HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-01-21, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016.
Sports
Smith travels to Colombia for rugby experience
By Lexi Smith
Just before Christmas, I travelled
to Medellin, Colombia with the
Howlers rugby club. This rugby club
is based out of the fictional town of
Dog River, Saskatchewan [from the
television show Corner Gas and is
actually based in Regina] and in
order to travel to Colombia you had
to be selected to go.
I was very fortunate and excited to
be selected along with 15 other girls
from all over Canada and the
Netherlands to experience the
culture and the game of rugby in
Colombia.
This rugby club has a different
approach compared to many clubs
that exist throughout our area. Their
motto is "Rugby is more than a
game. It's a way of life."
This was truly something I was
able to experience and witness first
hand while spending a week in
Colombia.
To begin, this trip included
practices at several different fields
throughout the village and at the
practices children from all over
would come to watch and after our
practice we held rugby clinics for all
the local children to teach them more
about the game.
One very unique aspect of this
rugby team was that, prior to leaving
home, everyone collected used
rugby equipment including jerseys,
socks, cleats and much more to take
down to Colombia where we handed
it out to all the local children who
came. We ended up collecting over
35 hockey bags of equipment to
donate and it was truly an amazing
moment to see the glowing smiles on
the grateful children who were
receiving a new rugby kit for the
year and how something so simple
can go a long way.
Throughout our stay in Colombia,
we toured around to several areas to
experience the true beauty and
culture Colombia had to offer. We
went on hikes and tours through
their small villages and enjoyed
some of the home -cooked meals
they prepared for us.
To wrap up the week, we
competed in a two-day tournament,
against teams from all over
Colombia. We ended up winning the
tournament but to each of us that
was not the point or highlight of our
trip. We were truly grateful for the
unforgettable experience and the
friendships that were made to last a
lifetime.
Furthermore, I had the honour of
being named the captain of the
Howlers, which taught me a lot
about leadership and gave me the
opportunity to lead the team and
teach them more about what I know
on and off the field.
This also led to me being rewarded
with the tournament MVP award,
which was a huge honour, and
something I will cherish forever.
Being an MVP, to me, was not the
most important aspect of the trip.
What I found to be most memorable
was that even though they spoke
Spanish in Colombia it was
incredible to see how a language
barrier didn't have any effect on how
we played the game of rugby
together.
We were able to connect with each
other which is something that
impacted and changed my life
profoundly and I will treasure what I
learned, experienced and witnessed
on this amazing trip for the rest of
life. I thought it was remarkable to
see that through sport nothing can
set you apart. Rugby is truly more
than a game, it's a way of life.
Big smiles
While Brussels -area resident Lexi Smith was happy to head to a rugby tournament in
Colombia late last year as part of an internationally -formed rugby squad, she was happier still
to be named captain of the team and even happier to be named tournament MVP, she said
one of the best experiences was delivering rugby equipment that her team had gathered
before the trip for less fortunate youth in the country. (Photo submitted)
Winter Sports
Pages
Coaches and parents
we need your team's picture
and players' names
Ke'
Being recognized
Two local skaters, Owen Newell, left, and Lerissa
Stevenson, were honoured last week for their hard work
and dedication in the world of power skating through the
Brussels Skating Club. Both received a medallion for
achieving gold in the Level 3 power skating testing where
they were tested on skills such as backwards crossovers
and one -foot pivot turns and stops. (Photo submitted)
1. Please submit team photo
A.S.A.P.
2. Please include players' and
coaches' names for under
the photo.
�anaRYan Pa �ateG grow sent. Ste
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