Come Try It rugby clinic taking place Friday at LRC

By Dale Woodard on July 15, 2021.

A rugby clinic allowing interested youth to check out the sport is taking place Friday.

The Come Try It clinic will take place at the Lethbridge Rugby Club from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for interested athletes aged five to 17.

The free, drop-in clinic is being run by University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Savanna Collison and Keegan Brantner, working as Youth Development Coordinators for the Junior Rugby Alberta Association.

“It’s our second Try It Event,” said Collison, who hosted an event in Taber last week.

“It’s an opportunity for kids aged five-17 to come out for free and try rugby and see what it’s all about, get their hands on a ball, try a couple of drills and just really dive in and get an experience into rugby. Some kids will have previous experience with rugby and some kids will have no experience, but all experience levels are welcome. We’re trying to encourage the interest and the development in rugby in Alberta.”

The Junior Rugby Alberta Association has multiple summer students in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and Lethbridge supporting the sport.

“We all have the same goal and are doing similar things,” said Collison.

“We just had our first event in Taber last Wednesday and we had (roughly) 60 to 70 kids turnout. It was really successful and we’re looking to continue the success into Lethbridge and potentially other places as well, maybe Fort Macleod or Raymond. We’re just trying to see the interest levels.”

Members of the Lethbridge Rugby Club will also be on hand to help run drills and answer any questions, said Collison, adding she and Brantner are eyeing a bigger Come Try It clinic in August.

“There will be more people from Rugby Alberta and hopefully we’ll get some other summer students down. We’re just trying to gain interest so we can throw that larger event,” she said.

In the meantime, interested athletes are asked to stop by the Lethbridge Rugby Club Friday and take a crack at the sport.

Just prepare for the conditions with another hot day on the slate.

“Come in your sports gear and your runners,” said Collison. “Bring some water because it’s going to be hot, just be ready to have fun.”

The clinic will be divided up into age groups with the five to 14-year-olds going from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the 15 to 17-year-olds following from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

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