Local Girls Rugby Teams Find Success at Provincials
Local high school girls rugby teams found success at Provincials held at Exhibition Park in Abbotsford on May 29-31, 2024. Salmon Arm Secondary (SAS) and JL Jackson travelled to Abbotsford with 28 players, four coaches and one trainer on Wednesday evening. Both teams worked incredibly hard to reach this milestone, by placing top three in the Okanagan Zones, and top four in the Thompson Okanagan Regionals securing them seats at Provincials. Jenna Elidoros has been a fundamental piece to growing this program for the previous three years overseeing both teams. “The growth that has happened in this region has been incredible. We have had to overcome lots of challenges to get here but the girls and this program persevered.”
SAS Coach Austin Comeault said, “Arriving at Provincials, we knew every game was going to be a battle.” As this was many of the players’ first time experiencing Provincials, the teams visited the field the evening before games to calm some nerves and create even more excitement.
On day 1, both teams found their stride in Pool play, with both placing second in their respective pools; advancing them to compete for medals on Day 2.
JL Jackson coach, Michelle Hoekstra said, “JL Jackson is a grade 9/10 team and because there is no Junior League they have competed in a Senior League working hard to earn their place. Many of the team learned how to play rugby only this Spring. On Day 1 you could see the girls wanted to show that they were meant to be here and they played with so much passion and grit; especially in the pouring rain against Westsyde, and our first playoff game.”
After a full morning of playoffs for both teams, it came down to Salmon Arm Secondary vs JL Jackson for seventh place.
“We couldn’t help but chuckle at that point, you can travel all the miles for a tournament and you’ll still end up playing a local team you’ve faced all season,” Hoekstra said.
At the end of the final match, captain Ally Ursulak accepted a plaque for SAS placing seventh and Keira Jaeger, captain of JL Jackson’s team accepted the plaque for eighth.
Sending two teams to Provincials and placing in the top eight out of the 70 teams in the Province made history for Salmon Arm girls rugby. “They demonstrated this weekend that they can compete with the top athletes in the lower mainland and the island, and that’s something we will all remember,” Elidoros proudly explained.
Austin Comeault reflected on the tournament, “The determination and teamwork from these girls, regardless of the score; every single game was the highlight.”
MVPs of each team at Provincials included:
- Fiea Marsh -Grade 12 at Salmon Arm Secondary
- Jet Seward -Grade 9 at JL Jackson
Coaching and Trainer volunteers included: Jenna Elidoros, Austin Comeault, Michelle Hoekstra, Jayson Ursulak, and Greg Seed.
The teams wanted to thank the parents who were behind the scenes at Provincials making meals for everyone and supporting in the stands. Elidoros thanked the Salmon Arm community, “We would not be here if it wasn’t for our amazing community who donated to help get the girls to provincials. It was a huge undertaking to get both teams there and we are so grateful for this community.”