Over the past year, Squamish鈥檚 Axemen have had their ups and downs, but the squad is hopeful for 2016.
On the field, when they began last year鈥檚 spring season, the players met with success but ended up having to forfeit a berth in the playoffs for the BC Rugby Union Men鈥檚 Division 3 because of player numbers. In the fall, they were able to find enough players through the season, although it was not always easy.
The high point came when they won 63-8 against the UBC side in October.聽
鈥淭hat was kind of a highlight, to be honest,鈥� said Cian Starogardzki, who plays for the club as well as manages it. 鈥淚t never quite hit those heights again.鈥�
For that match, the Axemen were able to field a team with a number of players in reserve.
鈥淗aving the extra guys really helps,鈥� captain Phillip Maas said afterward.
For the rest of the way, the club struggled after having to play on the road with depleted ranks for the last games of the season.
There had been rugby in 麻豆社国产years before, but it had disappeared. The new team, Starogardzki said, started to come together in the fall of 2014 through the efforts of Al Macaulay, Matthew Smee and a couple of other guys who began meeting with the aim of joining B.C. Rugby Union. Word spread, and they rounded up enough players for a team to join Division 3 a year ago.
If the team did well enough on the field in their first campaign to make the playoffs, they did not have enough bodies to keep playing.
Starogardzki is more confident going into this spring campaign, as the team has heard from several players that they will be coming on board for 2016.
鈥淣ow, we have a much stronger base.鈥�
The team has been practising this month, with the season about to start. The new campaign will begin the same way as the fall season ended, with the Axemen starting on the road, which should mean better conditions when they finally come home to their field at Don Ross Middle School.
鈥淎s the weather improves, we鈥檒l have more home games,鈥� Starogardzki said.
The club also has a sharing agreement with Quest, which plays collegiate rugby sevens, to use their pitch. Between Quest and the club, they had 34 people come out to play on the field.
鈥淭he first joint session with them was a particular highlight,鈥� he said.
Typically, the team is about half 麻豆社国产and half Whistler players. Some are established in the area, while others are recent arrivals.聽
Some have played for years, and others barely out of high school.
Some have played high-level rugby while others are new to the game, or have come from countries where rugby league is played, not rugby union. Several have roots in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
Despite the mix, camaraderie is a part of life for the Axemen.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very social rugby club, and it鈥檚 a very social league,鈥� Starogardzki said.
This also plays an important role when the team steps out onto the field, as Maas said following the UBC match, 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 got each other鈥檚 back.鈥�
For now, the top priority is getting enough people out for the men鈥檚 team, and it is always looking for coaches or sponsors. Down the road, he said, the Axemen would like to expand into children鈥檚 rugby or women鈥檚 rugby, although there are no plans at this time.
He is hopeful, though, that interest in the sport is growing, especially in light of the attention on last year鈥檚 World Cup hosted by England, which should help get a few more players out for games.
鈥淚t definitely seems to be getting more exposure,鈥� Starogardzki said.
