The Badlands Rugby Football Club (RFC) is joining forces with the Red Deer Titans to compete this season.
    The plan is to enter a joint men’s team in the Calgary Rugby Unions thirds league.
 “It is so both teams can submit a thirds (recreational division) squad and everyone gets a chance to play,” said Badlands RFC organizer April Harrison. “That allows us to bring rugby to the valley, so there will be games hosted in Drumheller.”
    The Badlands RFC began training last spring and joined with different clubs to get on the field. Harrison says it appears there is good interest in the valley, and also coming from Hanna.
    “Last year was great to get started and get some local guys who have never played before to come out for a practice and have a taste for a sport. When they wanted a game, we partnered with a team out of Bow Valley. So if the guys were available for games, they could join that squad,” she explains. “The best way to learn is to play and for our guys that was their first time playing rugby.”
    This week, Thursday, April 19, weather permitting, they are planning their first practice of the  season to gauge exactly what the interest is like.
    “We are hoping over the next couple of weeks to get people together, have people come and check it out and register,” she said.
    So far the plans are to field a men’s team and Harrison says they are grateful to the Red Deer squad for bringing their members along.
    She says there is strong interest from female players.
    “It depends on how many people show up and register. It is not desperately too late to enter a women’s team,” she said. “If not, if there are women who just want to come out and practice for the first year, they can. If there is the odd lady that actually wants to play games, the other teams are more than happy to allow people to join for games. The Red Deer Titans ladies are very excited if any of our ladies would like to join them.”
    Practice is slated for 7 p.m. this Thursday, April 19 at the DVSS field. Rugby is open to players over the age of 16. For more information and to keep up to date, go to the Badlands RFC Facebook page.

    Katie and Shelby Primrose of Rumsey competed on the Red Deer College (RDC) Queens curling team for a chance at winning a second national title.
    Despite strong efforts on the ice, the team was unable to make headway in Leduc for the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Curling National Championships from Saturday, March 24 to Wednesday, March 28.
    “We had a great time at Leduc. Curl 4 Canada put on a great event and it was exciting to curl alongside the Universities,” said Katie Primrose. Katie, the lead for the team, was one of the key components to helping her team win three times during the high-stakes bonspiel.
    She is a second year Management Certificate student who showed her true colours on the ice by having the second highest shooting percentage in her position among female curlers. She shot 70 per cent at the championships, including games as high as 84 per cent and 93 per cent.
    She was also named RDC athlete of the week because of her above average performance.
The team had three wins and four losses throughout the bonspiel, putting the Queens in 6th place in the Women’s Standings.
    The Fleming Knights overtook the Queens 13 – 5 in the morning draw of the final day of competition.
    “The competition was really tough this year but everyone brought their best to Nationals,” said Katie. “Curling on arena ice was a big change for most of us considering none of us had curled on it before.”
    Last year, the Queens came out on top winning the national title in Camrose.
    This will be Katie’s last year as a Queen as she completes her Management Certificate later this year.
    “I had the second highest shooting percentage in my position so that was a great way to end my college curling,” said Katie. “Nationals was a great experience. It wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for but we had a great time curling in Leduc.”