March
      25,
      1997
     
    

    
     
      Island
      rugby
     
    

    
     
      makes
      strong
     
     
      showing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      BILL
      MCQUEEN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Truro
      indoor
      7’s
      tournament
      has
      become
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      favourite
      events
      for
      rugby
      players
      in
      the
      maritimes.
      This
      rugby
     
     
      event
      is
      usually
      staged
      on
      the
      same
      weekend
      as
      the
      men’s
     
     
      AUAA
      basketball
      playoffs.
     
    

    
     
      The
      games
      are
      not
      played
      outside
      on
      the
      snow
      but
      inside
     
     
      a
      large
      barn.
      The
      area
      inside
      the
      barn
      is
      usually
      used
      for
      cattle
     
     
      and
      horse
      showing
      events--
      with
      a
      few
      white
      lines
      it
      turns
      into
     
     
      a
      rugby
      field.
      The
      size
      of
      the
      field
      is
      close
      to
      that
      of
      a
      hockey
     
     
      rink.
      The
      field
      is
      roughly
      a
      quarter
      of
      the
      normal
      dimensions
      of
     
     
      a
      rugby
      field.
      There
      are
      usually
      fifteen
      players
      in
      normal
      rugby,
     
     
      but
      in
      7’s
      rugby
      there
      are
      seven
      players.
      The
      length
      of
      the
     
     
      games
      are
      also
      reduced
      from
      eighty
      minutes
      to
      fourteen
      minute
     
     
      games
      (seven
      minutes
      a
      half).
      The
      surface
      of
      the
      field
      consists
     
     
      of
      mostly
      dirt,
      rocks,
      and
      deposits
      from
      our
      animal
      friends.
     
     
      There
      are
      wooden
      boards
      that
      surround
      the
      perimeter
      of
      the
     
     
      field
      which
      are
      similar
      to
      the
      boards
      in
      a
      hockey
      rink.
     
    

    
     
      The
      combination
      of
      dirt
      and
      nearby
      boards
      usually
      results
     
     
      in
      a
      few
      bruises
      and
      scrapes.
      The
      cold
      conditions
      and
      high
     
     
      contact
      makes
      it
      one
      of
      the
      most
      rugged
      tournaments
      around.
     
     
      The
      ample
      amount
      of
      alcohol
      in
      the
      bar
      is
      a
      common
      anaesthetic
     
     
      for
      the
      aches
      and
      pains
      of
      most
      players.
     
    

    
     
      There
      was
      a
      total
      of
      ten
      Island
      teams
      that
      went
      to
      the
     
     
      tournament
      this
      year.
      In
      the
      men’s
      division
      there
      were
      four
     
     
      UPEI
      based
      teams,
      a
      team
      from
      Cardigan,
      and
      the
      Prince
     
     
      County
      Clansmen.
      In
      the
      women’s
      division
      there
      were
      three
     
     
      UPEI
      based
      rugby
      teams,
      and
      a
      Prince
      county
      women’s
      rugby
     
     
      team.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      three
      divisions
      in
      this
      tournament:
      Men’s
      A,
     
     
      Men’s
      B,
      and
      Women’s
      A.
      This
      past
      weekend
      PEI’s
      teams
     
     
      fared
      extremely
      well.
      In
      the
      Men’s
      A
      division
      several
      ex
      and
     
     
      current
      UPEI
      players
      under
      the
      name
      of
      the
      Abbie’s
      lost
      in
      the
     
     
      consolation
      final
      to
      Saint
      FX
      (2-0).
      In
      the
      Men’s
      B
      final
      UPEI
     
     
      won
      a
      convincing
      victory
      against
      the
      Truro
      Seniors
      (2-0).
      The
     
     
      UPEI
      select’s,
      in
      the
      women’s
      category,
      won
      in
      their
      final
      4-1
     
     
      against
      arch-rivals,
      Mount
      Allison
      (Mount
      Allison
      has
      won
      the
     
     
      women’s
      section
      of
      the
      tournament
      for
      the
      three
      previous
     
     
      years).
      There
      were
      only
      two
      out
      of
      five
      finals
      in
      Truro
      that
      a
     
     
      UPEI
      athletes
      were
      not
      playing
      in.
      This
      emphasizes
      the
     
     
      amount
      of
      rugby
      talent
      and
      excellent
      coaching
      that
      is
      growing
     
     
      in
      PEI.
     
    

    
     
      On
      a
      closing
      note
      there’s
      touch
      rugby
      at
      the
      Sports
      Centre
     
     
      Friday
      afternoons-
      if
      your
      interested
      just
      turn
      up!
      Well,
      I
      guess
     
     
      that’s
      a
      wrap
      for
      rugby
      until
      the
      summer
      league
      starts
      in
      June-
     
     
      -see
      ya
      there!
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      Week!
     
     
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      Help
      Clean
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      at
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      e°
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Below:
      Men's
      B
      division
      winnders,
      6ft
      Under.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      photos
      P.
      Griesbauer