The St. John’s High School Rugby Team 1977, while a career highlight for its members, is likely less well known for how its remarkable program development, initiatives and achievements had such a positive impact on the Saracens Rugby Football Club specifically, and, Rugby in the province of Manitoba in general, for many years to come.
Coached by Peter Press and Raymond Skett, the team not only competed in the Manitoba High School League, it was to participate in the Manitoba High School All Star Game competing against a team of all star players selected from the remaining High School League teams, and was to develop even further with an unprecedented touring initiative that included an exhibition game against Benilde-St. Margaret’s College in St. Paul’s Minnesota, a three game set at a prestigious High School Tournament in Chicago Illinois, as well as a 5 game England tour in March of that year. In its totality, the team was to amass a record of 14 wins against 2 losses, scoring 514 points for (111 Tries, 4 Penalties, 29 Converts) versus 66 points against (8 Tries, 10 Penalties, 2 Convert), and going undefeated with 0 points scored against the team in the Manitoba High Schools League on its way to a 46 to 3 victory against Kelvin in the Manitoba High Schools final.
From that 1977 St. John’s team, fifteen players went on to play on the Manitoba Junior U-20s Provincial Team (MB U20), four would become Canadian U20 All Stars (CA U20), and eight would go on to play on the Manitoba Senior Men`s Provincial Team (MB Sr. M). Record and all, a truly extraordinary accomplishment worthy of the teams’ induction to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame.
1977 St. John’s High School Rugby Team
1977 St. John’s High School Rugby Team Record
England Tour
Coached by Peter Press and Raymond Skett, the team not only competed in the Manitoba High School League, it was to participate in the Manitoba High School All Star Game competing against a team of all star players selected from the remaining High School League teams, and was to develop even further with an unprecedented touring initiative that included an exhibition game against Benilde-St. Margaret’s College in St. Paul’s Minnesota, a three game set at a prestigious High School Tournament in Chicago Illinois, as well as a 5 game England tour in March of that year. In its totality, the team was to amass a record of 14 wins against 2 losses, scoring 514 points for (111 Tries, 4 Penalties, 29 Converts) versus 66 points against (8 Tries, 10 Penalties, 2 Convert), and going undefeated with 0 points scored against the team in the Manitoba High Schools League on its way to a 46 to 3 victory against Kelvin in the Manitoba High Schools final.
From that 1977 St. John’s team, fifteen players went on to play on the Manitoba Junior U-20s Provincial Team (MB U20), four would become Canadian U20 All Stars (CA U20), and eight would go on to play on the Manitoba Senior Men`s Provincial Team (MB Sr. M). Record and all, a truly extraordinary accomplishment worthy of the teams’ induction to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame.
1977 St. John’s High School Rugby Team
- Coaches: Raymond Skett, Peter Press, (Principal) Dick Mutchmor
- Players: Rick Romsa (C) (MB U20, CA U20, MB Sr. M), Rob Penner (VC), Ed Weedmark (VC) (MB U20, MB Sr. M), Stewart Carmichael (MB U20), Harry Robertson (MB U20, CA U20, MB Sr. M), David Felske, Don Grant (MB U20, MB Sr. M), Ron Langford (MB U20, CA U20), Arnold Majdell (MB U20), Rob Majdell (MB U20, MB Sr. M), Doug Tesluck (MB U20), Rick Fredricksen, Andrew Jackson (MB U20, CA U20, MB Sr. M), John Keith (MB U20), Ihor Holowczynsky (MB U20, MB Sr. M), Alf Plantz (MB U20), George Smith, Jack Miller, Frank Cazzorla, Ron Bennett, Markus Van Wyk, George Seidel (MB U20), Rick Romanowski (MB U20, MB Sr. M), Taras Matwyczuk
1977 St. John’s High School Rugby Team Record
England Tour
- St. John’s 7 (1 T, 1 PK) Churches College 18 (1 T, 4 PK, 1C) Loss
- St. John’s 34 (8 T, 1 C) Bayhouse 0 Win
- St. John’s 10 (2 T, 1 C) Brune Park 14 (2 T, 2 PK) Loss
- St. John’s 15 (3 T, 1 PK) Brune Park Alumni 13 (2 T, 1 PK, 1 C) Win
- St. John’s 7 (1 T, 1 PK) Gosport U 19 All Stars 3 (1 PK) Win
- St. John’s 16 (4 T) Loyola College 4 (1 T) Win
- St. John’s 25 (5 T, 1 PK, 1 C) Graystone 0 Win
- St. John’s 50 (10 T, 5 C) New Tier West 0 Win
- St. John’s 76 (18 T, 2 C) Benilde- St. Margaret’s 4 (1 T) Win
- St. John’s 16 (4 T) MB High School All Stars 4 (1 T) Win
- St. John’s 20 (4 T, 2 C) Westwood 0 Win
- St. John’s 30 (6 T, 3 C) Kelvin 0 Win
- St. John’s 60 (13 T, 4 C) Gordon Bell 0 Win
- St. John’s 46 (10 T, 3 C) Fort Richmond 0 Win
- St. John’s 56 (12 T, 4 C) St. James 0 Win
- St. John`s 46 (10 T, 3 C) Kelvin 3 (1 PK) Win