Everett, Barbs set for home opener

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This article was published 08/07/2022 (1327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

All Dustin Everett wanted was a quick break.

He jogged to the Brandon Barbarians sideline panting. The former football player wasn’t expecting to run this hard, this long.

“He’s like ‘You gotta take me off,’” Barbs coach Adam Kowalchuk chuckled. “I’m like ‘This isn’t how rugby is played, man. You gotta play the whole game.’”

Everett’s a quick study, though. He scored two tries in his first Rugby Manitoba Premier League regular-season game, a 55-26 loss to the Winnipeg Wasps.

“He’s going to be a star,” Kowalchuk said, adding his young Brandon side is benefiting from an influx of Westman Wolverines football players.

“They’re really athletic and all of them want to learn, which is great. That’s why we want to tap into more of the Wolverines that age out because everyone we’ve gotten so far is outstanding.”

The Barbs are back in action at John Reilly Field today, taking on the Wanderers at 3 p.m., followed by the women’s match at 4:30. It’s an exhibition contest for the men as the Wanderers are in the M-League (second tier) while it’s the official women’s home opener after three seasons away.

The six-foot-one, 215-pound Everett has transitioned from wide receiver and cornerback to inside centre, No. 12, which lines up closest to the fly-half and typically sees a lot of touches.

He’s realizing how demanding it is.

“It’s hard. You play 80 straight minutes, running pretty much 90 per cent of the time. I’m used to football getting a break but it’s a whole different world out here. It’s like soccer … you definitely need a lot more cardio,” Everett said.

“There’s a lot of different rules. With football, I’ve been playing it my whole life so I know what to do. But these guys are great with letting me know where I should be, letting me know what to do if I’m lost.”

Everett’s former Reens teammates Shea Godfrey, Tyler Wark and star running back Tyler Rowan have already made an impact on the group. Kowalchuk said the backfield looks terrific while the always big forward group is still strong. It’ll take time to adjust and gain experience, but the coach likes how easy it is to establish good habits with young players, as opposed to breaking bad ones in a veteran.

“I’ve never seen a team mesh like this, really quick … I’m hoping for the best this year,” he said.

The perennial powerhouse Assassins have already dropped a pair of games and Kowalchuk figures the league is as wide open as it’s been in years.

The Barbs might take their lumps early but have a home-heavy second half, including their 40th anniversary day on Aug. 5. Both Barbarians teams and the Dauphin Mavericks are playing at John Reilly that day as the Barbs look to avenge their opening-day loss to the Wasps.

While Everett learned a lot about the game that day, he discovered a tasty (read: nasty) tradition when forward Josh Koop removed his sweaty, grass-filled boot and poured a Michelob Ultra in before handing it off. Everett had to “shoot the boot,” or chug the beer for scoring his first try.

“It was all right,” Everett said. “It’s kind of a tradition so I’m happy to keep it up and party with the boys afterwards. It’s a great atmosphere after the game too, everyone’s drinking beers and having fun.

“We’re like a family. They took me in, took me under their wing. Everybody hangs out together outside of the game, parties together, treats each other with respect, it’s great.”

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