There was a full house at Sherwood Forest Park last weekend with the 8th Annual Roddy Allan Minor Rugby Festival had its most ever participants with 88 teams and just over 1000‎ players and coaches.

The Centaurs had a great showing as the U8’s impressed coaches Alex Rappos and Aislinn McNally with how well a number of their “mini‎-taurs” performed in their first ever rugby games.

The U10’s coaches Chloe Seidner and Leigh Bowen were also pleased as a number of returning players are developing well. Their 3 -0 record was a great start to the season.

The U12’s got off to a rocky start as first game jitters lead to a loss but they rallied in the remaining two games to go undefeated. Coaches Steve Venimore and Jason Chantler are anticipating a great season as a number of these players have been playing together for the past 4 years and new to contact players are adjusting well.

All junior teams are still accepting registrations – www.centaursrfc.com

Senior Men & Women Season Openers

The Burlington Centaurs Women took on the London St. George in a tough game versus an experienced London side.
With new faces on the team the women continued to work on their game play throughout the match and look forward as they develop togther as a team through the season.

Burlington Centaurs Men got off to a winning start in the 2016 season with home victories for all 3 men’s team on Saturday at Sherwood Forest Park. The return of the Berties was highly celebrated and well attended by the senior players past and present who managed to squeeze by Wilmot for a 33 – 22 BERTIES win in the curtain raiser. The 2nd XV dominated local rivals Hamilton with a 29 – 0 Centaurs scoreline demonstrating the teams gritty and at times polished performance. Standout performances by Mike Doherty, Captain Zach Dundas and fly-half Juan Palacio were the highlights.

The 1st XV took on Hamilton in the eagerly anticipated derby start to the season and game out of the gates flying only for an uncharacteristic error to gave the Hornets a 7-0 lead against the run of play. A penalty by Brendan Bryan would cut that lead to 4 followed by a try by the Centaurs which would lead to a 10 – 8 scoreline at half. Hamilton had dominated the breakdown in the first half frustrating Burlington’s wide game plan attempt, forcing coach Jon Goldie to make changes at half to both personnel and the strategy. Thomas Pichet and Robbie Carter came on to great effect allowing the Centaurs to compete more effectively in both the loose and the tight and this would manifest itself in another score for the Centaurs shortly after the second half commenced.
This allowed workhorse Jeff Brownson to influence the game more on his own terms and the Centaurs began to put phases together more consistently. Another mix-up however of the back of a dominant scrummage would gift Hamilton their second try and put the Centaurs on the back foot again. Trailing by 2 points with 5 minutes to go the Centaurs showed their trademark quality of great heart leading to sustained pressure against a stuffy Hamilton side. Good setup play would lead to quick hands by the backs to set free Matt Woodley who would beat his man on the outside to finish under the posts for a fine try which would be converted by Brendan Bryan. Scrum half Zach Shurtleff would finish the game by kicking the ball out of play for a fine 22-17 win against their fiercest rivals. Coach Jon Goldie although unhappy with the performance was satisfied with the win and noted the Centaurs will have to be much better next week against Niagara Wasps if they are going to make it 2 wins out of 2.

Burlington Centaurs got off to a winning start in the 2016 season with home victories for all 3 men’s team on Saturday at Sherwood Forest Park. The return of the Berties was highly celebrated and well attended by the senior players past and present who managed to squeeze by Wilmot 33 – 22 in the curtain raiser. The 2nd XV dominated local rivals Hamilton with a 29 – 0 scoreline demonstrating the teams gritty and at times polished performance. Standout performances by Mike Doherty, Captain Zach Dundas and fly-half Juan Palacio were the highlights.

