Cornish helps ‘lock’ up first place for Gemini rugby women

Confronted by an array of Red Devils, Tillsonburg’s Avah Sanderson pitches the ball back to a teammate. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Keona Cornish is primarily a lock.

But the Tillsonburg Gemini girls’ rugby co-captain is a Jill of all trades for her side, found at a number of on-field positions depending on the game situation.

“A little bit of everything, I’m everywhere,” she smiled.

“She subs in where we need her,” credited Keirsten Sanderson, one of a five-member Gemini coaching staff.

To the uninitiated, nomenclature for the sport’s 15 positions presents an interesting learning curve with descriptive/puzzling titles including fullback, fly-half, hooker, wing, back row, lock and scrum half. And while happy to fill in where needed, the position Cornish and her Gemini compatriots are happiest to occupy is first place in the Thames Valley Regional Athletic Association’s Jill McCallum Division, firmed up with a 29-10 victory over the Woodstock CI Red Devils on a beautiful, sunny Thursday, April 24th morning at London’s City Wide Field.

“Lots of good teammate communication,” said Gemini co-captain Avah Sanderson. “We have a good bond together and are listening very well both on and off the field.”

Sophie Hicks, Carly Kennedy and Cornish were each credited for a five-point try against WCI (the rugby equivalent of a football touchdown, running the ball across the goal-line and touching it down on the ground). Avah Sanderson added two two-point conversions (kicking the ball through the uprights from the lateral position the try was recorded) and three trys, including one on a lengthy ‘pick and go.’ Quite literally, players advance the ball laterally and vertically, and upon getting tackled, shelter the ball, moving it rearward to a teammate, who picks it up and goes again.

“It escalated across the field,” said Sanderson.

The Gemini opened their regular season with a 20-15 win over St. Thomas St. Joe’s Rams the previous Wednesday (April 16th), in which chilly weather was also an opponent for both sides.

“They couldn’t feel their fingers by the end of the game,” said coach Sanderson.

The victory was significant in that while Tillsonburg has beaten St. Joe’s in ‘sevens’ (seven players a side) competition, this was a first in full-squad regular season play. Gemini success is attributable to a number of factors, beginning with a 30-member roster featuring a mixture of veteran experience and Grade 9 enthusiasm. Apart from a balance of physical talent, size and speed, those elevated numbers allow the coaching staff to keep fresh legs on the field.

“It’s way better than last year,” said Cornish.

“Go hard or go home,” agreed Avah Sanderson.

The coaching staff features three-year members Tony Hietkamp and Shelby Colldock, second-year Emma Miners, and rookies Katrina Blong and Keirsten Sanderson. The Gemini have been practising for two months says the latter, pleased to see their hard work paying off both on the field and in the standings.

Tillsonburg is scheduled to face St. Thomas Parkside, also at 2-0 in the standings Wednesday, May 7th at St. Thomas’s 1Password Park, before closing out its regular season at home to Woodstock Huron Park Tuesday, May 13th in a 3 p.m. start.