Before Team Canada kicked off against Italy in the Rugby World Cup, members of the team took the time to send a special message to the Charles Hays Rainmakers watching halfway across the world.
The Prince Rupert Seamen and Rainmakers gathered at the Wheelhouse on Thursday night to watch a pre-recorded game of the World Cup as part of their fundraising initiative.
The rugby community is hosting viewing parties twice a week. They are selling pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee on Sunday mornings at 10:30, and burgers on Thursday evenings at 7:30 for a minimum donation of $5. The goal is to raise money for the Rainmakers upcoming season and bond with the community over the big league rugby.
| The rugby community is hosting viewing parties of the World Cup twice a week with $5 meals to fundraise for the Rainmakers. Janice Kristmanson and Jason Scherr cooking sausage and pancakes with juice and coffee also available, every Sunday morning at 10:30. The community can also come on Thursday evenings at 7:30 for burgers, beer and of course soda for the kids. (Jenna Cocullo / The Northern View)/td> |
Before the spectacle started, Team Canada players Shane O’Leary, Phil Mack, Kyle Bailie, Taylor Paris and Conor Trainor had a special message:
“Hey Jon, just want to thank you for your support and wish the Rainmakers all the best this coming season,” said Mack as the rest echoed “all the best, good luck boys.”
“It was pretty cool. They know what they are talking about so it was pretty cool to have them wish us luck,” said Rainmakers player Jake Morse.
“Yeah it was pretty wild to see such huge people in the rugby community just saying our club’s small name,” added Nash De La Ruez, another Rainmakers player who was at the viewing party .
The Jon they are referring to in their shout out is Jon Phelan, a former Team Canada rugby player who now lives in Prince Rupert, helps out Rainmakers’ coach Andy Enns with the team, and got the players to send the shout out.
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“It’s something that is within my power. It is a little thing but hopefully for the kids it means a lot participating in the rugby community,” Phelan said. “It’s a fantastic community with the Prince Rupert Seamen and Rainmakers. Everyone is having a great time and we’re getting a lot of people out. There’s a core group of guys and women keeping it together and I am just happy to show up and come into a world of rugby just like I’m used to. You walk into instant friends.”
The Seamen and Rainmakers will continue hosting viewing parties twice a week until the end of the Rugby World Cup. Although Team Canada will most likely not be making another specialty video appearance, the boys would still like the community to come out and give their food a try.
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| The rugby community is hosting viewing parties of the World Cup twice a week with $5 meals to fundraise for the Rainmakers at The Wheelhouse./td> |
Jenna Cocullo | Journalist
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