The 1st XV took on Hamilton in the eagerly anticipated derby start to the season and game out of the gates flying only for an uncharacteristic error to gave the Hornets a 7-0 lead against the run of play. A penalty by Brendan Bryan would cut that lead to 4 followed by a try by the Centaurs which would lead to a 10 – 8 scoreline at half. Hamilton had dominated the breakdown in the first half frustrating Burlingtons wide game plan attempt forcing coach Jon Goldie to make changes at half to both personnel and the strategy. Thomas Pichet and Robbie Carter came on to great effect allowing the Centaurs to compete more effectively in both the loose and the tight and this would manifest itself in another score for the Centaurs shortly after the second half commenced. This allowed workhorse Jeff Brownson to influence the game more on his own terms and the Centaurs began to put phases together more consistently. Another mixup however of the back of a dominant scrummage would gift Hamilton their second try and put the Centaurs on the back foot again. Trailing by 2 points with 5 minutes to go the Centaurs showed their trademark quality of great heart leading to sustained pressure against a stuffy Hamilton side. Good setup play would lead to quick hands by the backs to set free Matt Woodley who would beat his man on the outside to finish under the posts for a fine try which would be converted by Brendan Bryan. Scrum half Zach Shurtleff would finish the game by kicking the ball out of play for a fine 22-17 win against their fiercest rivals. Coach Jon Goldie although unhappy with the performance was satisfied with the win and noted the Centaurs will have to be much better next week against Niagara Wasps if they are going to make it 2 wins out of 2.

Putting aside Mother Nature’s belated April fool’s joke, rugby season is just around the corner. The 2016 Burlington Centaurs youth and mini rugby programs kick off‎ the week beginning May 2nd.

The online registration is now live and can be accessed by visiting www.centaursrfc.com/register and selecting “click here to register” ‎.

If you are a returning player, just use your login ‎details from last year. If you’re new to the Centaurs, you’ll have to sign up and create a profile. It’s pretty easy to follow, but if you have any questions please ask.

Registration Fees:

U8 & U10 – $199
U12 to U18 – $250

Each player will receive shorts, socks & a t-shirt.

U8, U10 & U12

The “mini’s” will once again practice Mondays and Wednesdays from 6pm to 7pm with the Festivals being played on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Here is our proposed schedule :

May 28 (Sat) – Burlington Centaurs
June 5 (Sun)‎ – Markham Irish
June 11 or 12 – tbd
June 19 (Sun) – Toronto City (hydro fields)
June 25 (Sat) – Hamilton
July 9 (Sat) – Oakville
July 23 (Sat) – Brantford
Aug 13 (Sat) – Fergus
Aug 20 (Sat) – Guelph
Aug 27(Sat) – Rugby Ontario (Fletchers Fields)

U14, U16, U18 Boys/Girls

All the “youth” teams will train from 6pm to 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays except the U18 girls who will practice Mondays/Wednesdays.

The U14’s & U16’s play games Saturday mornings. The U14 schedule is not completed yet but typically begins after the May long weekend. Practices will begin May 3rd‎.

The U16 league typically begins the last weekend in June. Practices will begin early June. Once registered, you will be contacted with details.

The U18 boys and girls teams play games Wednesday evenings and usually start the last week in June once school is finished. If your high school doesn’t have a rugby program and if you have registered with the Centaurs, you are welcome to join the men or women’s team practices which have already begun (tuesday/thursday in the Sherwood Dome for April, then outdoor in May).

Formal U18 practices begin once the high school season is completed, usually the first week of June.

Upcoming Information

Keep watching your inbox for information on great upcoming rugby events such‎ as:

Centaurs/Upright Rugby Camp – J‎uly 11-15
Ontario Blues vs‎ Atlantic Rock at Sherwood – June 4
‎Tickets for Canada vs Italy – June 26

It’s shaping up to be another great summer of rugby. Sign up and be a part of it!

Friends through Rugby, Friends through Life

Go Centaurs!

Barry Goldberg
Director of Jr Development
Burlington Centaurs RFC

Rugby Ontario High Performance Manager David Butcher to run a two-part front row session in Burlington, Ont., open to Ontario coaches and aspiring provincial athletes.

(TORONTO, ON) – Rugby Ontario has announced that High Performance Manager David Butcher will run a front row development and provincial program talent identification session at Burlington Centaurs Rugby Football Club on Mar. 26, 2016.

Butcher, a 13-year professional prop in leagues across the United Kingdom and Europe, will lead the session, and will be joined by former Canadian national team props Tom Dolezel and Dan Pletch.

Rugby Ontario provincial coaching staff will be looking to identify male and female players interested in developing front row skills, and are aspiring to play within the Ontario Blues senior and under-19 men’s provincial program and the Ontario Storm senior and under-20 women’s provincial program. Ontario Blues and Storm program coaches will also be in attendance, assisting with session content and player identification.

Session space is limited to 40 male and female players, with age range limited to those who fall between the under-19 (turning 19 in 2016) and under-25 (turning 25 in 2016) age grades. Athletes are required to pre-register for this session, and to bring rugby attire appropriate for a full contact training session.

