The Meadow Lake SheDevils rugby team will send seven players to represent Northern Saskatchewan at this year’s Man Sask Championship. (file photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Saskatchewan’s best

Seven from Meadow Lake rugby team to represent province at Man Sask

Jul 5, 2019 | 5:00 PM

The North Saskatchewan Wolverines rugby team is in Winnipeg this weekend for the U-16 and U-18 Man Sask Championship.

Made up of players from different communities throughout the region, this weekend will mark the first time many on the respective teams will have the opportunity to suit up on the same side as the players they generally oppose from different schools over the course of the season.

Seventeen-year-old Ashley Albert, of the U-18 girls, has represented North Saskatchewan at the tournament for five years. As a member of the Meadow Lake SheDevils, for Albert, the opportunity to represent her province at Man Sask serves as the cherry on top to an excellent rugby season this year with the Devils.

Meadow Lake is coming off a campaign that saw the team host the biggest tournament in the province, and finish with a silver medal in provincial playoffs.

Albert is one of seven members of the SheDevils roster to make the North Sask team, along with teammates Olivia Campbell, Melinda Bobier, Shaylee Deijarlais, Brooklyn Abbott, Kayelyn Rasmussen, and Charly Lange.

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Albert said making the trip with so many of her teammates is something that makes the experience extra special.

“It’s really awesome because the first year I played it was only me coming onto this team, so to see all the girls’ growth and exposure really means a lot,” she said. “It’s really fun to see them grow as players and as people.”

Albert said even as someone who has been there before and knows what to expect, the opportunity to play in front of scouts is one she still eagerly looks forward to.

“It’s super exciting,” she said. “Usually when you’re so far North you don’t really get as much exposure, so all of our girls travel a lot to get the exposure and try to make it farther in our rugby careers.

“You never really know when or where the scouts are looking, so you just have to play as hard as possible to try to make yourself as noticeable as possible, but also play for your team and play safe and smart.”

Despite having practiced as a team just three times prior to the weekend, Albert said she’s confident this year’s squad can make some noise over the weekend, citing the group’s versatility as a strength that will be of great benefit.

“We all have different kinds of skills that will help, [so] I think we’re a really strong team,” she said. “We have some really fast girls and some really strong girls that will help us in our tackles. I think we’ll come out looking pretty good at this tournament. We all play at a pretty high level so we’re ready to go for sure.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1