N.S. rugby is a go as province, federation look at ways to make game safer

High school rugby players in Nova Scotia will get to finish their season, the province and the school sports federation announced Tuesday, five days after the sport was abruptly axed due to safety concerns.

The Nova Scotia SchoolAthletic Federation (NSSAF) and the Department of Education issued a joint statement saying Rugby Nova Scotia will manage the rest of the season, including regional and provincial playoffs.

"They are the experts in safety in this so they've agreed to take it over, run the rest of the year. I'm sure the students will be happy about that,"said NSSAF chair Stephen MacNeil."The on-pitch experience for students will remain quite the same."

Although rugby is no longer sanctioned by the NSSAF, for at least the rest of this season, it remains a school-approved sport covered by the School Insurance Program.

"We're confident safety for the students will be looked after going forward and we're comfortable with that,"said MacNeil.

"I'm thrilled today that we have an agreement going forward that has alleviated a lot of our concerns."

Last Thursday, the federation governing high school sportsannounced without notice it was ending therugby season effectiveimmediately due to data that showed players suffered a high number of injuries.

Top doctors and some sports health professionals in the province swiftlyquestioned the sudden decision, and studentathletes across the province protested. On Friday, Education Minister Zach Churchillordered the decision be reversed.

Next season unclear

It's still not clear whether rugby will go ahead next season.

Over the summer, the NSSAFwill work with government,Rugby Nova Scotiaand medical professionals on the safety of the sport, said Tuesday's joint statement.

Deputy education ministerCathy Montreuilsaid Tuesday her departmentknew NSSAFwas talking about safety in rugby, butthe department wasn't aware the federation was going to cancel the sportoutright.

The education minister previously released a statement saying the athletic federationneglected to consult school communities about the cancellation and did not inform the department it intended to make the decision public.

Montreuil said she and MacNeil discussed thisdisconnect during their morning meeting and her department and the federation will be looking athow best to work together going forward.

"So that we're operating on a best range of information for our kids and that we operate on a no-surprises basis, I think we got those understandings today," she said.

MacNeil said at Tuesday's joint news briefing thathe didn't think an apology was warranted over the cancellation because he felt everyone was acting in the best interests of students.

Jack Hanratty, a provincial coach with Rugby Nova Scotia, was "relieved" to hear about the resolution and he's looking forward to looking at the federation's data related to athlete injuries.

"We're at the table now," he said. "I think we've shown how passionate people are about high school rugby and what we'll do is continue to make the game safer."

Citadel High girls rugby co-captainsEmma MacDougall and Agustina Cohen said their team was devastated by the cancellation and excited to confirm they'd be finishing off the season as planned.

"Even when we woke up this morning, we weren't sure if we were going to be here today... playing here today is really good news for everyone," said Cohen.

As for as how to make the game safer, she said she hopes coaches continue to ensure players know how to tackle and be tackled properly.

"It's just about learning to play the game safely and making sure everybodywalks on the field knowing how to play rugby safe and how to make sure nobody gets hurt," added MacDougall.