Rugby teams descend on ESSC

2018-05-152018-06-01 Liz Draper 266 Views

ESSC played host to a series of rugby games on Saturday, seeing six teams compete. Pictured, Mont-Bleu’s Hannah-Gorgette Saha, carrying the ball, sprints for Grande-Rivière’s goal posts.

Donald Teuma-Castelletti
MANSFIELD ET
PONTEFRACT
May 12, 2018
High school rugby teams from across the Pontiac and beyond gathered at the Mansfield et Pontefract high school on Saturday, for a full day of games.
Seeing six teams take part, École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC) played host to the games, while also raising money for one of the popular extracurricular activities at the school.
ESSC teacher Gabie Paré said that the money raised through an on-site barbeque and snack shack will go towards supporting their group, Famille Animalis.
This group sees and cares for a variety of school pets, from rats and ferrets to rabbits and lizards. Paré said that while a science teacher at the school oversees the program, students clean, feed, and document the day-to-day of the animals.

The program has proven popular amongst students, as they tend to enjoy the company of the animals during free periods. Plus, the animals become weekend and summer companions for students, when they’re taken home and cared for while the school is vacant.
“It encourages the kids to be responsible with all of the pets,” added Paré.
While the students do much of the work, there are still costs associated with feeding and providing for the pets, which the barbeque and many other fundraisers help with.
Rugby games taking place at the school ran from 10:30 a.m. through to nearly three in the afternoon. Schools participating included ESSC, Pontiac High School, D’Arcy McGee High School, Philemon Wright High School, École secondaire Grande-Rivière and École secondaire Mont-Bleu. Mont-Bleu was the only school to enter only a female team, while all others saw both genders play.