The Toronto Nomads run various age-grades rugby for youth in Toronto. Click on the links below for more information:
Under-19 girls (born on or after January 1st, 1991)
Under-18 boys (born on or after January 1st, 1992)
Under-16 boys (born on or after January 1st, 1994)
Under-14 boys (born on or after January 1st, 1996)
Under-12 boys & girls (minis - born on or after January 1st, 1998)
U19 girls' photos from José Romelo Lagman
JUNIOR WOMEN'S RUGBY
The Nomads Rugby Football Club is one of the province's oldest clubs and was instrumental in founding the Ontario Rugby Union in 1950. Back then, the Nomads only ran senior men's sides. Today, the Nomads are one of the very few clubs in Ontario to run rugby for all ages (U14, U16 and U19) and for both genders.
Girls' Under 19 Division: must have been born on or after January 1st, 1991, and have reached their 14th birthday to be eligible
A
brief History of Women's Rugby in Canada:
In the late 1970s, pockets of women's rugby started appearing in British
Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario. Clubs
were formed and inter-provincial competition began between the western
provinces. In 1987, the first Women's National Championship was held
in Edmonton, Alberta. Since those humble beginnings, Canadian women
have flocked to the game. Canada now boasts over 50 rugby clubs offering
rugby to women.
What
Rugby Offers to Women:
Rugby offers players physical and mental intensity during games, it
increases physical endurance, strength, self-confidence and contributes
to overall athleticism. If there is one thing that sets rugby apart
from all the other sports you've seen or played, is the importance
of team camaraderie. Rugby is a team sport and this becomes most obvious
not only on the field but off as well.
Nomads
Junior Girls Rugby:
Our mission is to encourage more high schools to have an active girls'
rugby program. Historically, women's rugby in high school curriculums
is very limited or non-existent. As part of our recruitment drive,
the Nomads have made it our goal to encourage more young people to
learn and play rugby.
In addition to recruitment, the Nomads are sending volunteers to many schools to encourage the game at an intercollegiate level. We will also be offering rugby clinics to those who are interested in learning more about the sport to a number of high school students across the Toronto Region.
How
to Get Involved:
Throughout the months of April and May, our rugby club will be contacting
high schools across the Toronto area to offer coaching assistance,
and to run rugby clinics.
The juniors' outdoor training will begin in June (but all juniors are encouraged to come out and practice with the senior women).
Practices for the junior girls will run on Tuesday and Thursdays, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Again, the junior girls are encouraged to also participate in the women's outdoor training schedule as well (runs on same days at 6:30pm).
Games will be scheduled on either Wednesday evenings or Saturdays with the possibility of participating in a few tournaments. If you are interested in learning more about rugby or if you would like your school to get involved in promoting women's rugby or if you are interested in getting involved, please contact us:
Ashley
Rycroft - Director of Women's Rugby
ash_rycroft@hotmail.com
416.887.9137
or post a message on our message board!
The
2008 Nomads under-18s
Under
18s
(Born on or after January 1, 1992)
The Nomads U18s had a very good season- bolstered by some of the more experienced U16s, the squad provided many very exciting rugby games. They played hard, competitive rugby, they represented the Nomads proudly on and off the field.
The U18s are composed of players from over a dozen Toronto schools including Northern Secondary, North Toronto, Humberside, Riverdale, Oakwood, UTS, Leaside, Crescent and more. The Nomads provided coaching assistance at Northern S.S., North Toronto, Humberside, Oakwood, UTS, Leaside, Riverdale, CHAT and others.
Lead by coach Aaron Cowie and assisted by Robert Maxim “Max” the U18s were a very competitive team in a very competitive league.
The U18s coaches are looking forward to the coming season. 2009 will carry on and build on last year’s successes. There is a very strong contingent of the Ontario Finalists U16s moving up and they are very keen to play hard solid rugby.
As mentioned above, the U18s will train as a squad but in tandem with the U16s. The final details of dates, times and locations will be published on the Nomads website.
The U18s were a very talented group of athletes and rugby players- it made it very difficult to select those who best represented their team and their teammates.
