Updates on women's rugby playoff at SARFC, bantam AAA Sabres exhibition and St. Albert Men's Soccer League semifinals

Women’s rugby

The St. Albert Rugby Football club hosts the Rockers in today’s second division women’s playoff match at 4 p.m. Two points separated fourth-place SARFC (5-5, 11 bonus points) and the fifth-place Rockers (6-4, five bonus points) in the Edmonton Rugby Union table. In league play, the Rockers beat SARFC 17-10 June 10 in Leduc. The winner scrums down in the Sept. 16 semifinal at the first-place Grande Prairie Sirens (9-1) or second-place Lep/Tigers (8-2). The Edmonton Rugby Union final is Sept. 23 at 12:45 p.m. at Ellerslie Rugby Park. SARFC won the ERU championship in 2014. For the first time in several years, SARFC fielded two women’s teams and a number of second division players rucked and mauled in the SARFC (2-8-1) debut in the Alberta premier league.

Bantam Sabres

Today at 3:30 p.m. the St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres and Sherwood Park Flyers face off in exhibition action at Go Auto Arena. The teams played Sunday in Sherwood Park and the Sabres won 9-1. The preseason continues next week with four games in five days at Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre, starting Wednesday against the SSAC Southgate Lions at 7 p.m. The Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League season opener is Sept. 23 against SSAC at 1:45 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.

SAMSL playoffs

Sunday’s semifinals in the St. Albert Men’s Soccer League will determine the finalists for the playoff cup and third place trophy in the two-game aggregate format. Kickoff times at Larry Olexiuk Field are 1 p.m. between the Forest Park Rangers (14-2-1) and DV Youngmen (7-8-2) and 3 p.m. between the Impact Alumni (12-3-2) and Chester City (8-9). The finals are 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Salisbury field and Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. (third place) and 3 p.m. (playoff cup) at Larry Olexiuk Field. A new SAMSL champion will be crowned as Prestige Worldwide failed to qualify for the semifinals after finishing third in pool A in the playoff round robin. Meanwhile, Forest Park is coming off a 0-3 showing at the Alberta Soccer Association Tier III championship last weekend in Calgary. Last year’s playoff cup finalist failed to score a goal in losses of 3-0 to the Gladiators (11-2-1 in division 3B in the Edmonton District Soccer Association), 8-0 to Evolution FC (silver medallist from Calgary) and 3-0 to Calgary Celtic FC (bronze medallist).