The Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team begins the season ranked seventh in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rankings even though head coach Graeme McGravie describes 2012 as a rebuilding year.
“I was hoping for fourth or fifth (in the CIS rankings), but I’m not going to be disappointed being ranked anywhere in the top 10,” said McGravie.
The 2012 Stingers will have a much different look than the team that posted a 4-2 win-loss record and made it all the way to the RSEQ conference finals last season. The team opens the season with 20 rookies on its roster and has lost some key veterans.
Gone from last year are fly half Erika Hamilton, all-star lock Claire Hortop (last year’s captain) and hooker Adara Borys. Veteran props Sarah Scanlon and Lisa Hoffman have also graduated.
With so many departures McGravie is going to be leaning on his returning players even more than in the past.
“Certain players are going to have to carry the load a bit more than last year,” he said. “(Centre and captain Jackie Tittley) will have to do a lot and No. 8 Cara Stuckey will have to contribute more also.”
Tittley, in her final season with Concordia, is more than ready to take that next step as a player and a leader.
“I expect us to do well,” she said. “My personal goal in coming back this year was to lead this team and be as united as possible. We have a lot of young players but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Every few years a team needs a change and we have a lot of talent coming in.”
Perhaps no rookie will be leaned on more than centre Bianca Farella who has experience playing with the Canadian national rugby 7s team.
“I’m really happy she’s wearing a Stinger’s jersey and not someone else’s,” said McGravie.
The coach also knows that a different team will require different tactics this season.
“We’re much smaller than last year,” said McGravie. “We will have to be much quicker this season and try to avoid getting into a lot of battles on the ball, which was our strength in the past.”
Playing in arguably the toughest conference in the country, McGravie knows it will be a challenge to make it out of Quebec. The defending RSEQ champion Laval Rouge et Or and the McGill Martlets begin the season ranked fourth and ninth, respectively, in the CIS.
If the new-look Stingers do find a way out of the conference though, McGravie knows that once you get to nationals “anything can happen.”
The Stingers open the season tonight versus the Sherbrooke Vert & Or at 7 p.m. at Concordia Stadium. They are home again on Sept. 12 at 9 p.m. when they host McGill in the annual Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup game.
