From football to bobsledding to B次元官网网址� rugby?

Former Canadian Football League running back and Olympic bobsledder Jesse Lumsden was in Langford this week, participating in two days of workouts with the national senior menB次元官网网址檚 sevens rugby team. After some casual conversations with friends in the sport, the Calgary resident was invited to Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 training grounds to get put through his paces and gauge his desire to try rugby more seriously.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a lot of fun,B次元官网网址� Lumsden, 32, said on the sidelines at Westhills Stadium.

He played a little rugby in high school back in Ontario and at McMaster University in Hamilton, but admitted having a steep learning curve running with Rugby Canada national teamers.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 so much to learn. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a ton to this game.B次元官网网址�

While his presence at the workouts Monday and Tuesday was not directly a product of Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 crossover athlete pre-Olympics recruitment initiative for the  sevens program, called Try4Gold, Lumsden is the first such athlete to run through drills with the squad here since the initiative was unveiled.

Having already converted from one high-level sport to another in his career, heB次元官网网址檚 familiar with the quality of athletes engaged in other sports.

B次元官网网址淚 believe Canada has a very, very deep pool of talented athletes,B次元官网网址� Lumsden said. B次元官网网址淗aving crossover athletes not only raises the exposure of the sport, but allows you to find athletes where you might not have found them before.B次元官网网址�

Try4Gold will see Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 high performance staff travelling across the country in search of B次元官网网址渂ig, fast, agile and evasive menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 players who are mentally resilient,B次元官网网址� womenB次元官网网址檚 sevens team head coach John Tait said last week. Sevens rugby will be contested at the Olympics for the first time in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

The muscular six-foot-one, 208-pound Lumsden, who has taken some time away from bobsleigh and been concentrating on running and shedding some weight, still appears to qualify in at least a few of those categories.

So does he see his football skills crossing over with sevens rugby?

B次元官网网址淚n terms of your body awareness on the field, I think so. You also see a lot of similarities with basketball and hockey, especially the way the ball works around the field.B次元官网网址�

Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 high performance manager, Steve Lancaster, said Lumsden didnB次元官网网址檛 look out of place on the field.

B次元官网网址淚 was pleasantly surprised, for (him being) someone who hasnB次元官网网址檛 played a lot of rugby. He fit in pretty well, I thought,B次元官网网址� Lancaster said.

Bringing him to Langford to train was no shot in the dark, however.

B次元官网网址淛esse was invited here B次元官网网址榗ause he ticks a lot of boxes for us as an athlete and heB次元官网网址檚 got an impressive sporting resume,B次元官网网址� Lancaster said. B次元官网网址淚 think whatB次元官网网址檚 been really pleasing to us over the last couple of days is, we know heB次元官网网址檚 an athlete, but what weB次元官网网址檝e learned is heB次元官网网址檚 an impressive individual as well. So he ticks a lot of boxes on the character front, as well as on the athletic front.B次元官网网址�

Whether Lumsden has a future in sevens rugby will be mainly up to team staff, but Lancaster said itB次元官网网址檚 also partially up to the athlete to decide if he sees it as an option.

Lumsden had no idea what might happen down the road, but plans to keep an open mind.

B次元官网网址淭his is an opportunity and B次元官网网址� you never want to say B次元官网网址榥oB次元官网网址� to an opportunity. If the biggest thing that comes out of this is I help raise some awareness for some other athletes who may look to transition, then IB次元官网网址檝e helped in a way.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com