Rugby pro and second-year assistant coach Mike Sheppard credits the Hawks men’s rugby team despite a difficult first game.
He cites the absence of adequate preparation for the Sept. 16 game in Barrie.
“It was our first game together, there was no pre-season game, we only had six to eight practices total together and not all the players could even make it ’cause guys were sorting out their classes and stuff,” Sheppard said.
The Hawks saw their first in-game action in their season opener against Georgian College where, despite being a relatively inexperienced team, they still scraped out a tight 20-15 loss. The Hawks were scheduled to play a preseason game versus St. Lawrence Surge but it was cancelled due to the Kingston team not having enough players.
Sheppard is confident the team’s leaders will step up and play a big role despite the team’s injuries.
“We just need to have guys here and healthy, but we have guys we are confident will step up,” he said. “We have a good group of leadership and that’ll help the inexperienced guys come along.”
Along with working for a beer distribution company, Sheppard spends most of the year as captain of Toronto’s Major League Rugby team, the Toronto Arrows. The season runs from February to June and allows him to coach the Hawks from September to November.
Head coach Fabian Rayne credits Sheppard for bringing a special edge to this Hawks team and how well the coaching staff has worked together to hopefully have more success this season.
“He brings intensity to each practice and the players really respond to him,” Rayne said.
“He knows his stuff when it comes to working with the forwards and we enjoy and appreciate what he brings to the table,” he said. “Everyone on our coaching staff brings their own skill set.
“It really is a collaborative effort between us and figuring out ways to put these players in the best position to be successful,” Rayne said.
Sheppard always wanted to coach and heard about an open assistant coach position from former Hawk and assistant coach Andre-Rose Green, who Sheppard had played with along with other former Hawks at a Brampton rugby club.
“I always thought I would go back and coach at McMaster someday but I’m still very inexperienced myself and I still need to find my own voice as a coach,” he said.
“I think coming here as an assistant coach in the short season is a good way to build my own experience,” he said.
Wing Timico Smith is a fan of Sheppard’s and always tries to get advice from the former Team Canada Lock.
“You go from watching him play to him actually coaching you. So it’s definitely a different feeling.” he said.
“I take everything he says to a tee and every minor detail so I can fit it in my own game,” Smith said.
Smith played rugby for eight years and trained with the Hawks last season but was unable to play due to being enrolled in the Humber Police Foundations program.
“He’s a really skilled player. It was unfortunate not to have him last year because of his program, but he brings a lot of energy to the field and adds another element to our team,” Rayne said of Smith following practice.
Unlike the more experienced Humber sports teams, this team looks to improve every week into a championship contender.
“”We just try to focus on the next opponent and as long as we are putting these players in positions to be successful then that’s our goal as coaches,” Rayne said.