U18 Trophies 2008:
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Matt Hammond |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Carl Xu |
|
Best
Back:
|
Steve Rowlands |
|
Coach’s
Award:
|
Karl
Bechman Matt Shchenban Laurence MacNeill |
U18 Trophies 2007:
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Steve Rowlands |
|
Coach’s
Award:
|
Malcolm Payne, Andrew Pomroy |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Nathan Robb |
|
Best
Back:
|
Karl Bechmann |
|
Most
Dedicated:
|
Carl Xu |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Morrow Oxley |
Bill Brown with Andrew Pomroy
Nathan
Robb with Bill Brown
Morrow Oxley
with Bill Brown
Steve Rowlands
with Bill Brown
Carl Xu with
Bill Brown
Karl Bechmann
with Bill Brown
Ken Draper
with Bill Brown
Ontario U18s: Steve Rowlands, Graham Mahar, Matt Kelly
Canada U17s: Matt Kelly
U18 Trophies 2006:
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Malcolm Payne |
|
Coach’s
Award:
|
Kadeem Stephenson & Andrew McNab |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Ryan Abbott |
|
Best
Back:
|
Nat Fried |
|
Most
Dependable Player:
|
Lee Nevitte |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Dan Coren |
CONTACTS:
| Bill Brown | 416-766-9573 | brownis@rogers.com |
| Sean Brooks | 416-902-0906 | sbrooks@torontonomads.com |
Stay in touch with Nomads news and events plus our bulletin board at www.torontonomads.com
The
2008 Juniors Clinic
U18 Trophies 2005
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Ian Rivers |
|
Coach’s
Award:
|
Adam Ali |
|
Best
Forward:
|
James Paltser |
|
Best
Back:
|
David Lawrence |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Andew McNab |
|
Rookie
Award:
|
Davis Kelo |
U18 Trophies 2004
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
James Paltser |
|
Best
Back:
|
David Lawrence |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Trevor Potts |
|
Coaches'
Trophy:
|
Adam Ali |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Peter Krolikowski |
Nomads U16 (Born on or after January 1, 1994)
Rugby: TRY in the game; SCORE for life!
Philosophy
At U16 greater emphasis is placed on player development. The athletes will step up and take responsibility for their approach to the game and the decisions they make, while maintaining respect for fellow team mates, the referee, and opposing sides. At this level coaches will provide the framework for the players so the athletes can grow in self confidence, awareness, team spirit and accountability.
Rugby is an opportunity to gain skills and friendships that will last a lifetime.
What to Expect
U16 is where the game starts to become coherent and fast. Plays are executed with precision and the ball is won with determination and good communication. Victory is determined by the way in which we unite as a team.
The Nomads approach is designed to turn individual athletes into team players by developing the required skills to build on their confidence and fitness levels. The formula is simple, focusing on these basic components:
| 1.
Knowledge of the laws and rules, 2. Fitness, 3. Core rugby skills, and 4. Teamwork. |
In the end, the players who benefit most from a season are those with commitment. This programme enjoys the support of five volunteer coaches, all of whom are returning for another season with the U16s.
Review of the 2009 Season
Losing only one game early in the season, the Nomads won their division by beating the first placed team, Barrie 15 - 10. With this win, the Nomads proceeded to the Provincial semi finals. Of the four teams, Lindsay and the Nomads were favoured, and faced each other in the first round. Both teams exhibited talent, determination, and delivered exhilarating performances; the final score a close 5 - 3 for Lindsay. (Lindsay would ultimately take the provincial final with a convincing win over Oakville). With that close loss, the Nomads demonstrated the character of a winning side by taking the field only 20 minutes later and soundly defeating London.
