University of Lethbridge invites female rugby hopefuls

Several coaches of the varsity women’s rugby team at the University of Lethbridge are getting ready for a new program that starts next month.

“We want you to come and have a good experience at the University of Lethbridge with the Pronghorns rugby program,” explained head coach Graeme Moffat. “We have some great young coaches — they’ll be here to add a lot of value and hopefully prep the girls for the high school rugby season, which will be starting up in April.”

One of the coaches who taught the program last year has hands-on experience in the world of rugby.

“I’ve played for Wolf Pack, which is a team Alberta U20 Canada, and then LRC, which is the local rugby club here,” Keegan Brantner said. “I’ve coached the minis and juniors program here at Lethbridge Rugby Club and then as well at Winston Churchill High School.”

Brantner and Moffat share a special bond: he has been her coach as a child and as a teen in the Pronghorns varsity program, and now mentors her as a coach herself.

1:45 Pronghorns’ senior bringing experience from overseas to Canada West rugby season

Sidelined due to illness for last night’s practice, one of the junior Pronghorns who will be returning said the coaching she received made a real difference.

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“The coaches encouraged you to make mistakes,” Hailey Romeril explained. “They encouraged you to go for it and not hold back because you’re scared of messing up, but to make the mistakes and to be confident in them so that you can learn from them.”

Feedback from coaches is the cherry on top of a very busy set of weekends.

“We have to play the game, teach them the game, so there will be a lot of small-sided games. Obviously the weather constraints dictate that we will be inside for a few more weeks,” Moffat said in thick Scottish brogue. “There will be lots of games, lots of skill development, lots of decision making, trying to teach players where to look and what to look for. There will be a strength and conditioning element as well, just to help them with movement efficiencies, and a bit of classroom work teaching them the principles of the game.”

Having sold out the original 20 spots, the program opened another 10 and only eight remain.

For more information you can visit the university’s website.