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, 1989, 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:

Erin Leaman - Captain and Director of Women's Rugby
Erin.leaman@gmail.com
416-886-2142