Women’s varsity rugby will be an option to the students-athletes of Holland College this fall after the Hurricanes officially declared recently that they would be competing in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) beginning in the 2022 season.

The ‘Canes join the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Fredericton, University of King’s College (UKC), Mount Allison University and St. Thomas University (STU) along with another new addition from the Dalhousie Agricultural College (Dal AC) to bump the ACAA conference to six teams.

Albert Roche, Director of Athletics and Recreation, was pleased to see the sport added to the Holland College varsity list. “We have watched the sport of rugby grow across Prince Edward Island and believed it was time to provide Island players another choice when looking to play at a post-secondary level. We are confident we will develop a competitive program and look forward to engaging with our Island rugby friends along the way.” 

The addition of the rugby program can be directly attributed to the annual Holland College Golf Classic event where a portion of the funds raised is dedicated to new varsity initiatives. The golf event is a joint effort between the Holland College Foundation and Hurricanes Athletics and Recreation. Roche says, “it is incredibly gratifying to have the success of the golf classic help us establish the program in times where funding new sports is challenging. Without the ongoing support of our community, we would not be able to make this happen.” 

Doug Currie, Vice-President Corporate Services, Strategic Development and Stakeholder Relations supports the establishment of the new sport at Holland College. “The addition of women’s rugby not only fortifies our commitment to enhancing the college experience for students, but it also provides for improved gender equity in our sport offerings. Overall, we see women’s rugby as a sound investment as we strive to create new reasons for students to consider attending Holland College”.         

Kathleen Curran is from Guelph, Ontario and is a first-year student in the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Program. She has played provincially for Ontario and Nova Scotia as well as playing for the Acadia University Women’s Rugby team.

“I think that having a women’s rugby team at Holland College is a great opportunity for girls to get involved in athletics in college. Women’s rugby is a growing sport and having the chance to be a student athlete would make the Holland College experience that much more meaningful and memorable. I can’t wait to be out on the pitch representing the Hurricanes!”.

Rachel MacKay (Charlottetown) and Avery Bradley (Stratford) are both students in the Primary Care Paramedicine program from Charlottetown who play at a provincial level on PEI and are excited to join the Hurricanes in their inaugural season.

“I think the addition of women’s rugby to Holland College is a great thing. There are many girls who love this sport that want to attend Holland College. Now that rugby is being offered the decision on where to enroll is much easier and enticing,” shared Mackay.

Bradley states, “I really love the team dynamic in rugby. It is physically demanding, and the team becomes so connected, bonding together quickly which will be great fun at the collegiate level.”

Hannah DesRoches from Alberton studies in the Business Administration program and misses her high school rugby playing days at Westisle. “Holland College will benefit because it will attract a lot of students who want to continue playing and who will enjoy the jump to this level of play.”  

Rugby becomes the tenth sport offered by the Holland College Athletics Department alongside baseball (m), basketball (m/w), cross country running (m/w), dance (m/w), equestrian (w), football (m), hockey (w), soccer (m/w) and volleyball (m/w).

The Hurricanes plan to announce additional information on the team in the coming weeks, including a coaching staff and fall schedule.

Those that are interested in becoming a member of the Hurricanes women’s rugby team in 2022 are encouraged to complete a player profile at www.hollandhurricanes.com.

Connect with the Hurricanes at www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes,www.twitter.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.

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