The Early Years
The Wild Oats Rugby Football Club was established in 1973 as a result of the successful High School programmes initiated by the Gophers. In its first season the team experienced obvious growing pains but managed, nevertheless, to win the ‘B’ division of the Louis Riel Tournament. With outstanding young players such as Jim Kemp and Dale Matthews, the future prospects of the Wild Oats looked bright. By the late 1970s and early 1980s the Wild Oats club was the dominant force in Northern Saskatchewan winning the Northern League Championship in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.
The club’s only recent success was successive titles in 1986 and 1987. During this period several players and administrators have figured prominently in high level organization and play. Dale Matthews and Rob Belyk have both served as president for the Saskatoon Rugby Union while Matthews and Dean Vause have, at various times worked as volunteers for the Saskatchewan Rugby Union. Other prominent players and administrators include Brian St. Cyr, Jim Kemp, Ron Vause, Les Laroque, Ray Sibbald, Gerald Bzowy and Lyndsay Harder. Although 1988 was not a banner year for the Wild Oats, several events happened which suggest that future years will yield more satisfactory results. A Junior team was reorganized at the Club and should provide much needed depth for the two Senior sides. Meanwhile, after an outstanding performance at both the Tier II and Tier I National Championships, Lyndsay Harder became the first active Wild Oat player to be named to the Canadian Rugby Union Senior long list.
The early 1990s saw the Wild Oats as the dominant team in Saskatoon, winning four straight city championships from 1991-1995 as well as winning the provincial and Saskatchewan-Manitoba finals in 1995 under the instruction of Ray Rogers and Brian St. Cyr. Young Wild Oats Dave Wilson and Roger Tosney both played an integral part in the success, with Roger going on to be longlisted for the Sr. national Team and Dave being invited to several U-23 camps. Other key talent included Kent Kammermayer, Andy Mencarelli, Paul Kononoff, Dale Matthews and Rob Belyk. The latter two decided after the provincial win of 1995 that the time had come to break off and create another men’s club in Saskatoon. Thus the the Badgers were born in 1996.
Another important change occurred in 1996. Faced with the collapse of yet another female club in Saskatoon amidst a large and growing pool of young female talent, the Wild Oats voted at their AGM to start up a women’s side. Original team members included Laura Stoughton, Tara Eckert, Heather Exner, Tarrah Klein, Eve Upshall and Abigail Howell. The Wild Oats WRFC has since won every city final since their initiation and the 1999 provincial final against the Regina Breakers under the instruction of coach Roger Tosney. Today most members of the club have played for a provincial side including all of the original six, Sarah Broadbent, Heather Jaques, Sarah Grant, Dana Stoughton, and Teresa Casavant. Laura Stoughton, Heather Jaques and Tara Eckert have all been invited in 2000 to the National U-23 camp. The club boasts three junior sides which continue to offer promising recruits.
Though the men’s side saw dwindling numbers since its split with the Badgers in 1995, it continued to be force to be dealt with, with Div 1 placing second in the city in 1998 and 1999 and Div 2 getting second in 1999 with young talent such as Johnny Mapletoft, Rob Soulodre , and Tyler Kachur as well as Prairie Fire members Cory Trann, Mark Snodgrass and Dave Wilson.
The Next Chapter
The 21st century has ushered in a resurgence with the Wild Oats. The men’s second division side has competed in the provincial final for 6 years straight between 2000 and 2006. The first division side has appeared in 7 straight provincial title matches winning the title in 2005 and narrowly losing the title this past fall by one point. The seconds are rebuilding. The women’s side has appeared in every provincial final since their inception. Along the way, they captured many provincial titles, most recently in consecutive years, 2005 and 2006 and lost a hard fought battle for 3 in a row this past fall.
A number of current Wild Oats and former Wild Oats have gained national recognition in representative honours. Hubert Buydens and Nanyak Dala have been capped for the National Senior Men’s Team, with Dala withdrawing from World Cup selection 6 weeks from the start of the World Cup. Dave Wilson captained the Saskatchewan Prairie Fire in the Rugby Canada Super League for 2 seasons after returning from playing overseas in London, for Rosslyn Park, RFC, Aaron Baier recently retired from the Fire as its last original player. In addition to playing for Canada, Buydens and Dala have played for the Fire, competing in the RCSL final in 2005, 2006 and 2007, winning the final in 2007. Joining them on the Fire is Brennan Marcoux currently competing the CDI Premiership in British Columbia for the Castaway Wanderers and Doug Hepp who is also with the Castaway Wanderers. Hepp also won a Powergen Cup while playing overseas for Dorking RFC, in England.
For the Women, Heather Jaques has many caps for the National Senior Womens Program, competing in the last World Cup for Canada. She is currently training for and pursuing a second World Cup spot, playing for the Capilano, RFC in B.C. Laura Stoughton, a former WOW member, and a regular Sevens player on the Women’s circuit recently enjoyed the first of many caps for the 15’s National side on its fall tour to Scotland and Wales, Laura now plays for the Calgary Irish. Longtime WOW member and perhaps the most influential woman to don a WOW jersey, Tara Eckert has played regularly for the National 7’s program and recently relocated to Calgary to pursue a spot on the National 7’s World Cup squad competing in 2009, she joins Laura with the Calgary Irish. Tara will be competing for one of the National 7’s teams at the IRB San Diego 7’s tournament in February 2008. Additionally, Dana Stoughton, recently attended a National Identification camp for the National University 7’s program. She has been selected to play for a side competing in the San Diego 7’s tournament at the same time. At one time or another the above women have competed for the Saskatchewan Senior Women’s team at National’s. In addition to them, the following women competed for Saskatchewan this past summer in the inaugural season of Rugby Canada’s National Women’s League, Ali Cowan, Caitlin Grant, Erin Akens, Jess Buydens, and Jess Bender.
In 2004, the men’s side celebrated their 30thanniversary by touring England and Wales. In 2006, as the reigning provincial champions, the 1st division men’s side competed in the first ever, National Club Championship sponsored by Rugby Canada and played at Ellersley Rugby Park in Edmonton, Alberta. Opening day saw a disappointing one point loss to the then Alberta Champions, the Strathcona Druids. The Oats finished in 9th place, but carried the 4th best points for and against average for the tournament. Scott Kennedy, won the scoring title for the tournament playing for the Oats. In February of 2008, the Oats will be celebrating their 35th anniversary by touring to the U.K, Scotland and England, by taking both a men’s side and a women’s side.
Young players to watch for are Greg Landry, Roland Malan and Paul Mantyka for the men. For the women, young talent to watch out for includes Sabra Letourneau, Jenn Skilnick and Kayla Mack.
The Oats hope to keep up a tradition of expansive rugby and excellence while recapturing a few more provincial titles.