In 2023, the Axemen Rugby Club relaunched its women's program as a combined effort between Sea to Sky players and the Vancouver Rowers. The Axes and Oars are still going strong: in fact they earned a first-ever playoff berth this spring.
The final score of that match left something to be desired: a 121-0 blowout loss to the No. 2 seed Comox Valley Kickers. Yet the milestone is very much worth celebrating nonetheless.
"Comox is a phenomenal team and they should be moving up a division next year," said Axes head coach Mel Michener. "It was a tough game in the sense that we didn't have a lot of subs against a really high-level team, and we had a huge travel day so the girls unfortunately were exhausted.
"The way that we made the playoffs was really phenomenal, because we saw from the beginning of the season to the end how much our women had improved. One of the last games we played against the Richmond Lions, we won by quite a few tries, versus our first game against them earlier in the season which had been much, much closer."
Michener stepped up to fill a need as the demands of parenthood and full-time firefighting drew former coach Lauren Arthur away from the club. Michener took up rugby as a ninth-grader in Orillia, Ont., and played throughout high school before joining the University of Guelph as a starting winger. They won a national championship with the Gryphons to complement three more in a Team Ontario jersey.
Repeated concussions forced Michener to truncate their playing career. They had always wanted to explore coaching, but didn't do so until last October when the Axemen reached out seeking volunteer help.
"What Lauren did is amazing," Michener said about their predecessor. "She did all of the heavy lifting to get the team up and running … and set up an amazing baseline for the women's program."
Drive and dedication
Michener has worked with high-calibre coaches during their era as a provincial and varsity athlete, so a bit of time was needed for them to understand the Axes and Oars' needs. These players—dedicated and passionate though they may be—have busy lives and multifaceted responsibilities. Naturally, a feeling-out process unfolded as coach and squad got to know each other.
Once trust was built, Michener began running a tighter ship: greater formality, strictness and challenge to ready people for the intense nature of competitive rugby. In their experience: a coach sets the tone at every practice, which in turn sets the tone for each game.
The Axes and Oars evidently responded well. They fielded 15 regular participants from the Sea to Sky, including five newcomers to rugby and two sophomore players. All began to form deeper bonds with their Vancouver-based counterparts.
"Chris Sayler is such a phenomenal coach [for the Rowers]," said Michener. "He did a fantastic job of getting everyone on the field and also making an effort to do some combined practices. Chris and I really communicated about what we needed to work on and tried to highlight specific things at practice so that when the women came together on game days, they were on the same page.
"Some of the more experienced players were able to lead the team in strategic play, while the less experienced players amplified their basic skills and were hungry for learning. [It was] really incredible to see their dedication to each other and the drive to get better, not just for themselves but for their team."
Michener would encourage pretty much anyone to try rugby, for it's an inclusive sport capable of accommodating a variety of skills and body types. Perhaps more importantly, they've experienced it as a healthy space to work on one's fitness, make friends and build the camaraderie needed for women to put their bodies on the line as a group. Such a "heartfelt connection," as Michener phrases it, is well worth the bumps and bruises.
Find out more about the Axes and Oars at axemenrugbyclub.com/womans-rugby.
