ICRC Junior Girl's High School Clinic a big success

The 2^nd Annual Irish Canadian Rugby Club Women’s High School Clinic was a huge success as 70 players from 11 different high schools took part in a day of skills and drills at Newtonbrook Secondary School on Sunday April 17^th.

The young and rambunctious players were put through their paces by the Irish Women, led by Junior Coaches Karen Lozada and Mary Velpel.  Many of the senior players were on hand to demonstrate the drills and pass on their knowledge and give encouragement to a very enthusiastic group of players.  Ontario U19 Women Head Coach Rodin Lozada was also present scouting for potential provincial team players and Rugby Ontario Youth Development Officer Chris Silverthorn led the forwards in a very informative scrummaging session. 

The Irish Women will be fielding an U19 team this summer and the clinic was a stepping stone to establishing the junior program as one of the best in the province.  Several players registered with the club including Ontario Juniors Lindsey Bradbury and Tanya Thompson of Bear Creek High School in Barrie, ON.  Junior co-coach Mary Velpel commented, “It is great to see so many young women so enthusiastic about the sport.  I am glad that the club can help give back to the younger players by providing them with an opportunity to learn new things and improve their skills with a clinic like this.”

“The clinic was a success on several fronts,” said Karen Lozada, recruiting director for the ICRC. “First the players got to learn some skills they may not normally learn at their school practices.  Second, it was good for the club to introduce our junior program to the players and schools in our surrounding communities.  I was encouraged to see that the clinic has grown since last year and we were able to double the number of participants.”

Thanks to the Azar brothers from Sababa Restaurant for providing lunch for the players, Newtonbrook Secondary School and John Giuga for providing the facility, all the players that volunteered their time and the high school coaches that encouraged their players to attend.

The Irish Canadian Rugby Club Women will be fielding an U19 Squad that will compete in the Toronto Rugby Union U19 League starting in late June.  Any interested players should e-mail Karen Lozada at kokandferg@rogers.com for more information or to register.