Rugby first made it’s appearance in Cobourg back in 1985 introduced at CDCI East by Phys-Ed head Rodger Harp and teacher Bob Richards. The following year Tom Jackson followed suit starting a boy’s rugby team across town at CDCI West starting a great cross-town rivalry.
Mike McMahon, President of the Saxons told us how the club started around 25 years ago by bringing together alumni from former school rivals CDCI East and CDCI West for a friendly match.
The Saxon organization began with two men’s teams blessed by the Toronto Rugby Union and was bolstered in 1999 by the addition of the Cobourg Crash, the local women’s rugby team.
McMahon knew that adding younger players would be fundamental to having a strong core to draw from for the junior and adult teams.
The idea for a beach rugby tournament was born four years ago and it’s something that’s unique to Cobourg.
This year’s annual tournament saw over 500 youngsters from all over Ontario come together at Victoria Beach for a day of friendly matchups.
Today, the Cobourg Saxons Rugby Club is home to eight different age divisions beginning with U6, U8 and U10’s co-ed flag rugby in their Rookie Rugby Program.
The club also has U12 and U14 co-ed teams, U16 and U18 Boys and Girls teams as well as Senior Men’s and Women’s teams and the Saxons Old Boys with ‘experienced’ members over the age of 35 years.
The Cobourg Saxons Rugby Clubs prides itself in raising strong, resilient and confident athletes who can compete at the highest level, make lasting relationships with other players and coaches, and join not only a sports organization but a family.
For more information on the club, visit Saxons Rugby | Cobourg Saxons RFC | Ontario (cobourgrugby.com)
Photos courtesy of Tek Ang of Ang Tek Gie Photography
(Written by Joseph Goden)