Barriere and Clearwater high schools are combining their talents and partnering to form a boys rugby team.
Both Barriere and Clearwater high schools have worked in partnership for a number of years now according to rugby mom, Lennie McLaren of Clearwater.
“We’ve only lived in Clearwater since 2010. I’m not sure when rugby started at Clearwater Secondary but as far back as I can remember whenever they’ve had a team it’s always been a collaboration with Barriere. There just aren’t enough kids that sign up in either school to make a team otherwise.”
McLaren said to play 15’s you need well over 15 players and in recent years they’ve even had students from Brocklehurst Secondary in Kamloops joining them as well.
Coaches Kelsey Harpman from Barriere Secondary and Dave Whelan, from Clearwater Secondary run individual practices and then they meet for games which McLaren says work out well for both schools.
Two Clearwater boys and four Barriere boys have made the Thompson Okanagan Rugby Alliance Team as well and will be practicing ahead of participating in the provincial rugby finals at UBC in July.
