Young but Talented: Tommies Women’s Rugby to Capitalize on Versatility this Season

The St. Thomas University Tommies women's rugby team plans to use its versatility en route to another successful season in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association.

Much of the versatility in the lineup comes in the form of 11 new players, and although they're young, Tommies head coach Meghan Morrison believes their range of talent will be the team's greatest strength.

"We have a powerful scrum as well as a fast, dynamic backfield. If we can utilize both sides of our game, we could have a great season," she said. "Our goal will be to find our groove and really perform as a team."

Meghan Pollard, Nat Sarchuk, Becca Baker, Emily Donelle, Katherine Conran, Olivia Ricketts, Victoria Mackenzie, and Kianna Laurin are among the additions making their Tommies' debut this season, and they bring a strong set of skills with them.

"Meghan and Natalie bring experience from past years playing at both the club and provincial level, and Becca Baker, a local recruit, shows great potential and speed as does Emily," Morrison said.

"Olivia has shown her skills as a forward with both speed and aggression, Victoria has shown her ability to tackle, which will be an asset, and Kianna is another strong addition to our backfield."

Offensively, the Tommies expect big things from former ACAA all-star and team captain Kiaya Jorden. Her speed, footwork, and field vision will be crucial to the team's success this season. Fellow ACAA all-star Shannon Morris will also be looked to for some offensive punch.

The Tommies will also be relying on the leadership and experience of co-captain Emily Cusack, veterans Kendra Grealey and Alice Ryan, and former ACAA Rookie of the Year Bailey Andrews.

The team's main focus this year will be continued growth in the knowledge and skills of the game. If they can improve their on-field performance as the season progresses they will certainly be in the mix come playoff time.

"The best approach we can take is to push them to work hard and focus. There's still a lot to learn and we need to constantly improve. We've learned from past years how important it is to be mentally and physically tough in order to be successful in this game," Morrison said.

 "We want to learn, grow, and surprise some people. We're a small school but we have a lot of talent on this squad."