Page 26 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 92

26 Issue #92 September 2020 www.sportsenergynews.com

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Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
Presents Sports Talk with Casey Leger
With the advent of Ontario’s Stage 3 reopening plan, and professional sports and local leagues looking at return-to-
play protocols, fans might soon be able to watch and play their favourite sports. Which sport are you most looking
forward to seeing or playing again?
John (John lives rurally, near Bainsville, ON and he works as a senior field coordinator on the OLRT Phase 2 project in

Reed Ottawa for Morrison Hershfield, a transportation engineering firm. He was born in Drummondville, QC and was
raised in Melbourne, QC in the Eastern Townships.)
Senior
Field “I am most eager to get back to playing old-boys rugby” John says. “I don’t really watch sports, so the restart of pro
Co-ordinator sports is not very important to me.”
John started playing rugby when he was 20 yrs. old. “It is the only sport that I excelled in,” he explains. “The social
aspect of the sport is as important as playing the game. I’ve made many friends through rugby. Playing old-boys is a
chance to get together and socialize like I was in my 20’s again (I am 54).”
Dylan “Like many other people during these unprecedented times, I have been long awaiting the return of top-level hockey
broadcasted on TV. Luckily, on August 1st, we will see NHL stars deking, passing, saving, shooting, and scoring
Lefebvre return to the small screen. This is welcomed as fans were on the edge of their seats watching one of the best playoff
Lifeguard hunts in recent times. Prior to the stoppage, many teams had a shot at winning Lord Stanley’s cup, or spending the
and summer out on the links.
Student
I have been a fan of hockey since I could walk. My dad made sure I would grow up to love the game and cheer for the
same team as he did. I’m a Montreal Canadiens fan to this day. Although much hardship has come from the ongoing pandemic, the fact that the pandemic
even existed has given me, along with many others, the opportunity to see their team compete for the Stanley Cup this year. As much as I would like to
see the Habs hoist the cup, I think they have a much better chance winning the Alexis Lafreniere sweepstakes. In all honesty, I think the Washington
Capitals or, as much as any Habs fan would hate to say it, the Boston Bruins will reign supreme come the season’s end.
Even if this outcome occurs for the Canadiens and they do go out in the first round, just being able to sit down with a few buddies and watch the best

players and teams competing for the ultimate prize makes the return of hockey much more anticipated.”
Chris Chris is also looking forward to the return of NHL hockey. “There’s nothing better than getting home from work,
relaxing, and putting some hockey on the TV,” he says.
Peacock Born in Cornwall, Chris and his family moved extensively when he was young, eventually settling in Winnipeg,
Glazier which explains why he is a life-long Jets fan. “It was awesome when Winnipeg got the Jets back,” Chris says.
and Avid Hockey Chris and his young family recently moved to Cornwall from Hamilton, where Chris was an avid Bulldogs fan,
Player
attending many games for both the AHL and OHL iterations of the team. “I’m currently looking for a beer league to
play in once things open up,” says the 29-year-old defenseman.
James “I am dying for rugby to restart. I’ve never really been a jock, never been heavily into sports. I like athletics and
have tried many different sports, but nothing ever really grabbed me. As kids, we were either playing street hockey
Peet or pickup baseball. Once I tried organized sports, but it wasn’t as fun.
Senior I first gave rugby a try when I was at Vanier College (CEGEP) in Montreal, where I was born, and it was by far the

Environmental best part of my CEGEP experience, no question. We would play hard and socialize just as hard afterward. I moved to
Offi cer
the Montreal Irish Rugby Football Club after college. What struck me most about the sport was that after sometimes
spending 80 minutes trying to decimate my opposite number (and sometimes it got pretty nasty!), we would still buy each other a beer after the game and
laugh about it.
I worked for two summers down in Boston when I was in university, and when, from my window, I saw a bunch of guys out in the field practicing rugby,

I grabbed my kit and joined in on the spot. Of course, I was welcomed immediately. Rugby is for everyone, and there is a spot for everyone in rugby. I
have since played for the Ottawa Irish Rugby Football Club, and now the Cornwall Crusaders. In the same vein, I have played for temporary travelling
teams, and pretty much any team that has been short a player. A rugby team will regularly “lend” players to the opposing team in order to even up the
numbers on either side.
I have played rugby since 1984. In fact, I met my wife while on the Montreal Irish float at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal in 1988. We’ll have

been married a happy 25 years on July 29. My daughter plays rugby at the University of Waterloo, too.
At this stage of my career, I find myself helping to coach the St. Joseph’s girls’ high school team. I sometimes play for the senior men’s division team,

but I mostly play for the Old Boys team. As such, we travel around Eastern Ontario playing other clubs. The last few years, that has meant joining forces

with other clubs as our membership has fallen somewhat. But, as rugby is such a welcoming community, it is never a problem to find a game…that is,
until this season.
I really miss the game. I miss playing, I miss the physicality of it, and I miss the social aspect of the sport. For me, all of it together is rugby, and it cannot
be synthesized, simulated, or replaced. The sooner that we get back to playing safely, the better and happier I will be.”