Right the wrong is the motto of the premier men’s team in the aftermath of the most disappointing season in the modern era of the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
Last year’s playoff pratfall ended nine consecutive appearances in the Ken Ann Cup north final, prompting an off-season of soul searching and attitude adjustments for the winners of three consecutive Labatt’s Cup provincial championships.
“We had a lot of potential, we didn’t really live up to it last year. I don’t know why, we just didn’t,” said open-side flanker Jordan Roberts, the team MVP of the 9-5 firsts.
The return to greatness, as well as beating the Nor’Westers who have surpassed SARFC as a club and a half as last year’s Labatt’s Cup winners, is underway in earnest.
“We’re pretty excited,” Roberts said. “Obviously we weren’t too happy with the way things ended last year. Everyone seems to be pretty keen to get onto it again.”
The largest home crowd of the season witnessed the downfall of the firsts in the 23-15 semifinal shocker against the Strathcona Druids (7-8) as SARFC failed to qualify for the Ken Ann Cup to determine the northern reps in the provincial final for the first time since 2007 when there was only one SARFC men’s team, the Lor-Ann Cup second division provincial champions.
The span of eight trips in nine years to the premier championship was highlighted by the first Labatt’s Cup in SARFC history in 2010.
“The older boys really want to make things right for losing to the Druids last year,” Roberts said.
While the identity of the fifth head coach of the men’s program in five years was still unclear at press time, club veterans Matt Jarvis and Duncan Maguire have done a yeoman's job of mapping out the rebuilding process for the firsts as well as increasing the playing ranks for SARFC’s return to the Edmonton Rugby Union second division and the formation of a joint third division team with the Druids.
Last year the SARFC thirds placed first in the ERU table but bowed out in the semifinals 60-14 to the Parkland Sharks (8-5) to finish 8-3.
As for areas of improvement with the firsts, “Fitness would be a good starting point. I think at pace we struggled at it last year,” Roberts said. “Our scrum got dominated quite a lot so we have to work on that.
“Just being more organized around the pitch would be good for us.”
The season openers are May 11 for the thirds against the LA Crude at 7 p.m. at Ellerslie, May 12 for the seconds against the Nor’Westers at 4 p.m. at SARFC and May 26 for the firsts against the Clan at 2:15 p.m. at Ellerslie.
The firsts have only 10 matches (five at home) scheduled in the regular season instead of 13 (seven at home) last year and surprisingly there are none scheduled against the Calgary Hornets or Calgary Saints in the Alberta Cup because of a spat between the Calgary and Edmonton rugby unions.
Four out of five north teams in the Alberta Cup will compete in the Sept. 15 north semifinals.
As for the team previously known as the fantastic firsts, the goal is, “Obviously just do better than last year. Winning that Edmonton city final would be a good start and then go from there,” Roberts said. “But we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves just yet. We have to work on building to the end of the season.”
Roberts, 25, is a key returnee after making an important impact in his inaugural season of Canadian rugby.
“Nothing really threw me too much. It was just a nice change to play a different style of rugby for sure,” said the quiet and unassuming New Zealander who hails from Blenheim, located at the top of the south island. “Summer rugby is always good. You get to run around in the sun and throw the ball about. It was a bit of what I was expecting which is nice.”
Roberts was recruited by his buddy Josh Oden, a former SARFC player.
“He said it was a good club to be involved with so I got in contact and they said they would be happy to have me,” Roberts said. “I heard it was a good club with a good culture and good facilities and over the last few years obviously they have a history of winning and winning titles which is a good club to be involved with.”
Roberts edged out front-row standout Robert Blunden for most outstanding player honours on the firsts.
“As an import being in my first season at the club to get that was pretty cool for sure. I definitely wanted to stick around for another season for sure after last year,” said Roberts, who confessed to receiving a few MVP awards in the past with the Mahurangi Rugby Football Club. “I’m really not that very prolific.”
SCRUM BALLS: SARFC is fielding two women’s teams again after going 2-8-1 in its first Alberta premier campaign and 6-6 as semifinalist in the ERU second division.
The ERU fixtures kick-off May 12 against the host Drayton Valley Riggers at 2 p.m. and the premier lid-lifter is May 26 against the Calgary Irish at 2 p.m. at SARFC.
