The Prairie Land Penguins rugby team is heading to provincials after a conniving win at zones.
    The team, coached by Delia teacher Shaun Fielding, has players from Delia, Hanna, and Youngstown. They have been having a great season competing in sevens.
    At zones on May 22, they competed against Oilfield and won 22-nil, and then beat Olds 25-5 in pool play.
Their two opponents faced off and tied, forcing them to play a tiebreaker. Olds won, putting them up against the Penguins in the final.
    We were quite lucky in that they were gassed,” said Fielding. “We won the final 37- nil.”
    “What impressed me the most about zones was the spirit it was played in, it was like how rugby was supposed to be played.”

    The team spent the season playing exhibition games and also competed in a few tournaments, including a large tournament at the Calgary Rugby Union. There were 72 teams playing.
    The Penguins have been around for about three years, but this is the first year they have introduced provincials.
    “This year we are getting our name out there more, and hopefully, just by the process of osmosis we’ll get more games with bigger schools,” he said.
    He adds the team excels at playing sevens.
    “They prefer the wide open spaces, it is less technical and is based on athletic ability. We have a couple of quick ones, we have some basketball players who have good spatial awareness and good handling skills and we have some hockey players who like the physicality, so it is a nice little blend,” he said.
    He has seen the interest take off. In their first year, a  good result was to get 10 players out. Now a practice has about 26 players.
    Because this is the first year of provincials he doesn’t know what the competition will look like, however, he is looking forward to the tournament in St. Albert on May 31 and June 1.
    “All the emphasis is on fun. If we win, fantastic, but it is just all about going, throwing the ball about and having a good time,” he said.

    In a tradition 103 years old the Hand Hills Lake Stampede is ready to kick up some dust this weekend.
    Billed as the up close and personal rodeo, the Hand Hills Stampede continues to turn heads for fans and cowboys alike. It has won back-to-back Small Rodeo Committee of the Year, and while they continue to keep improving on the event, it’s good ol’ fashion rodeo action that puts the fans in the seats.
    “We don’t want to change it up too much,” said Hand Hills Lake president Layton Rosin.  
    The action begins on Friday, May 31 with a pancake breakfast. Rodeo slack goes from  10 a.m. to  3 p.m. the chuckwagons and chariot races go at 6 p.m. The kick-off party featuring Five of Diamonds cranks up at 9:30 p.m. in the beer gardens.    
    Saturday morning starts up again with a pile of pancakes and the trade show opens at 9 a.m. The wild horse races are at 11:45 a.m. just before the opening ceremonies.
    Drumheller-Stettler MLA Nate Horner has been invited as the special guest to open the event.
      Right after that, the rodeo begins. The wild horse race is a 4 p.m. and the chucks and chariots are back on the track at 6 p.m.  Dance the night away at the Cowboy Cabaret featuring Lisa Dodd and Dandy Little Orchestra.
    Breakfast is served on Sunday morning and the trade show reopens at  9 a.m. At 11 a.m. there is a Christian Cowboy church service followed by the wild horse races. At noon the Good Guy Award will be presented. This is the Morris Beck Memorial Award that is given to the most deserving volunteer.
    The rodeo performance begins at noon and the day concludes with the chucks and chariots at 6 p.m.