Not at all. Many Wild Oats players started with zero rugby experience. If you’re athletic, willing to learn, open to being coach and looking for a new sport, you’ll fit right in.
Rugby is a physical but well-regulated sport. Coaches emphasize proper tackling technique, condition and player. Injuries can happen, as with any sport, but safety and respect are core values of the rugby game.
You don’t need to be “match-fit” on day one. Rugby welcomes all body types and athletic backgrounds and your fitness will improve naturally through training and matches. Showing up consistently matters more that being in peak shape.
Yes! Rugby is for people, not stereotypes. If you’re curious, the best step is to come to a practice, meet the team and see how it feels. There’s no pressure to commit immediately.
Yes and proudly so! Rugby culture values camaraderie, respect and community. Social events, team meals and post-match gatherings are a big part of the Wild Oats experience.
The Wild Oats are a diverse and inclusive club — students, professionals, parents, newcomers to Canada and lifelong athletes. What unites everyone is teamwork, effort and enjoying the social side of the club.
Pre-season training starts indoors in late February and move outdoors when the weather is nice enough, typically in mid April. When training moves outdoors, practices occur twice per week, typically on Monday at Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The competitive season generally runs mid-to-late May and concludes mid September. Matches are typically played Thursday, Friday or Saturday. There are no matches on long weekends.
You can find our season schedule here.
As an organization, the Wild Oats understand that everyone has family, work and school commitments, so flexibility exists, but communication is key!
Practices are approximately 90 minutes twice per week, typically Monday and Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Matches for the men’s team are typically Thursday or Friday evenings, however, there are four Saturday games (referred to as Interlock) when Saskatoon teams play Regina teams. The D1 men’s team plays 10 regular season matches a year, followed by playoffs, while the D2 men’s team plays three matches, followed by playoffs.
The women’s team will play two matches against a local team on Friday nights as well as take part in Saturday Interlocks. The regular season for the women’s team consists of five games, followed by a provincial playoff. From there, a Team North (Saskatoon-based) is generally formed to take on Team South (Regina-based) in the President’s Cup.
Costs include a team fee (which differs for the men’s and the women’s teams) that are shared at the start of the season, as well as Saskatchewan Rugby and Rugby Canada registration, which are set by the respective organizations.
Team fees help cover field rentals for both indoor and outdoor training, match officials, league fees and insurance.
The Wild Oats offer many fundraising opportunities throughout the season to help remove cost as a barrier to participation.
To start, you’ll need a mouthguard, cleats (soccer cleats or football cleats will work), a water bottle and gym shorts. The club can help guide you on additional gear. No one expect you to show up fully kitted on day one.
Absolutely! Rugby has a learning curve, but coaches and teammates actively help new players understand the positions, rules and game flow. No one is left to figure it out alone.
A rugby game is typically 80 minutes long, divided into two 40-minute halves.
You can go as far as you want with rugby. There are opportunities to represent Saskatchewan as well as go onto to represent Canada on the international level at the men’s or women’s World Rugby Cups like Hubert Buydens, Nanyak Dala or Kayla Mack.
Members of both the women’s and men’s teams have advanced to higher levels of rugby, with some also preferring to stay local.
In recent years, the Wild Oats haven’t been on any tours, although we are looking at doing some in the future. The club has a history of going on tours all over the world, including a tour of the United Kingdom in 2008 to celebrate our 35th anniversary.