Thursday’s Alberta Cup rugby heavyweight bout between the St. Albert premier men and the Clan kicks off at Airway Park at 7 p.m.
The first 15 (8-2-1, nine bonus points) are battling the Calgary Hornets (8-2, 10 BP) for the division one pennant and the Clan (4-6, 10 BP) are ranked mid-table.
The Labatt’s Cup provincial champions are unbeaten in five matches after their fourth consecutive win, 65-12 over the Calgary Canucks (3-8, five BP) last weekend in Cow Town. It’s also the fourth match of the season the firsts surpassed 50 points.
The firsts also scrum down at home Aug. 29 against the Hornets and Sept. 12 against the last-place Strathcona Druids (1-8-1, six BP). Start times are 4 p.m.
The firsts also host the Druids in the Sept. 19 semifinals in the Ken Ann Cup playoffs, which determines the north rep for the Oct. 2 provincials at Ellerslie.
The Edmonton Rugby Union’s junior semifinals kicked off this week for St. Albert’s male and female teams.
The score from Monday’s U17/U19 female playoff between St. Albert (4-2, five bonus points) and the Strathcona Druids (5-1, five BP) in Sherwood Park was unavailable at press time
The U17 St. Albert males (0-5-1, three BP) visit the Druids (6-0, five BP) tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Lynn Davies Rugby Park.
The U19 St. Albert males (4-0, four BP) host the Nor’Westers (2-2, two BP) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday
The ERU finals are Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Ellerslie Rugby Park.
St. Albert’s third division men’s team in the Edmonton Rugby Union has first place in their sights Saturday in the last match before the playoffs.
Kickoff is 2 p.m. against the visiting Edson Axmen.
The thirds (8-3, 10 bonus points) trail the Pirates (9-2, 10 BP) by four points in the pennant race.
The thirds need a win, plus bonus point, against Edson (6-4, eight BP), and the Pirates must either lose or record a victory without a bonus point, against the Nor’Westers (3-8, eight BP) Friday for St. Albert to secure the No. 1 playoff seed.
In league play, the thirds beat the Pirates, last year’s ERU champions and provincial finalists, 25-8 in St. Albert.
This year, six teams make the playoffs and the semifinals for the top two finishers are Sept. 19.
The thirds are winners of four in a row and six of their last seven matches.
Last year’s provincial second division women’s rugby champions make their Alberta first division playoff debut Saturday in Calgary.
Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. between fourth-place St. Albert (2-3, two bonus points) and the first-place Saracens (4-1, five BP).
In league play, St. Albert lost 45-31 to the visiting Saracens, last year’s first division provincial finalists, with only 14 players dressed.
The winner will challenge the Clan (4-1, four BP), the defending champions, or Calgary Irish (3-2, two BP) in the Aug. 29 provincial final.
St. Albert earned a first division promotion after going 7-2 this year in the Edmonton Rugby Union spring league.
Last year’s team finished 11-4 overall as the provincial and ERU second division champions.
