Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A few months ago Anna-Claire Young had never played a game of rugby.
On Friday the Napanee teen will suit up for the Eastern Ontario Rugby Union’s (EORU) U15 sevens team at the Ontario Summer Games in Mississauga.
She’s proven to be a quick learner after catching the eye of a coach this spring while playing for the Holy Cross Crusaders in a KASSAA rugby league game. After the game the coach suggested the Grade 9 should try out for the EORU club. At that tryout she again stood out from the crowd and was named to the team to compete at the Ontario Games.
EORU opens their tournament against the Niagara U15 team on Friday at noon. Later in the day at 3:20 p.m. they’ll face Southwest Ontario’s team and then they’ll close out the day with a 7:20 p.m. match against Toronto.
The playoff round begins Saturday at 11:40 a.m.
The rugby played at the Summer Games is the seven-aside format, which debuted at the summer Olympics in 2016. Sevens marks for a bit of a contrast for the 15s that Young plays in high school in that it is a faster game both in terms of game length and action on the field.
“There’s a lot more running,” Young said of the biggest difference between sevens and 15s. “The people are normally pretty fast so there’s a lot more running.”
Young, who also plays rugby with the Kingston Panthers, says she had never played the sport before signing up for the Crusaders high school team.
“My mom told me that I should try it because I’ve always been a little bit aggressive with my sports so it kind of fit pretty well,” she said. “And I thought it would be fun.”
She’s enjoyed the sport so much she plans to continue playing throughout her high school career and even into postsecondary.
“I’m hoping to get a scholarship with either rugby or soccer, but I think I might have a better shot with rugby,” she says.
Her opportunity at the Summer Games will allow her to train under some of the province’s top coaches.
“I hope to keep developing skills that could help me with other sports and just keep learning,” she said.
Held every two years, the Ontario Summer Games is the largest multi-sport amateur event in the country, featuring athletes aged nine to 18. Softball Napanee’s U17 Express will also take part in the event as this year’s Ontario Amateur Softball Association’s provincial championships are held in conjunction with the games.