer
It was a scoreless first half for the Marauders when they faced the Brock University Badgers. Unfortunately for Mac, the Badgers were just able to edge them out by scoring twice in the second half. Even though rookie substitute Daniel Vicente was able to connect with the goal post, McMaster now sits 3-2-2 before they face their next opponents, the Mustangs on Sept. 21.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s team found themselves in another draw after playing the Badgers as well. Both Stephanie Roberts (who we profiled on Sept. 5) and Lindsay Bosveld scored for the Marauders but Brock was able to match their production. The team now stands 2-2-3 and will have to make some changes before facing the 4-0-3 Mustangs on Sept. 21.
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By Graham West
After an impressive performance against the York Lions, Cassidy Calvert is one of a few upper-year players looking ready to lead McMaster’s women’s rugby team to an incredibly successful season.
Calvert was named Pita Pit Athlete of the Week because of her game against York where the fifth-year hooker had two tries and a very strong on-field presence in which she helped lead the team to victory.
“It’s really nice when you work your butt off for something and you get rewarded for it,” Calvert said. “It’s really nice when people notice when you’re working really hard.”
The team is led by a legion of veterans who know that leadership has to be present on the field in addition to in the locker room, as three of the veterans each scored a pair of tries in the game against the Lions. Yet not all leaders see themselves taking on that role until it is time.
“I’ve always said I’m not really someone who has wanted to be in a captain role,” said Calvert. “A leader role is something that’s so broad I’d rather someone hear my name or see me on the field and go, ‘that’s what I wanna do, that’s someone I want to look up to’.”
It is clear that Calvert and the other veterans intend to lead by example, which is especially important this year as the roster boasts a larger number of first-year players than usual.
Even with a fairly new roster with more new recruits than they have seen in a long time, Calvert still says chemistry is strong. Calvert added that the team has the mentality of cooperating and just putting their heads down for the purpose of winning.
Currently ranked fifth nationally, expectations are high for the Marauders, a feeling shared by the team. Calvert said the rankings are positive but not something the team focuses on. She added that the team is more focused on performing and playing well week in and week out than paying attention to the rankings.
After their huge 57-12 victory against York at the end of August, the women’s rugby team is off to a hot start. They will look to carry this momentum back home when they play Queen’s University on Homecoming weekend. The Gaels fell to two spots lower than Mac on the national rankings, but the Marauders are aware that they are a good team who will pose a tough test.
When asked about their upcoming game Calvert said there is no reason they should not be able to perform the way they did against York in this contest or any game for the remainder of the season. With sights set on the national championship, the team is reaching for the stars, although Calvert says they need to focus on the process first.
“Right now it’s winning [Ontario University Athletics] because you have to win that before,” Calvert said. “You can come second but we don’t want that. You have to win one before you get to the other. We do have a lot of fifth-years this year so I know this is our last hoorah, so it’s something we really want. I know it will be a fight no matter what and I think everyone’s taking it very seriously which is good.”
Calvert shared that the team keeps a phrase in mind throughout the entire season as a motivator: ‘Here for one reason’. That one reason is to win rugby games. Calvert said head coach Tim Doucette uses it as motivation to make sure everyone is giving it their all. It is especially important to veteran players such as Calvert as this is their last year playing university rugby and intend on giving their all to the season ahead.
They will next be representing the maroon and grey against Queen’s on Sept. 15, Homecoming weekend. The women’s rugby team is definitely one of the teams to watch this upcoming athletic season at Mac, with one of their biggest rosters yet, packed full of talent and they definitely have the potential to win it all.
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