Prior to the player development and talent identification portion of the session, Butcher will lead a coaching presentation on scrum development. This presentation is open to all interested coaches across the province.

Session Content:
– Specific exercises to develop functional strength for scrummaging
– Individual body shape and control
– Technique development
– Scrum process

Session Schedule:
1:45-2:45 p.m. – Coaching Presentation [Coaches to arrive at 1:30 p.m.]
3:00-4:00 p.m. – Practical; Player Development & Talent Identification

Session Registration (Players):
– Step 1: Visit https://rcmembers.sportngin.com/register/form/740100885
– Step 2: Log in, or create a Sport Ngin account
– Step 3: Complete registration and payment (credit and debit cards accepted)
* Coaches do not need to register to attend this session

Fee Structure:
– Players who are registered as a 2015 Full Member with a Rugby Ontario club for the 2015 season (May 1, 2015 – Apr. 30, 2016): $20 Session Fee
* Rugby Canada Insurance fee previously paid during 2015 Full Member registration
– Players who are NOT currently registered as a Full Member with a Rugby Ontario club for the 2015 Season (May 1, 2015 – Apr. 30, 2016): $20 Session Fee + $45 Rugby Canada Preseason Insurance Fee
– It is mandatory that all participating players are covered by the Rugby Canada National Insurance Policy. During the registration, registrants will be prompted to select the appropriate fee structure based on the above criteria.
– Players must register by 5 p.m. on Mar. 22, 2016

The session is complimentary for coaches.

Admission is ONLY $20 for the Saturday and all Centaur Social Members only pay $10 for the Sunday games.

How do you become a Centaur Social Member?
A 2016 Burlington Centaur Social Membership can be purchased at the clubhouse for $25 providing discounts on Centaur social events.
(Membership is included with your Centaur Rugby Dues – Registration is now open online for 2016 Rugby Dues)

The club will have hot coffee available and breakfast sandwiches available for purchase.

Ensure you get to the club early as the seats for these events fill up fast.

We look forward to seeing you at the club, everyone is invited. Ensure to wear your Team Colours or Team Jerseys!!

We are excited to offer this opportunity for high school athletes to attend our registration sessions for the upcoming High School Indoor Rugby Skills Session.

Registration continues TONIGHT at 7:00 pm.

High School Indoor Rugby Skills Sessions – Tuesdays 7:00 to 8:00 pm

• Open to all High School players – Male & Female
• Tuesdays 7:00 – 8:00 pm in Dome 2 starting on Tuesday, January 5^thleading up to the outdoor rugby season.
• Significantly reduced cost of approximately $60 per player for ALL sessions
• Please pass this information along to high school rugby coaches and players
• Below is a rough outline of the high school players indoor rugby sessions
• Please contact Tom McLeod atTMcLeod@mentorcollege.edu

   

Good Afternoon Club Members,

You are formally invited and given notice to attend the Burlington Centaurs RFC Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 8^th at 7:00 pm upstairs at the Burlington Rugby Club located at Sherwood Forest Park.

All registered members are strongly encouraged to put forth your ideas and determine the direction of the future of the club. Your input and votes are extremely important towards the growth of the club.

The Nominations Board for club positions for 2016 has been posted upstairs in the clubhouse. Nominations must be seconded by voting members in good standing.

During the AGM will review the Director’s reports of the club and the Club Positions will be voted upon.

From Section IV of the Club Constitution the club positions to be voted upon include:

• The President
• Director of Administration
• Director of Finances
• Director of Facilities
• Director of Social
• Director of Games
• Director of Men’s Rugby
• Director of Women’s Rugby
• Director of Junior Development

All voting and social members are encouraged to attend. From Section III of the Club Constitution:

1. d) A Social Member shall be a non-playing member interested in furthering the objects of the club but will not be entitled to vote at general meetings. ($25 social membership fee – included in NOBS dues)

1. e) A Voting Member shall be a non-playing member interested in furthering the objects of the club including being eligible to vote at general meetings. ($75 voting membership fee – included in Club dues)

If you are unable to attend and you are a voting member in Good Standing please fill out the attached proxy vote and email vote@centaursrfc.com

Cheers

Nick Manz

Director of Administration

Burlington Centaurs RFC

“Friends through Rugby

Friends through Life”

www.centaursrfc.com