Beating drums and chanting âLet us play!,â high school students took to the streets in downtown Halifax to protest the Nova Scotiaâs governing body for high school athleticsâ decision to cancel rugby for the rest of the season.
Clad in team jerseys, hundreds of teenaged boys and girls gathered at the Halifax Convention Centre Friday morning to demand a reversal to yesterdayâs abrupt announcement.
On Cape Breton Island, students protested in the halls of Glace Bay High School as they wore jerseys and eye black on their cheeks.
âWe were devastated. There were a lot of tears today, through the whole school. There were girls and guys crying,â Grade 12 student John Robinson told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Atlantic on Friday.
âItâs definitely a dangerous sport. Iâm not going to say itâs not a hard sport, but we have a lot of safety regulations for that,â another Grade 12 student Megan Walsh said.
On Thursday, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation sent a memo to the provinceâs high school principals telling them that all rugby play âshall ceaseâ at noon that day.
âAfter a thorough review of incident report data provided by the School Insurance Program, the Board has decided to this action,â the memo read. âStudent safety remains the top priority of the Federation.â
The Chair of the NSSAF, Stephen McNeil, says that the schoolâs insurance program recommended offering a âgold planâ for rugby, but says that the severity of the injuries tied to rugby are troubling, regardless of what insurance coverage schools might have .
âIf weâre in a position where we have to go find better insurance coverage to look after the serious scope of injuries to our studentsâŚthat doesnât ease my concerns at all,â McNeil said.
The notice prompted an immediate reaction from high school students who organized an earlier protest at the Halifax shopping mall that day.
The provinceâs governing body for rugby was also quick to react they issued Thursday expressing their âdisappointmentâ with the school federationâs decision.
âThis will affect thousands of students, parents, coaches, match officials and supporters,â the statement said. âBoth Rugby Nova Scotia and Rugby Canada are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants and we will work together to find an appropriate solution to the current situation.â
The organization said it has requested a meeting with the NSSAF to âbetter understandâ why they chose to cancel rugby in high schools.
Provincial coach Jack Hanratty of Rugby Nova Scotia said the news came as a âbig shockâ to his organization because they werenât told about the plans before the announcement.
âWe werenât brought in to the table. We werenât part of this conversation, which for me is disappointing,â he told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel.
Hanratty said every year Rugby Nova Scotia has tried to make the game safer for everyone, including a new rule they introduced about the height of a tackle that was eventually adopted by World Rugby. He said they want to be included in the conversation so they can work together to find a solution.
âWe want to say âOK, if youâre not happy with it, letâs make this a sport that all stakeholders are happy to be a part of, not just taking away this opportunity,ââ he said.
The coach said thereâs âdevastationâ among the provinceâs rugby community right now.
âOne of our core values in rugby is passion. I think weâve seen that over the last number of days. Weâre a tight-knit community in Nova Scotia. Iâm really proud to be a part of it,â he said.
Rugby Canada echoed Rugby Nova Scotiaâs reaction with , in which they said they were committed to finding a solution.
âWe hope that we can work in partnership to keep rugby in the high schools of Nova Scotia and will continue to work to be leaders in player safety and welfare across Canada,â Paul Hunter, the director of rugby development for the organization, said.
Provincial Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston also objected to the federationâs decision on Friday.
âRugby has been such a good thing for so many students who made the decision to play,â he said. âLike many sports, itâs an activity that instills positive self-esteem and team work.â
Houston called the announcement âshortsightedâ and said that while he appreciates that the organization has its reason for the cancellation, he took issue with the noticeâs timing.
âThey waited until one month into a season to axe this program and itâs just wrong,â he said. âThis has been ripped away from them abruptly and without warning.â
The leader called on the NSSAF to reverse its decision and reinstate the program.
âThe answer is just not to kinda just try to lock the kids up and take things away from them,â he said. âThe answer is more training â more training for students, more training for coaches, more safety training.â
Shortly after the sports federation announced its decision, a high school rugby player named Charlotte Thomas created to convince them to reverse it.
âMy team and many others just like it around the province are appalled and distraught over this action. We all pour time, effort, and money into rugby, and we play the game with passion and heart,â she wrote. âThis game is the greatest teacher all of us have ever known. We learn to work together, trust each other, and we make friendships that last miles and years.â
Thomas acknowledged the sport can be rough at times, but she said there are fewer injuries in it than in hockey or football.
âThe student-athlete body pours sweat, tears, and yes, sometimes blood into the sports we play. And we believe it is in our own interest to decide if we should play or not,â she said. âWe love every second of it.â
As of Friday morning, the petition has already garnered nearly 17,000 signatures of its goal of 25,000.
On Wednesday, an international student at Sydney Academy was injured during a rugby match, according to the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education confirmed. There has been no indication the injury is related to the NSSAFâs cancellation.