Women’s Rugby 7s comes to Kings!
Under the guidance of first year Head Coach Eilish Redshaw, the UKC Women’s Rugby team will take on a new challenge: rugby sevens. The Blue Devils, along with Dalhousie (Halifax and Agricultural campuses) and University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ), will take part in the inaugural season.
The season will comprise two round-robin style tournaments hosted by the Blue Devils and UNBSJ respectively, as well as a championship hosted by Dalhousie Agricultural Campus.
Compared to rugby fifteens (the previous format the Blue Devil Women played under), rugby sevens is a much higher paced contest. “A whole sevens game takes place within a quarter of the time of a fifteens game. You play on the same-sized field but only have half the players, which makes the game a lot more fluid,” says Redshaw.
Redshaw says with a roster comprised predominantly of first-year King’s students, alongside the core group of returning players, the Blue Devils Women are poised to do something special on the field.
Men’s Rugby looks to improve on successful season
As the UKC Men’s Rugby team gears up for the upcoming season, there’s a lot to be excited about. Following a season that saw them one win shy of retaining the Nova Scotia Rugby DII title, along with a large group of returning players, the anticipation is high to see how much the team has progressed after a summer playing with their home clubs.
Among the standouts, Garrett H
orne and Max Solano, now entering their third year, are expected to be a formidable force in the forwards. Additionally, Ethan Salsman’s return after a strong performance with VRU will be a significant boost for the team.
Reflecting on last season, Head Coach Geno Carew says the highlight was watching a young squad come together and advance to the Nova Scotia finals, showcasing their growth and potential. Carew says this season presents its own set of challenges, particularly the compressed schedule, which leaves little time to implement structures. Keeping everyone healthy will be crucial, and the team is fortunate to have the support of their physio partner and student trainers to help navigate this demanding season.
Women’s Soccer aims to score big
The UKC Blue Devils Women’s Soccer team is gearing up for an exciting season with a strong roster of new and returning players. The team is eager to build on the momentum from their success from the previous season that saw them come home with a silver medal at ACAA championships and a fifth-place finish at the CCAA National Championships.
Head Coach Gary Carter says they are aware of the competitive nature of the league, with other schools also adding talent to their rosters. However, by staying focused on their own game and playing to their strengths, he believes they have all the tools necessary for another successful season.
Men’s Soccer looking to defend their title
The UKC Men’s Soccer team is gearing up for an exciting season as the defending ACAA champions.
Head Coach Jamie McGinnis the players are excited to back at it and are busy preparing for their opening game.
“There was significant player turnover from last seasons group, we have seven new players joining the squad, and there’s a lot of anticipation about how these fresh faces will impact the team,” says McGinnis.
He added, the potential is there to go back to back, and this group is hungry to get back to another National Championships.
When asked about highlights from last years 11-1-2 season, McGinnis says the dramatic ACAA championship victory in penalty kicks over Halifax rival, Mount Saint Vincent stands out as a highlight.
The focus for the remainder of the preseason will be on quickly developing our style of play, integrating these new players into our developing a championship level culture.
