York opens women’s rugby season with 71-0 victory over Brock

Matt Dionne | Sports and Health Editor

Featured photo: With a short season ahead, the Lions women’s rugby team has a lot to prove in a short amount of time. | Courtesy of York Lions

The Lions women’s rugby team kicked off their season on Friday against the Brock Badgers with an astounding 71-0 victory.

It was the first game for new head coach Jenn Russell, a three-year former assistant coach. Russell took over the head coaching job this past off-season after the Lions failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs for four straight years.

“We have a strong pack and a strong back line. We’ve always been a fast team and now we have a few more thinkers that are going to make the speed even better. We are also starting to have more and more representation at the provincial and national levels, and having that experience beyond our team is enhancing the level of play within our squad,” said Russell.

“We’ve had the skill for the last year or two and our major barrier right now is believing we are capable of bigger things and playing like that,” adds Russell. “Our goal is always on the ultimate prize and we don’t want to go into any game thinking anything less.”

When asked about the coaching change, team captain Cheyenne Legerton says, “Initially I was nervous because the future was up in the air. Then we found out Jenn got the job, which was a huge relief. She has been with the program for three years before this as an assistant, and the team already trusted her as a coach, so this was the smoothest change possible.”

The Lions have a talented team this season, with a pair of Ontario University Athletics, or OUA, Russell Division all-stars in Legerton and Bobbi-Jo Cronk, as well as Petra Woods, the 2014 OUA Russell Division rookie of the year and who played for Canada this summer at the Women’s Rugby Super Series.

“As a team, we don’t focus on what other teams are doing; we focus solely on playing York rugby. This year, our plan of attack is best suited for the type of players we have on the team. We have a dynamic forward pack that are strong runners, so we plan to exploit that. We also have backs that are as strong at tackling and rucking as they are at running. We believe in ourselves this year more than in the past, especially after Friday’s game. I know this year will be our best season ever,” says Legerton.

On Friday, York dominated the game, shutting Brock out by a score of 71-0 and giving Russell a win in her inaugural game as head coach.

Last year’s OUA Russell Division rookie of the year, Tobi Owotomo, lead all players in scoring with three tries.

Owotomo opened the scoring nine minutes into what would become a 31-point first half for York.

Legerton had a pair of tries in the second half, when York added another 40 points to their lead.

Tia Anderson-Hudson, Jonelle Mars, Woods, Dorrian Khouri and Cronk also scored tries in the game.

Legerton believes this will be the year the Lions finally advance to the second round. “The playoffs are a different beast than regular season. Playoff games are more of a mental game. This year we’ve been focused on developing a strong team mentality, with a focus on visualizing what we want to do on the field before we step onto the pitch. I think all our preparation for the mental aspect of the game will pay off come playoffs,” she says.
Friday’s game was a huge win for the team. Because the season is so short — there are only five regular season games before the playoffs — every match is extremely important.

The team’s chemistry might be rocky, as this year 18 rookies joined the team. However, Legerton believes that their training and team-building is not to be questioned.

“The first-year players have really impressed the vets with their skill and work ethic. Integrating them into the team was easy because they were likeable people and disciplined athletes who wanted to learn more,” says Legerton.

The Lions next game is Friday where they will be taking on McMaster at home starting at 7 p.m.