Tommies Continued Improvement Leads to Optimism for 2022-23

The St. Thomas University Tommies women’s rugby season came to an end a few weeks ago, concluding a tough stretch for the team.

The Tommies went 0-4 on the season, but that’s not to say they didn’t have their fair share of highlights for the year. First year head coach, Nathan Bustard, didn’t hesitate when asked about what impressed him most about his team’s season.

“The main highlight of the season for me was how every game was an improvement on the last, and that the players never grew complacent with their performance. With such a young team, even when the outcome of the match is not exactly what you are looking for, it is important to see that the players are growing and adjusting to the level of competition. It was great to see so many new faces come together with the common goal of improving the program and taking the right steps in that direction.”

The Tommies had two players named ACAA All-Stars with fullback Sarah Hetherington (Saint John, NB) and prop Kyra Gate (Truro, NS) honored for the seasons they had. Bustard had

“Sarah is a very effective rugby player, and her work rate makes her a stabilizing presence on the field. Her ability to make one-on-one tackles offline breaks and her communication skills make her a high-level defender deserving of recognition. Kyra Gate, with her rugby IQ and physicality, was someone that younger players could look to as a role model on the team. Kyra could always be looked at to spark energy on the field through a dominant tackle or a bruising line break while leading the offensive charge,” boasted Bustard about his All-Stars.

The Tommies will graduate six players, including Gate, Elizabeth Harmon (Queenstown, NB), Mar Boucher (Clair, NB), Samantha Longstaff (Centreville, NB), Kassie Trainor (Hampton, NB) and Melissa Totten (Truro, NS).

“Mar and Kassie provided valuable leadership and took ownership of continuing the growth of this program,” said Bustard about his graduates. “They, and the other graduates, could always be counted on to put in the extra effort to ensure that the team was developing in a positive direction.”

With a solid core eligible to return for next season, Bustard and his staff will turn to filling some holes in order to make the jump in the ACAA standings.

“The coaching staff has highlighted the need for recruiting, especially in the forwards to replace graduates, as one of the main needs to address for next season. To continue the momentum that the team built this season, off-season training and continued player development will be keys to success in 2022.”