We are now just 37 days away from the Manitoba Summer Games that will take place in Dauphin and the surrounding area.
Manipogo Provincial Park will play host to the sailing event, Northgate Trails will host the cycling event, the triathlon will be in Clear Lake and the top age-eligible golfers in the province will compete at the Gilbert Plains Country Club.
In 40 days; meanwhile, the rugby competition is set to take place at KIN Field in Dauphin. The format will be 7s on the men's and women's sides. Aaron Miner is the coach of the men's team and while some may not be familiar with the 7s game, it certainly is a thrilling brand of rugby.
"It's only a roster of 12 players and it's a very short game which makes it so enjoyable," said Miner. "It's a full-out sprint running for the entire 14 minutes. It still offers the great contact and intensity that you may used to in different formats."
The men's team will include Ben Miner, Colton Miner, Julian Lopez, Alex Thompson, Mitch Vandekerckhove, Nathanial Brezden, Will Busby, Logan Sanderson, Morgan Fleck, Sully Fox, Blake Symchych, and Jordan Evans. The girls' team has not set its roster as of now.
Playing as Team North, both teams will be full of Parkland talent. While it hasn't always been the case, rugby has taken off in the region. The Clipper girls recently won their second straight league title and second straight provincial title and the boys' team faired very well on the provincial stage as well.
When it comes to who you can look out for when the competition begins, Miner shares that.
"The big player is Sully Fox, he's coming off an incredible year in high school," offered Miner. "He was named the U16 Player of the Year for Team Manitoba. We expect big things from Sully on and off the field as a leader."
Miner knows the competition will be stiff, but he knows Team North has their eyes on the prize.
"We have extremely high expectations, we are aiming for a gold medal," ended Miner.
Aaron also said it's an honour to get an opportunity to be the coach of the men's team and he's looking forward to being a part of this historic event.
