Westman women gear up for rugby nationals

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This article was published 29/10/2019 (2353 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A trio of Westman rugby players are heading to Ottawa with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to compete for their first-ever national title this week.

Third-year hook Kendra Roberts of Souris, first-year prop Oreoluwa Abikoye of Brandon and first-year back row Jordan McLeod of Rivers were a part of UBC’s first Canada West rugby title in the program’s history after they beat the University of Calgary Dinos 26-12 on Oct. 20 in Lethbridge.

Two of the three Westman women, Roberts and Abikoye, did not play in the final due to injury. Abikoye has missed the entire season after hurting her ankle during the T-Birds’ preseason tour of Ireland in August.

McLeod played 10 minutes in the final. She said it can be challenging to prepare for a game she didn’t know if she was going to play in.

“It’s a completely different experience from starting the game and playing the whole game from previous games I’ve played,” she said in a phone interview from Vancouver.

“I find it’s challenging to not know when you’ll have to come in and then you have to be warm and ready to go and be focused and know what’s going on in the game. You have to make an impact once you’re on the field.”

Roberts suffered a concussion in UBC’s Sept. 29 win over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, but expects to play at nationals in Ottawa Oct. 30 to Nov. 3. Roberts was able to travel with the team to the Canada West playoffs and said it was just as rewarding to see the Thunderbirds capture their first title from the sidelines.

“We were the favourite to win so it was really good to actually get the win,” she said. “Especially since it was the first time we won a game at CanWest as well as winning CanWest.”

Abikoye did not travel with the team to Lethbridge, where the finals were held, but watched it via livestream with a teammate.

“It didn’t feel any different as if I was playing, of course I miss it, it’s just nice to be part of the experience and see how much hard work was put into winning,” she said. “It really motivated me to get back out there.”

Abikoye, better known as “Oreo” graduated from Vincent Massey a year earlier than the typical high schooler, so she is facing not only challenges on the field, but in the classroom as well. She said she has been able to adjust and it helps to have teammates from her corner of the country on the squad.

“It’s really, really tough, it’s nothing like high school in any way,” she said. “I’m still adjusting, hopefully by second term I’ll be a little bit more on it.”

Abikoye said Roberts, the oldest of the three, has become like a “mom away from home.” She said Roberts is always checking in with Abikoye’s mom as well as Abikoye herself, which she appreciates.

Roberts laughed when she heard she was being referred to as a mother, opting to be more of a “big sister.” The T-Birds have a buddy system for new players, and Roberts has taken Abikoye and McLeod under her wing.

“I don’t see myself being motherly exactly,” she said. “I do definitely watch out for them and check in on them lots since they are my little buddies.”

McLeod is just happy to be playing on the same team as Roberts.

“She was always scary,” McLeod said with a laugh. “When we played Souris it was always, ‘Watch out for Kendra.’”

Roberts said she wished there was some Westman girls on the team when she joined the team two years ago. Roberts said Abikoye and McLeod are able to relate to some of the challenges that come with moving from small Prairie communities to a large metropolis like Vancouver.

As first-year players, Abikoye and McLeod said the speed of the game is something they need to get used to.

“The sport is developing in Manitoba still and coming out here it’s a big adjustment to speed everything up,” McLeod said. “It’s definitely where I want to be and I plan on getting better.”

Looking ahead to nationals, McLeod said she is excited to see the level of completion in Ottawa which will be even faster.

Roberts is looking forward to making some UBC history, as no matter how they fare at nationals, it will be a best-ever finish for the T-Birds. UBC also has the element of the unknown on their side, as most teams from out east have not seen them play at previous national tournaments.

“It’s really exciting to go there and get our name put in with all of them and show that we can compete at that level and show that we are just as good,” Roberts said.

“Because we don’t have a history, all the other teams have is film and word of mouth from the other coaches. But, we (face the same challenge) with any other team that’s not in CanWest.”

Abikoye will not be travelling with the team to Ottawa, but will be cheering from Vancouver.

Roberts, Abikoye and McLeod will be joined by a pair of other Westman women at U Sports nationals. Monique Coffey and Kalee Dyck of Dauphin will be there with the Acadia University Axewomen vying for Acadia’s first-ever national title in Ottawa.

The Thunderbirds begin nationals with a game against the Quebec conference finalists, Laval University Rouge et Or Wednesday at 1 p.m.

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