It's been a slow start for the girls' rugby program at Burnaby North Secondary, but after four years of growth and development the team is finally beginning to shine in the high school league.
The Burnaby North girls have won three out of the four games this season and head coach, Ian Trevor hopes they can continue this streak when facing tougher opponents like Richmond's R.A. MacMath Secondary, North Vancouver's Carson Graham Secondary and Vancouver's Lord Byng Senior Secondary.
"(Lord Byng is) a school a lot like ours, they're developing and have a lot of patience in growing their program," he said.
Burnaby North's program got started four years ago when one of the girls turned up at the Grade 9 boys rugby practice.
After a couple practices, Trevor - who was, at the time, the boys' coach - asked if Malak Dalati knew any other girls who'd be interested in playing rugby. She did.
About 15 girls turned out for the exhibition season, Trevor said, and since then the program has been growing steadily. This year there were more than 50 girls who signed up at the beginning of the season. And while only about 30 have stuck around, those who did are progressing well, he said.
"You've got to stick to your process and stick to what you're doing," he said. "Some of these players have been with me for four years now . they love the sport and that's infectious."
Trevor said much of the training involves going over the basics of rugby. In order to advance to strategy and planning, the girls first have to master passing, catching and throwing.
"Over time we become better than we were. This group, by and large, have been together for two years and that's definitely going to help (this season)," he said.
Last year, the team struggled to compete with the other teams in the league.
So far this season, the girls have proven they can, in fact, compete. In a game against Surrey's Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary last week, Burnaby North won 25-0 and scored a total of five tries. It was a similar situation in an early season game April 15 against Sutherland Secondary. Burnaby North dominated Sutherland 27-0, again scoring five tries.
In both games, rookie Ruby Moore-Kalia scored two tries. The new addition to the team has a background in rugby - she played on a boys team at her previous school in B.C.'s interior - and is currently playing on the Burnaby Lake women's club team.
"I wouldn't put us in the powerhouse category. We've done well. We're a team that's putting in the hard work," he said. "Hopefully down the road we'll be in a position to really get in and contest for titles."
It's too early in the season to say whether or not Burnaby North has a chance of making the playoffs.
"Right now we're a growing program and we just want to keep going," he said.
Trevor said as it stands now, the team is a success by his standards.
"You've got the older girls to set the example and that just brings everybody else along," he said. "If you've got people that are halfway down the road, then that just helps bring everybody else up to speed."
Burnaby North's next game is Monday, April 29 at 4 p.m. The girls will face their league rivals, Lord Byng, at Alpha Secondary School in Burnaby.
