The 38th annual Williams Lake Stampede Rugby Tournament kicks off this Saturday, July 1 at the Ottoman Drive Rugby Fields where men’s and women’s rugby clubs from throughout the province will hit the pitch to do battle for the event’s coveted Stampede belt buckles.
It’s unclear how many men’s teams will be in the competition as several are still gathering their numbers, however, Williams Lake Rustlers Rugby Football Club head coach Braden McCallum said eight women’s teams are a lock for the weekend.
As for the men’s side, a few teams are already committed.
“Terrace has a team coming down for sure,” McCallum said. “And so do the Castaway Wanderers, and Abbotsford, plus there’s a group of guys coming from Victoria. We’re hoping for six men’s teams.”
Games in the tournament will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, while finals will take place Sunday afternoon.
The Rustlers, meanwhile, will be missing some of their core as several of the players are off fighting wild fires.
“For our team this year, we’ve got a lot of young guys in the squad and the firefighters are away so it’s going to give an opportunity for our young guys to get a chance against some real quality competition,” McCallum said.”
The weather, meanwhile, is expected to be outstanding throughout the weekend, and the Rustlers will be serving up a beer garden at the Ottoman Drive pitch on Friday from 8 p.m. until midnight and throughout the weekend as games forge on.
“It should be great weekend,” McCallum said.
He noted the Rustlers chances of claiming the prestigious buckle were up in the air, however, said he hopes his players gain more experience at a high level of play.
“”If we make the final that will be a pleasant surprise,but I’m using this weekend to get a lot of game time and experience for our younger players,” he said.
At the Ottoman Drive pitch, there will also be a concession being run by former Williams Lake graduates who’ve gone on to play university rugby: Laura Pfleiderer, Emma Pfleiderer and Skye Forcier.