N.S. school officials OK rugby games despite rift with athletic federation

School administrators inNova Scotia are authorizinghigh school rugby games to continue even though the sport is no longer sanctioned by the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation.

The seven English regional education centres have confirmed to CBC News thatthey informed principals rugby seasons can continue. The Conseil scolaire acadien provincialhas one women's rugby teamat cole secondaire le Carrefour in Dartmouth, N.S., and they can also continue their season.

The Tri-County Regional Centre for Education and the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Educationsaid officials directed games to continue to"minimize disruption and disappointment to students."

It's still unclear if this means all games will proceed as scheduled.

A game Monday afternoon between Cole Harbour High School and Eastern Shore High School was cancelled due to there not being enough players available from one of the teams, according to Eastern Shore principal Jennifer Murray.

The athletic federation announced last Thursday at noon that it was cancelling the sport effectiveimmediately due to safety concerns. The decision prompteda large outcry from players, parents and coaches.

Top doctors and some sports health professionals in the province also questioned the sudden decision andstudents athletes across the province protested.

On Friday afternoon, Education Minister Zach Churchill ordered the decision be reversed. He released a statement saying the athletic federationneglected to consult school communities about the move and did not inform the Education Department it intended to make the decision public.

Churchill was not available to comment on Monday afternoon. In a statement, he said his department has a meeting Tuesday with the athletic federation's board "to discuss a path forward in the best interest of our students."

"Regional education directors and the CSAP superintendent are today informing their principals that high school rugby will continue."

Officials from the athletic federation met Monday to discuss Churchill's directive.On Sunday, the group sent a memo to schoolssaying its board of governors "have notresolved"the rugby issue.

In the memo, executive director Stephen Gallant said as is the case with any sport not approved by the federation, it's up toa principal to decide whether a game can be played.

In another May 5 letter to principals, the chair of the NSSAF board of governors, Stephen MacNeil, said the federation never breached its funding agreement with the province because it kept the department apprisedof its discussions around rugby.

MacNeil said he spoke about the status of rugbyand what sports may replace it with the Education Department's deputy minister at the end of March. He also said a representative from the department who attended the meeting in which rugby was cancelled never voiced any concerns.

"Our Board is simply not confident that a safe environment exists when rugby is being introduced to young men and women at the high school level," MacNeil said in the letter.

Churchill reiteratedMonday that his department wasn't aware of the plan to announce the cancellation.

Education Department spokesperson Chrissy Matheson saidthe federation issued the directive cancelling rugbywithout giving the department a heads-up or consulting with school communities.

She said the observer from the department who was present duringthe meeting Thursday when the federation cancelled the sport didn't get a vote in the matter.

Churchillhas asked the federation to work with his department in putting together a panel of experts to look atsafety in school sports.

Injured player speaks out

Dozens of rugby players turned out torally in Sydney on Monday to show they want the sport reinstated and to support an international exchange student who was hurt in a game last week.

Diego Kuri ofMexico is attending Sydney Academy. Last Wednesday, Kurihad to be airlifted to Halifax after he collided with another player during a game against the Glace Bay Panthers.

He does not think the sport should be cancelled at Nova Scotia schools.

"It's no one's fault, it's just a sport and it's a risk that every sport has," saidKuri. "There's people, they love playing rugby, so it's a good sport... Yes, I will play again."