For the second year in a row, the only Alberta female rugby player going to Colombia with the Dog River Howlers is a Pusch.
Alexie Pusch, 16, leaves Sunday for the 7s tournament and goodwill tour.
Her sister, Mckenzie, ran the pitch with the Howlers last December in Medellin.
“I’m very excited. I can’t wait,” Alexie said. “I’m excited to meet new people.”
The U18 roster consists of 16 females, ranging in age from 14 to 18, and the majority hail from Ontario.
“Its nice to be picked and it’s nice to be seen too,” said the standoff for the U19 juniors at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club and 2015 Edmonton Rugby Union finalists.
The Howlers are an invitational rugby club founded by Karl Fix in 2007 for lovers of what they term “our game.”
The Howlers are comprised of players and supporters from across Canada, as well as other countries, who believe that rugby is more than a game but a way of life.
The club tours to various parts of the world to train and play rugby, while enjoying the cultural experiences as they give back to that country’s sport and/or people. They use “our game” as a vehicle to build bridges between people around the world.
The Howlers have also raised more than $1,000,000 for worthwhile causes.
The Howlers’ home base is Dog River, Sask. – the fictional home for CTV’s award-winning comedy series Corner Gas – but they call Regina home.
The honorary captain is Lorne Cardinal, a policeman on Corner Gas who acquired the rights from CTV for the club to use Dog River as its name.
Alexie was provided the Coles Notes version of what to expect in Colombia from her older sister.
“She said the environment is a lot different but I will get used to it. She also said it’s really good food there and you do some volunteer work, which is good. I’m excited about that,” said Alexie, who expects to play standoff or wing for the Howlers.
The Grade 11 St. Albert Catholic High School student hails from a rugby household. Mckenzie, who possesses Duncan Maguire calibre speed, racked up 16 tries in eight matches with the Central Washington University Wildcats, a division one team based in Ellensburg, Wash., that ranked second in the United States. The Bellerose Composite High School graduate was named the top rookie for the fall season. She is also a scoring machine with the SARFC women’s team.
The sisters’ dad, David, was also a player of note for SARFC back in the day.
“I really like the rugby environment. I also like not just the aggression but more like the intensity. It’s fast paced and competitive. It's just different,” said Alexie, who considers Mckenzie her role model in the sport.
“I like to try and be like my sister as much as possible because she does good and I want to do good too.”
Alexie played high school rugby in Grade 10 with the Bellerose Bulldogs, the 2015 metro Edmonton division one finalists, because St. Albert High no longer fields rugby teams.
After the junior season with SARFC she joined the Celtic Barbarians of Alberta, a travelling 7s team, at the North Shore tournament in September in Victoria.
“That was a good experience. We won the tournament and had a good time,” said the Grade 10 female athlete of the year at St. Albert High who also plays basketball for the senior Skyhawks.
Alexie had to put her Grade 11 volleyball season on hold because of the time commitments involved in training and travelling for rugby this fall.
“I like to put in the time. There is this Alberta training (program) that I do on the weekends, like once or twice a month type of thing in Red Deer. I also like to go to club practices and my sister and I will go out sometimes and just pass the ball around.
“I just love rugby.”
