The last home game of the season at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club is Saturday’s north semifinal between the premier men’s team and the Nor’Westers.
The Alberta Cup playoff kicks off at 2 p.m.
The first 15 of St. Albert are 11-1 as the premier pennant winners and the Nor’Westers are 4-8 as the fourth-ranked north team in the table.
In the league fixtures the firsts defeated the Nor’Westers 38-12 in July at Ellerslie Rugby Park and 32-17 last month at the Nor’Westers club.
The firsts are undefeated in four matches after their first loss of the season, 13-8 against the Strathcona Druids in July on Druids Day in Sherwood Park.
The Nor’Westers, a former second division powerhouse who rejoined the premier ranks after a lengthy absence, enter the playoffs with a modest two-game winning streak.
The winner scrums down against the Druids (7-5) or Clansmen (4-8) in the Ken Ann Cup north final Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. at Ellerslie.
The north champion will tackle the Calgary Rugby Union champion in the Oct. 4 Labatt’s Cup provincial final at Calgary Rugby Park.
The firsts are gunning for their sixth provincial appearance in seven years and the second Labatt’s Cup in club history since 2010.
This weekend the Paul Kane Blues serve up their 11th annual Ryan Burak Invitational Tournament for high school junior teams.
The tournament swings into action Friday at 2:30 p.m. and Saturday’s finals are 2:45 p.m. for the females and 4 p.m. for the males.
There are eight female and eight male teams entered, including the Paul Kane and Sturgeon Spirits’ females and males and the lady St. Albert Skyhawks.
The tournament was established in memory of Ryan Burak, a Paul Kane grad who played three years on the senior volleyball team. He was killed by a drunk driver on Jan. 27, 2004 at the age of 20.
The St. Albert Heavenly Rollers Derby League hosts a doubleheader bout Saturday at Servus Credit Union Place.
The Arch Angels, the Heavenly Rollers’ elite travelling team, are up against the Calgary Roller Derby Association All-Stars at 6 p.m. and around 8 p.m. the house team, Beelzebubs, battle the East Side Wheelers of Indus, a hamlet located east of Calgary.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and advance tickets are $10 online at www.stahrderby.com/tickets. Tickets at the door are $15. Children 10 and younger get in free.
The Heavenly Rollers were granted an apprentice affiliation with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association last year and the Calgary All-Stars became a fulltime member in 2013.
