KINGSTON, Ont. (June 25, 2010) –
Beth Barz, head coach of the women's rugby team, announced today nine athletes who have committed to the Gaels for the upcoming season.
Highlighting the list of recruits is
Claragh Pegg, a prop who won gold at the 'AAA/AAAA' OFSAA championships this year with Barrie Central Collegiate. In that game, Pegg scored two trys to lead her side to a 32-0 victory over Ashbury.
Joining Claragh will be
Taylor White, a fellow prop who has played the last two seasons with the U19 Ontario provincial team. Aside from Team Ontario, White was also a standout student-athlete at Bancroft High School for the last four years.
Two number eights will join the Gaels next season, including former CIS champion with the St.FX X-Women,
Ash Ward. Ward won gold with the X-Women in 2006 and has also played for Canada's U19 and U23 teams. She was also selected as the CIS Rookie of the Year in her first year with the X-Women and currently plays with the Kingston Panthers club side.
Kayla Roote, the other eight man to join Queen's, comes to the Gaels from Thomas A. Stewart in Peterborough, Ont. Roote helped her team to a fourth place finish at 'A/AA' OFSAA last year and was the captain of Canada's U18 team during their tour of California.
Nisha Howarth also comes to Queen's as a highly-touted lock who played her high school rugby at Oakville Trafalgar. Aside from finishing fourth at 'AAA/AAAA' OFSAA this past season, Howarth has also competed for Ontario's U19 team and Canada's U18 team.
Rounding out this year's recruiting class are Tory Milne and
Sonja Moroz, a flanker and winger respectively from Ashbury College, coached by Jen Boyd. Finally,
Natalie Poirier, sister of current Gael and co-captain
Jocelyn Poirier of Ottawa, Ont., and
Amanda Djurickovic, a mobile prop/centre who played for Ontario's U17 squad.
"The athleticism and versatility of this recruiting class will make an immediate impact with our team this fall,” commented Barz. “All of these young women are highly coachable and capable of reaching extraordinary heights on the field. We're looking forward to seeing them work in with our returning players, all with a similar goal in mind."
