BU rugby club set for season opener
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Megan Thompson felt a seismic shift during a rugby match last summer.
On a scorching-hot July afternoon, the Brandon Barbarian lined up a Winnipeg Wasps ball carrier and rocked her, then looked up and smiled. In that moment, she realized something.
“Making a big hit is really what drives me,” Thompson said. “I’ve been a light player sometimes, not going in hard but I’ve taken it to a new level and started blowing people up. Defence has really changed for me.”
Scrum half Kateri Mills looks to pass during practice at John Reilly Field on Wednesday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
That is music to Brandon University coach Brian Yon’s ears.
As he leads the club into its Prairie University Women’s Rugby Conference opener against the University of Regina at John Reilly Field today, he’s looking for the third-year fly-half from Dauphin to help the team start on the right foot.
“No question, Megan Thompson looks really good. She had a great summer playing with the Barbs and has upped her game for sure. A lot of our players in that third-year range, you start to see they are getting it and developing as players,” Yon said.
“I’m confident we can stick anybody in the lineup in a position somewhere and they’ll do fine. It’s just going to come down to (today) when the real pressure is on.”
Yon said that, outside of Brooklyn Zemliak, he has the core of last year’s group intact. Scrum-half Kateri Mills is orchestrating the offence, with 2025 MVP Raegan Ricard ready to rumble through opposing defences for another season.
Thompson feels her group is strong all the way out to the wings.
Megan Thompson and the Brandon University women's rugby team begin their Prairie University Women's Rugby Conference season at home today against the University of Regina. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at John Reilly Field. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“Our back line is super strong this year,” she said. “I don’t think there’s many people that can beat us in the back line, really strong ball carriers and defence.”
Last year, BU went 4-0 in the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed for the playoffs, which it was already scheduled to host. Brandon beat Mount Royal 37-24 in the semifinals, but went down big early and was unable to rally in the final, losing 24-22 to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
“It was pretty upsetting, to go undefeated all season and go into the final and lose was heartbreaking for everybody,” Thompson said. “It definitely (motivated me). I’ve become a little crazier on defence after that.”
BU has a busy start to the season. It heads to Regina next weekend to face MRU on Friday and SAIT on Sept. 27.
The Bobcats’ last regular season game is against the visiting University of Saskatchewan on Oct. 17.
Yon can’t wait for the opening kickoff.
Megan Thompson smiles after tackling a Winnipeg Wasps ball carrier during the summer with the Brandon Barbarians. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)
“No question, last year is sitting in the memory bank,” Yon said. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. We looked at areas we need to work on and what cost us in the final.
“The girls are really excited … I think we’re in a better place now than the same time last year. The girls, they’re full of confidence right now and we’ve got a lot of skill.”
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com