The Nomads actively promote the Rugby Ontario Provincial (ORU) Junior programme. In addition to a winning record 7 Nomads players were selected to represent their Province. Three for the U16's, and four at the U15 level:
Lucas H
- Co-captain
- Fly Half, (Nomads & Ontario U16)
- Oakwood school
- Selected for the Canadian Rugby Elite Academy (Ontario division)
- Recently invited to Canadian U17 tryouts
Adonis P
- Co-captain
- No. 8 (Nomads), Hooker (Ontario U16)
- Oakwood School
- Recently invited to Canadian U17 tryouts
Joseph G
- Full Back, Wing Outside Centre (Nomads), Wing (Ontario U16),
- Northern School
- Recently invited to Canadian U17 tryouts
Jonathan L
- Flanker (Nomads), Hooker, Flanker, 2nd Row (Ontario U15),
- Upper Canada College
- Awarded ORU U15 Most Dedicated Player
- Selected for the Canadian Rugby Elite Academy (Ontario division)
- Nomads 2009 "Fittest Player" award
Matthew L-D
- Full Back, Outside Centre (Nomads), Centre (Ontario U15)
- Lakefield College School
Liam G
- Flanker, Scrum Half, Centre (Nomads), Flanker (Ontario U15)
- Forrest Hill Collegiate
- Nomads Captain's Choice Award
Christian K
- Flanker No. 8 (Nomads), Flanker (Ontario U15)
- St. Michaels College School
Indoor training in the Dome at UCC (cost $5):
|
Sunday, February 14th |
10:00am-12:00pm |
|
Saturday,
February 20th
|
10:00am-12:00pm |
|
Sunday,
February 28th
|
10:00am-12:00pm |
|
Saturday,
March 6th
|
10:00am-12:00pm |
Outdoor Fitness training Sunnybrook riding stables (weather permitting)
|
Saturday,
April 3rd
|
10:00am-1:00pm |
|
Saturday,
April 10th
|
10:00am-1:00pm |
|
Saturday,
April 17th
|
10:00am-1:00pm |
|
Saturday,
April 24th
|
10:00am-1:00pm |
|
Saturday,
May 1st
|
10:00am-1:00pm |
|
Saturday,
May 15th
|
10:00am-1:00pm |
Parents meeting - TBC, May 29 venue TBD
Following the end of the regular high school season Nomads practices will take place twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday night 6 - 8. Contact Bill Brown for more details (brownis@rogers.com)
Regular season games will usually be played on Saturday mornings at 10am. The Nomads home pitch is at Fletchers Field (North of Elgin Mills off Woodbine). Game schedule and results will be listed on the Ontario rugby website.
NOMADS
UNDER-16s
POWERED BY:
2009 Nomads
under-14s at Fletcher's Fields
U14
Rugby
(born on or after January 1, 1996)
U14 rugby is contact rugby designed to further the players' skills. New players are introduced to the game under strictly controlled conditions. At this age the players are separated by gender- the girls can play with the Nomads under-17 girl’s team..
The Nomads had a very successful 2008 season. The team was undefeated for the full season. They lost a very close game in the finals to the Oakville Crusaders, the Ontario champions
We are looking forward to the 2010 season, we have new players coming in as well as returning veterans from our minis/U12 program. The league will continue in a league format in order to accommodate summer plans and insure that there will be games for the players at the different venues around the GTA.
Many thanks to Joe Kopu, Ken Draper, David Moore, Don Cranston, Tim Lorimer for their coaching assisted by Duncan Payne, John Lee and Thomas Findlay.A huge thanks to Dolores Kopu for her great commitment to these youngsters.
It will be another great year of Toronto Nomads Rugby!
U14 Trophies 2008
The coaches had a very difficult job selecting players to represent the team at its best.
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Geoff Harricks |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Hunter Bonnett |
|
Best
Back:
|
Josh Gladstone |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Daniel Draper |
|
Coaches
Award:
|
Nick
Hails Iain Ralphs |
U14 Trophies 2007
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Geoff Harricks |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Hunter Bonnett |
|
Best
Back:
|
Josh Gladstone |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Daniel Draper |
|
Coaches
Award:
|
Nick
Hails Iain Ralphs |
|
Most
Valuable Players:
|
Liam Grimes |
|
|
Jonathan Lorimer |
|
Most
Improved Back:
|
Sebastian Morengo |
|
Most
Improved Forward:
|
Graham Rotenberg |
|
Coaches'
Award:
|
Matt Findlay |
|
|
Mark MacGregor |
|
Most
Prolific Scorer:
|
Sebastian Morengo |
Nomads
selected to play for Ontario Under-14s:
Jonathan Lorimer, Liam Grimes, Christian Karayannides
For more information,
contact
Bill Brown at
brownis@rogers.com / 416-766-9573.
The 2008 Juniors
Clinic
U14 Trophies 2007
|
Most
Valuable Forward:
|
Adonis Perez |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Anthony Steele |
|
Coaches
Award:
|
Bryan Dang |
|
Most
Prolific Scorer:
|
Adonis Perez |
Nomads
selected to play for Ontario Under-14s:
Adonis Perez,
Lucas Hammond, Michael Gallagher
U14 Trophies 2005
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Geoff Harricks |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Hunter Bonnett |
|
Best
Back:
|
Josh Gladstone |
|
Most
Improved:
|
Daniel Draper |
|
Coaches
Award:
|
Nick
Hails Iain Ralphs |
U14 Trophies 2004
|
Most
Valuable Player:
|
Kadeem Stephenson |
|
Best
Forward:
|
Steve Rowlands |
|
Best
Back:
|
Trevor Caruso |
|
Coaches'
Trophy:
|
Paul Bank |
The 2010 Minis (under 12s) enjoyed a great year of rugby.
