Jasper will be overrun with rugby players this weekend for the annual Downhill Sevens Rugby Tournament, with upwards of 30 adult teams and 20 high school teams descending on Centennial Field for two days of play.
The Jasper Rugby Club exploded this year, with more than 60 students between Grade 7 and 12 signing up from both Jasper Junior/Senior High School and 脡cole Desrochers.
The senior girls and boys teams played their first tournament April 22 in Kamloops, each playing three games of 15-a-side rugby鈥攖heir first time playing 15s.
鈥淭he girls lost their first two and then had huge improvement and won their third,鈥� said high school teacher and club director Marshall Corbett. 鈥淚t was an excellent tournament.鈥�
The boys lost all three of their games, but Corbett said with each game the team improved.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see them get some experience before their home tournament,鈥� he said.
The high school tournament will take place all day Friday, April 29 on both Centennial Field and the high school field. Prior to the tournament, the rugby club fixed up the school field, levelling it out by filling in some of the divots with dirt. Centennial Field has also had some temporary work done to ensure minor sports teams are able to safely use it this season, before it is overhauled in 2017.
On Saturday, April 30, is the adult tournament.
鈥淭here will be men鈥檚, women鈥檚 and old boys鈥� games and there will be 30 teams in that tournament,鈥� said Corbett.
The Downhill Sevens Rugby Tournament is organized by a rugby society out of Edmonton, with the help of the Jasper Rugby Club.
鈥淲e work together on that,鈥� said Corbett. 鈥淩ugby is a really inclusive sport and everybody kind of works together. They support us and we support them with being on the ground and they give us a little bit of money every year to help our program.鈥�
As of Monday, there wasn鈥檛 a finalized game schedule for the tournament. Corbett said it likely won鈥檛 be completed until Thursday, when all of the teams have confirmed their attendance.
To see Jasper鈥檚 teams play, head to Centennial Field Friday and Saturday.
Nicole Veerman
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