Westshore Rugby Club hosted a Girls Can Rugby event on Sunday, as one of dozens of clubs across the province organizing to get more girls interested in the sport.

The number of rugby players dropped drastically during the pandemic, said Kelly Hanvey, youth director of the Westshore Rugby Club. TheyB次元官网网址檝e increased about 50 per cent as restrictions have loosened, Hanvey said.

B次元官网网址淸Players] have been isolated, so they need to hit things. Honestly, they came out and I was very surprised, but theyB次元官网网址檙e disappointed if theyB次元官网网址檙e not hitting bags each practice.B次元官网网址�

Despite growing numbers, it can be hard to keep kids in the sport as they get older. The number of girls participating between the ages of 12 and 15 drops especially, Hanvey said. Westshore Rugby had 25 girls registered in its under-16 team prior to the pandemic. As of this year, those 25 would have aged into the under-18 team, but now there are only four players left.

Olivia Ross, 13, has been playing rugby since she was four years old. She enjoys the sport because of the friendly community around it.

B次元官网网址淚t is kind of is scary at first, but once you get the proper techniques it is really fun.B次元官网网址�

SheB次元官网网址檚 been trying to get teachers interested in running rugby programs at her school in the hope of getting more kids interested.

Hanvey said access to the sport through school is one of the biggest gaps theyB次元官网网址檙e trying to address. If left out of school, kids arenB次元官网网址檛 exposed to it.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a complicated sport. ItB次元官网网址檚 full contact. Any old teacher cannot teach it or theyB次元官网网址檙e very nervous to teach it.B次元官网网址�

Cassidy Conkin, a school teacher with the Sooke School District, is a former player with daughters in the Westshore Rugby Club. HeB次元官网网址檚 trying to get students at his school interested in playing and heB次元官网网址檚 also engaging with national team players B次元官网网址� who train at the Rugby Canada centre in Langford B次元官网网址� to come out and offer coaching time for younger kids, as he did when he was a player.

B次元官网网址淣ow itB次元官网网址檚 our turn to lead, and to lead those younger players to understand that itB次元官网网址檚 more than just them, itB次元官网网址檚 more than just their game, their play their skills, their training B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 about something bigger, and for them to be conscious of that.B次元官网网址�

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