Central Ontario champions I E Weldon Secondary School completed a short but hetic one week tour at the last weekend, winning three games out of five - played over four days!
This was the first overseas tour by the Canadian school. Using links with a school in East Hertfordshire the tourists arranged a series of games at each of the county’s main girls’ clubs.
Weldon arrived on Tuesday 3rd April and spent the first half of the week at Wymondley Woods Scout Camp, near Letchworth – the first time the venue had been used to host a sports team. The relative seclusion and large open training area allowed the visitors to prepare well for their first game at Letchworth RFC the following day.
Letchworth had organised a small four-team festival – dubbed “Canada Day” – designed to ensure that all of Weldon’s 26 players got a game. Weldon began slowly, losing to the host team (who had combined with Sudbury for the day), but then went on to beat Aylesbury and a “Barbarian” team (made up of girls from clubs in neighbouring counties).
After this the girls moved onto host families in the Broxbourne area, and on Good Friday took on Welwyn. After a poor first half, they came close to pulling back a 20 point deficit in the second half before eventually going down 34-20 in what was acknowledged as being one of Welwyn’s most competitive games of the season.
The tour was then rounded off the following day with an exciting 7-5 win over Hertford, the winning try and conversion coming in the final seconds of the game.
After returning to Canada Weldon’s Head Coach Kirk Wilson looked back on their week. ““It was real bang, go a head rugby,” he said to his local paper, the Lindsay Daily Post. “I’m pretty happy with the result, especially since we haven’t played since November. Anytime you’ve been off for a long period of time your game fitness is different,” Wilson said, noting you have to work out all the kinks first.”
Kirk and his team main surprise was the physical size of their opponents. “I think the girls were surprised at how much bigger the other teams were,” he said.
“Especially in their forwards,” added captain Corie Lewis. “It was a challenge at first for our defence to tackle girls that size.”
Kirk also praised the team’s hosts – and the English weather! “the teams we played were well organized, accommodating and very friendly. I think there were a lot of things that really exceeded our expectations.
“Quite often it’s very damp and rainy in England, but it was sunny and about eight degrees. Perfect weather for rugby. It was a great bonus.”
Results:
4th April:
Letchworth & Sudbury 17, I E Weldon 10
Aylesbury 5, I E Weldon 24
Barbarians (Ely/Peterborough/Towcester) 0, I E Weldon 17
6th April:
Welwyn 34, I E Weldon 20
7th April
Hertford 5, I E Weldon 7.
This was the first overseas tour by the Canadian school. Using links with a school in East Hertfordshire the tourists arranged a series of games at each of the county’s main girls’ clubs.
Weldon arrived on Tuesday 3rd April and spent the first half of the week at Wymondley Woods Scout Camp, near Letchworth – the first time the venue had been used to host a sports team. The relative seclusion and large open training area allowed the visitors to prepare well for their first game at Letchworth RFC the following day.
Letchworth had organised a small four-team festival – dubbed “Canada Day” – designed to ensure that all of Weldon’s 26 players got a game. Weldon began slowly, losing to the host team (who had combined with Sudbury for the day), but then went on to beat Aylesbury and a “Barbarian” team (made up of girls from clubs in neighbouring counties).
After this the girls moved onto host families in the Broxbourne area, and on Good Friday took on Welwyn. After a poor first half, they came close to pulling back a 20 point deficit in the second half before eventually going down 34-20 in what was acknowledged as being one of Welwyn’s most competitive games of the season.
The tour was then rounded off the following day with an exciting 7-5 win over Hertford, the winning try and conversion coming in the final seconds of the game.
After returning to Canada Weldon’s Head Coach Kirk Wilson looked back on their week. ““It was real bang, go a head rugby,” he said to his local paper, the Lindsay Daily Post. “I’m pretty happy with the result, especially since we haven’t played since November. Anytime you’ve been off for a long period of time your game fitness is different,” Wilson said, noting you have to work out all the kinks first.”
Kirk and his team main surprise was the physical size of their opponents. “I think the girls were surprised at how much bigger the other teams were,” he said.
“Especially in their forwards,” added captain Corie Lewis. “It was a challenge at first for our defence to tackle girls that size.”
Kirk also praised the team’s hosts – and the English weather! “the teams we played were well organized, accommodating and very friendly. I think there were a lot of things that really exceeded our expectations.
“Quite often it’s very damp and rainy in England, but it was sunny and about eight degrees. Perfect weather for rugby. It was a great bonus.”
Results:
4th April:
Letchworth & Sudbury 17, I E Weldon 10
Aylesbury 5, I E Weldon 24
Barbarians (Ely/Peterborough/Towcester) 0, I E Weldon 17
6th April:
Welwyn 34, I E Weldon 20
7th April
Hertford 5, I E Weldon 7.
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