The Axemen Rugby Club reacquainted itself with home turf at Whistler Secondary School (WSS) during preseason action on Sept. 14 against a blended unit featuring the Vancouver Rowers and Kitsilano Kats.
Brandon Head and Stuart Jones each scored a try in a 12-0 Axemen win beneath mercurial skies. Although a brief stretch of sunlight quickly gave way to consistent rain, both teams managed to play a clean and disciplined match.
"This was our final preseason game," head coach Steve List noted. "It's a lot different playing a game versus training, so there was definitely a step up in intensity and a bit of physicality. I'm really happy with how the guys stepped up. Obviously, keeping [the Rowers and Kats] to zero points in that regular 60 minutes of play was really pleasing."
Added Axemen captain Ian Skuse: "It was a really good performance. We had over 30 guys signed up and ready to play again. I think we played some really, really good rugby—lots of positive combinations of older guys coming back to the Axemen and new guys making their debut."
It is Skuse's first campaign at the helm of his local rugby branch, a distinction of which he is immensely proud.
"The Axemen are a lot more than just a sports team," he remarked. "It's a community. There's lots of people like me who move here [to the Sea to Sky] and want to meet friends and find a community. That's why I'm honoured to take on the captaincy. Going forward, I want to keep that welcoming environment here. I want us to have men's teams [for all skill levels]. We've got a great youth section, we've got a women's section, and I just want us to be inclusive."
"What you want from your leader is for people to follow them, right?" List asked rhetorically. "Skuse is not going to talk about something if he's not going to do it himself. He leads by example. He was a captain before he was named captain … whether that be on the field moving us around the game, to off the field helping organize people and recruit. Everyone respects him."
'Shoulders on bodies'
A few other Axemen players also earned their respect on Saturday despite being held off the scoresheet.
Jackson McEvoy was his usual bruising self from whistle to whistle, galvanizing teammates by lowering his shoulder and trucking an opponent several times. Josh Michalik also generated buzz with multiple swift runs deep into enemy territory.
"On the field, Jackson is a big threat," said List. "We call him a triple threat. He's a physical presence. He can run the ball and is good with the ball in hand. He can kick it, like we saw today. He's a guy that you want on your side. Off the field, he's a really good guy as well."
Michalik, meanwhile, is one of the Sea to Sky area's top young rugby talents. He was named to Team Canada this March for a rugby league exhibition in Las Vegas alongside fellow Axemen Blake Mahovic and Gus Murphy. Together, they helped the Maple Leaf grind out a 16-16 tie against the American national roster.
Both sides displayed tenacity this weekend, with the Rowers and Kats making three determined offensive pushes. Each time they advanced to within metres or even inches of the Axemen try line, only to be halted in the end.
"We just gave it everything," Michalik spoke of his team's resilience. "Our defence has helped us win championships in previous years. For us to hold [our rivals] out on our goal line three times today echoes a lot about the heart that the boys have. It shows what we're willing to do for each other, on the pitch and off the pitch."
Commented List: "The attack will decide how much you win the game by, but defence will win you the game—defence will win you the league. When you defend, it's a team effort, and guys take a lot of pride in it. [They know] that's where they're tested. There were a few times in that game where we could have maybe let a try in, but people just found it in themselves to get shoulders on bodies."
After the fixture, both squads engaged in training exercises meant to simulate various game scenarios, like playing from behind and more goal-line defence.
Learn more about the Axemen Rugby Club and its season-long programs at axemenrugbyclub.com.
