The Riverside Rapids senior rugby team is proof attitude can go a long way.
When Darren Mackenzie took over coaching the team at the beginning of last season, the Rapids was a ragtag assemblage with varying levels of experience, varying degrees of skill. Little wonder they hadn’t won a match in two years.
Mackenzie, who played professional rugby in England with the Leicester Tigers in the late 1990s, told his charges he’d treat them like pros. But in return they had to be 100% committed to the team.
“I had to give them some mental belief they could do it,” Mackenzie said. “I told them we could make winners out of them.”
The Rapids went on to win the Tier II championship, defeating the Westview Wildcats 22-7 in the final, avenging their only loss in the regular season. This season, they’re picking up where they left off, with a 24-10 win over Dr. Charles Best and another win over Westview, 29-0, last Thursday.
Mackenzie said his formula for success is simple: treat the kids with respect and professionalism, and expect the same in return.
He backed up his words by equipping the team with new balls, practice gear and jersies, courtesy of some sponsorship money from his employer, Dominion Lending Centres. He enlisted his assistant coach, Abraham Kang, to get the boys onto a weight training regime.
They responded.
“They’re like sponges,” Mackenzie said. “It was a buy-in immediately.”
But with eight core players from last year’s championship side lost to graduation, that buy-in has to start all over again. Mackenzie told his group it’s their turn to set an example and create a legacy.
A lot of that responsibility falls to the Rapids’ captain, senior prop Noah Desjarlais. He’s capably supported by a trio of Grade 11 players: fullback Ethan Kelt, inside centre Tristen Hendriks and fly half Jake Granville.
They’ll lead the way for a handful of players like Ali At, Dan Tomonea, Zaine Osekrie and Max Dronsky, who aren’t just new to the team, but new to the game.
The message Mackenzie gives all his players — veterans and rookies alike — is the same: “Whatever you put in, you get out. Whatever you decide to do, you can do it.”
That it hits home isn’t just proven by the wins on the pitch, Mackenzie said. A graduated player from last year’s team, Kyle Granville, has returned to help with coaching duties. And a signed photo of all of last year’s senior players huddled around their championship trophy has pride of place on his wall.
“I want the boys to play rugby and remember it,” Mackenzie said. “If you’re nice, if you’re polite, you can inspire them.”
