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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 tCpk�son Kay�ag�acK pb Please help us get ALL the Winter Sports teams published. • Hockey • Broomball 413 Queen St., Blyth 11111e Citizen 519-523-4792 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114