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Three Teams: The Nomads run two senior men’s teams with both teams currently playing in the Ontario Rugby Union's (ORU) Keenan Division. For newcomers to rugby, the three teams are broken down like this: the 1st team is the most competitive playing the most competitive teams from other clubs in our league. The 1sts generally play on Saturday afternoons at 3pm, although there are occasional Sunday and weeknight games for all the sides.
The 2nd team is a combination of guys trying to play well enough to crack the 1st team, athletic guys with only a bit of rugby experience and still learning the game. There is also some older players who are still skilled and fit enough, but who perhaps have 'outgrown' the 1st team. The 2nds generally play on Saturday afternoons at 1:30pm, finishing just before the 1sts kick off; seven of the better 2nd team players then furnish the substitutes bench for the 1sts. Should the numbers warrant, the Nomad men will endeavour to run a 3rd team. The 3rd team is perhaps the most fun team in the senior men's squad. It consists of beginners, social players, players 'past their prime', players who can't always make training, new players and players coming off injury. When the 3rds play, they kick off at noon and finish at 1:30pm. Again, the more competitive 3rd team players reserve for the 2nds, while the more social ones open a beer and sit back for an entertaining afternoon of watching rugby.
Although rugby consists of 15 players on the field, it take far more than 45 active players to run 3 men's teams. It takes at least 60, as the selection committee must deal with the inevitable reality of players unavailable for games due to work, holidays or other reasons, and of course injuries. The Nomads got four men's teams out several times in 2006. Up until 1998, the Nomad senior men ran four teams each weekend. League Games from May to September: One of the best perks of the Keenan Division is that all both men's teams play home and away together. Aother great perk is that more than half of the games are played at Fletcher's Fields.
The rugby season in Toronto starts with outdoor training and pre-season games in April. The league starts in mid-May and continues until the end of September. There is a further four-round post-season Cup in October. In addition, there are occasional friendlies (meaning non-league games that do not affect standings) against other clubs or incoming touring teams. One advantage to Ontario rugby is firm grounds that are great for running and training is in daylight from 6:30-8:30pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It rarely rains at either training or games. How to Play Rugby for the Nomad Senior Men: To qualify to play for the Nomads senior men's teams it is a simple formula: pay your subs (registration fees)! There is no tryout - by running as many teams as we can, all players who are in good standing get onto the field. There is a selection committee who meet each Tuesday to determine who plays for which team on the weekend. That committee consists of coaches, captains and the playing committee (the Club Captains and the Vice-President of Playing). To earn selection to higher teams, it will a combination of the following criteria listed in order of importance:
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- fully paid up in subs The first criteria is a must: the club spends a lot of money keeping the 11+ senior and junior teams running and only half of that cost is covered by subs, the rest is through fundraising. The Nomads cannot carry any passengers as a far as subs go - IF YOU DON'T PAY, YOU DON'T PLAY. For the higher teams, attendance at training is a must. If you cannot make the training commitments, that's what the lower teams are for. Rugby is a team sport, so it is better to have a slightly less skilled player who is there to practice with the team than to have a more skilled player who cannot train on Tuesdays & Thursday evenings. Current playing form refers to such measures as fitness, skill and desire exhibited at both training and games, It is essential to build a winning team. Past game performance is ranked last so that players know that if they have given it their all at games and in training but have had a bad game, that will not necessarily be a strike against them. Conversely, if a player has had a single exceptional game, that may not be enough to elevate them to a higher team the next week. Consistent performances is the desired trait.
Having Fun is a Priority: But no matter what the objective on the field (by the way, it is winning!) the Nomads value the social aspect of rugby. Generally any away game more than an couple of hours from Toronto warrants a bus trip. Easter tour and pre-season friendlies are usual examples. The Keenan Division will allow the Nomad men several chances for road trips with away games around Ontario such as London and Guelph.
Home Games & Training Fields: Our home games are at Fletcher's Fields, the home of Ontario Rugby, about a 30 minute drive from downtown Toronto. But downtown is where we train; getting to Fletcher's takes a rather long time on weeknights, so we use various fields within the city core. For exact dates and locations, check the training page. Playing Equipment : The essential equipment to play rugby is rather simple: rugby boots (cleats), mouthguard, shorts and socks. The team jerseys are provided by the club on game day. Socks and shorts of the proper Nomad colours will be made available for sale. The Nomads wear navy blue shorts and the socks are blue & white hoops (horizontal stripes). If you need more information on boots and other gear, check out the Frequently Asked Questions page. Any
further questions, contact us at torontonomads@gmail.com We look forward to welcoming you to the Nomads this year! Overseas players should have a look at the information on our recruitment page. CONTACTS:
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