Sabres’ star Munz settles in with new team
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/05/2025 (334 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
From Oak River to Rivers, and now Souris, Karas Munz goes wherever rugby takes her.
The hard-hitting senior is one of the handful of Rivers Rams players to join up with the Souris Sabres this Westman High School Rugby girls’ season, much to the team’s delight.
Munz scored five tries as the Sabres dropped the host Crocus Plainsmen 68-7 on Wednesday.
“That felt amazing, finally getting rolling. I felt like we really got in a groove there, we found our spots and the team really started working,” Munz said. “The plays started coming to life that we practise … Everything started making sense … It felt great to be on the field and see the team coming together.”
It was an adjustment for everyone, but a welcomed one. The Rivers girls went from one terrific coaching staff led by Kat Muirhead to another with Brandon University coach Brian Yon leading both Souris squads.
Munz said it’s nice to not have to worry about some of the big weapons the Sabres possess — now she gets to pass to them and let them go to work.
The challenge, however, was settling into new roles since some starting-calibre athletes had a new teammate already in their primary role.
“Some girls find it easier than others,” Munz said. “This team has been really good with everything like that. It’s great because we’re all trying new positions and learning new things and we all help each other out.
“It’s a huge learning experience and it’s great to be on this team.”
Munz is playing No. 8 for Souris, meaning she’s usually close to the ball and active on offence and defence. She certainly was on Wednesday.
The Sabres opened their season with a 36-5 win over the Vincent Massey Vikings and looked even stronger in their second game.
Souris built pressure right from the start as Crocus defended as hard as it could. The Plainsmen held on for more than seven minutes but April Lachapelle finally pushed it over the line.
It took two more minutes to double the advantage as Elle McLean shook a few tacklers and scored.
The Plainsmen got on the board 14 minutes in when Beverly Maloney picked off a pass and rumbled more than 70 metres to score. Kendra McEwing booted the convert to make it 10-7.
Munz replied quickly with a breakthrough run to score her first try.
Crocus controlled play for a while after that, moving the ball inside the 22-metre line but turned it over and Munz ran untouched down the left side.
Munz added her third try just before halftime to lead 29-7.
Gracelynn Schroeder touched the ball down less than four minutes into the second half before an onslaught of Sabres scores.
The scoring team receives the dropkick to restart play — unlike football where it kicks off — and the visitors took advantage, returning one after another for easy tries.
“That is a lethal weapon because once you get that momentum going, it’s hard to stop that momentum. It just drives us more,” Munz said.
“We get hungry for the ball, we get hungry for the tries.”
Aubrey Skelton, Madison Vandal, Calle Peters and Mia Lepp also scored tries while McLean kicked three converts and Peters added one.
The Sabres have their easiest game on Monday against the host Plainsmen JV team, then the toughest one two days later at home against the top-ranked Dauphin Clippers, who have gone nine straight games without allowing a single point dating back to 2024.
“I’m super pumped,” Munz said. “I want to be the first one to take away their point.”
That game will determine home-field advantage for the final on May 24, as well as which Brandon team Dauphin and Souris host in the May 20 and 21 semifinals.
The top two teams head to provincials on May 30-31.
In the boys’ game, Thomas Cha, Jack O’Connor and Lain Skeoch scored two tries each as the Sabres won 43-20. Colby Pentecost kicked four converts.
Isaac Bromley touched the ball down three times for the Plainsmen.
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com
» Instagram: @thomasfriesen5