Watkins at the helm of rugby’s return to Durham

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

A familiar face in the local rugby community is set to play a pivotal role in the return of the men’s sport to Durham College.

Earlier this month, John Watkins was named as head coach of the men’s rugby program at the school, which is returning to the school after the lengthy absence.

The team will play a strictly exhibition schedule for the 2017-18 season and then join the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association league the following year.

Watkins has been heavily involved in the local rugby scene, having served as the president of the Oshawa Vikings Rugby Club since 2000 and Toronto Rugby since 2015.

Durham College athletic director Ken Babcock explained Watkins’ resume made “him a perfect candidate to reintroduce the sport on campus.”

“The recent growth of the sport has been tremendous, especially in Durham Region,” Babcock stated. “John has been at the forefront of that movement for 20 years coaching players of all ages and abilities while serving in a leadership role at the local and provincial level.”

In addition to his executive duties with the Vikings, Watkins coached the U14 team from 2012 to 2014, reaching back-to-back provincial finals, and led the U16 squad to a provincial championship in 2015.

He has also served as an assistant coach for the senior men’s and U20 teams, both which have captured provincial championships during his tenure.

“The Oshawa Vikings Rugby Club is one of the largest in Ontario. We have about 400 members and offer rugby to members ages six years old all the way up to senior men and women, so the fit with Durham College is a real good one,” Watkins says. “Some players who play in the club will be attending Durham, so it will be a smooth transition for them to get involved in the program.”

The veteran coach is confident men’s rugby will be a success this time around.

“It looks like there are a lot of resources in place from Durham College and they are really taking the program seriously, which is great,” Watkins says. “All the pieces in place for this program to be successful.”

He is quick to recognize there will be challenges to go along with the successes.

“2017 is really about establishing the program. The season will be dedicated towards developing each player and building the foundation not only for this year but also the next season,” Watkins says.

Tryouts for the team are scheduled for Aug. 28 to 31 at Thompson Rugby Park in Raglan, just north of Oshawa.

Students of all ages are invited to participate and Watkins says they will keep as large a roster as possible.

“We are going to keep it as simple as possible and build on the players we have, while focusing on the core skills. If we develop those, the rugby will take care of itself.”

Watkins believes the return of rugby will be also serve as valuable tool for attracting students to the college.

“Rugby is very popular in Durham, so students now having an option to stay local and play varsity collegiate sports is great, because it hasn’t existed. So students who were interested in playing had to go out of the area,” he stated.

For more information and to register for tryouts, visit durhamlords.com.