The focus in under 12 rugby is on developing basic skills (passing, running and passing, running onto the ball, backing up, and tackling) and gaining an understanding of the game including the spirit of rugby while, importantly, having fun.
Every one of our 20 players’ skills improved markedly over the season. For many it was their first year of rugby and the progress they achieved was remarkable. Furthermore, they learned to play as a team using the forwards to set a platform for the backs to capitalize upon.
Having 20 players, 19 boys and 1 girl, enabled us to participate in 8 of the 9 scheduled tournaments. Although, at this stage, it's all about development and having fun, not winning, the team certainly enjoyed more than its share of success at tournaments. In addition the coaches were very pleased with the sportsmanship and discipline the players demonstrated.
The 2010 players were supported by wonderful group of parents and friends. We experienced good attendance at practice and tournaments. And , uniquely, we were piped onto the playing field by one of the player’s Dads at one tournament!
Several of the players are eligible for under 12 rugby again in 2011 while others will be moving on to under 14s. Either way all are set to go far in rugby.
Many thanks to all: concerned: players, parents, coaches and the Nomads club.
Please enjoy some photos of our season.
| Bill
Brown - Junior Development Officer 416-766-9573 brownis@rogers.com |
The kick-off!
Minis Trophies 2004
| Most Dedicated Player: | Matthieu Wong |
| Most Points Scored: | Nick Hails |
| Most Improved: | Scott Caruso |
| Most Improved Forward: | Blake Fleet |
| Coaches Award: | Gareth Ryan |
What a brilliant year the boys had! And the highlight for many was playing at half time at the Canada/NZ Maoris International at York University.
In 8 tournaments we played 26 games; lost 5, drew 2 and won 19! The try scoring was something else.
| Chris Huff Robertson | 26 tries, 5 conversions |
| Paul Banks | 15 tries, 2 conversions |
| Nick Hails | 13 tries, 11 conversions |
| Kadeem Stephenson | 10 tries, 2 conversions |
| Blake Fleet | 3 tries |
| Sean Spencer | 3 tries |
| Brent Parsons | 1 tries, 3 conversions |
The tournament in Alliston showed us that our boys know how to play (won 2 games, lost 1; we beat the Beach in this one after they clobbered us in Burlington back in July). I mention this tournament because only 3 Nomads - Paul Banks, Dylan Glancy and Kadeem Stephenson and Dylan's 2 friends who had never played rugby before - made up the team. On the day, however, with Graeme Glancy's cool calculations and steadying influence, we came home well satisfied.
So, to the finals at the Square, September 6. The bubble burst and we were on the receiving end of two losses and a satisfying win. To top off the year, we had one mini in the Ontario U14s: Ryan Brown, who started in 1999. Six of our current minis graduate to the U14s next season. So we finish our season on a positive note and look forward to welcoming more eager young Minis next year.
To close I would like to thank all the parents who were such a great help throughout the season. A special thank you to Graeme Glancy who made my vacations worry-free by organizing many tournaments.
Joe
Kopu
Minis Coach
Mini rugby (for 12 years-of-age and under - born after Dec. 31st 1994 and big enough) is co-ed, non-contact rugby designed to introduce youngsters to the skills and fellowship of the game.
Under-14 rugby (born after Dec. 31st 1992, at least 11 years old) is contact rugby designed to further the player's skills. New players are introduced to the game under strictly controlled conditions. At this age the players are separated by gender although the girls continue to practice with the boys.
Our overall philosophy is to introduce a love of sports and a love of rugby. This is a game that teaches discipline, team spirit and creates camaraderie - but most of all it is great fun!
The coaches are all former and current rugby players and parents who love the game. It is an international gathering of Kiwis, South Africans, British and Canadians.. We are all level 1 coaches certified by the Ontario Rugby Union and we hold Red Cross First Aid Certificates.
Please feel free to call or e-mail the coaches listed and join us in the greatest game in the world!