After just three years in their league, Sackville rubgy team the Bagtown Bruisers took home the championship trophy in this year, with a win over Moncton’s Black Tide Rugby club at the Lorne Street field on August 10.
Bagtown Bruisers formed in 2022 after many veterans of the successful Tantramar Regional High School rugby team started looking for places to play after graduation. The team is home to girls and women in grade 11 and older, with many university-aged players.
Scott Hems in one of the head coaches for the Bagtown Bruisers, and says taking home the championship in the third year of the club is quite an achievement.
“We just had a really fortunate group of girls who were very committed, very dedicated, took the everything very seriously, says Hems. That led to an undefeated season, and then the championship this past Saturday. The players are a busy bunch, says Hems, with many having already left town to go back to university for the fall.
Hems says the sport has been popular since it first came to Tantramar High School, and though it can look dangerous, players are prepared to compete safely.
“As much as it looks rough,” says Hems, “and people, I think, are intimidated by the fact that you don’t wear a lot of padding, the reality is that it’s very technical, and you are very prepared by the time you get on the field to tackle and make a hit.”
Hems says he expects the Bagtown Bruisers to continue building their club, and that rugby in the Sackville region is here to stay.
“Our goal is to just have a team that everyone in the community can contribute to, and we’re looking at ways to grow it,” says Hems. “It looks like there’s a very committed group of people who really love rugby and really want to keep this team around for the years ahead.”
