Loyalist Rugby Lancers out one player

Hunter Clement is attended to after breaking her lower arm during the Rugby Lancers’ home game against the St. Lawrence Vikings on Sept. 20. Photo by Micah Bond, Loyalist Photojournalism

By Kate Shumakova

BELLEVILLE – The Loyalist Women’s Rugby Lancers lost one of their players for the rest of the season on Saturday.

Hunter Clement, a first-year Loyalist student, broke her lower arm during the intensive Saturday game against the St. Lawrence Vikings.

Jim Buck, athletic director at Loyalist, said Hunter had surgery on Saturday night to insert some pins and plates to hold the bone in place.

“Obviously her season is over. Because rugby season is so short, she won’t heal up on time to play the rest of the year. She will be missed greatly by her team but she should make a full recovery,” he said.

Hunter is recovering well and was back in classes on Monday, Buck said. She is the third rugby player from her family at Loyalist – her two elder sisters are also on the team.

QNet News was unable to reach Clement for comment on the injury.

Buck said that rugby, by its nature, is a physical sport and injuries do happen. However, this is probably the first serious sport injury in quite some time, he said.

Ken Fitzgerald, the coach of the team, said that while minor injuries are common in rugby, serious ones are hardly a daily occurrence.

“I have been around the rugby community for almost 25 years, and I have seen an accident such as hers maybe once,” Fitzgerald said.

Buck said it is impossible to prevent all sports injuries, and the only way to reduce the number of incidents is to provide a safe environment.

Despite the loss of Hunter, the Lancers beat St. Lawrence 43-36. This Saturday they play against the Fleming Knights.

Fitzgerald said that this year the Lancers have 28 or 29 active players, much more than in any past year. He is optimistic about the rest of the season, he added.

“I think we proved that we can play at that level and be dominant. Last week’s performance was exactly what we need to show for the rest of the season. And the future looks bright.”