There was a common thread among the big award winners at the Foothills Lions year-end banquet.
Those who hit hardest, walked the tallest.
Contact hungry Lion Tyrell Robertson took home the most valuable player and was named the Lions’ top forward at the team’s year-end banquet, Sept. 8 at the Bullpen Pub in Okotoks.
“For me it went really well,” Robertson said. “I really don’t think I did anything different I just really enjoyed playing the positions I was put in and enjoyed hitting.”
The third-year Lion was something of a Swiss Army knife for the club this season, lining up as a back at inside centre before moving up to first-row hooker and finally settling at flanker.
“When I moved to flanker I really improved my positioning and where I need to be on the field and getting in there, hitting the rucks and tackling,” Robertson said.
Playing flanker allowed Robertson to perform his favourite aspect of the sport, dolling out punishment.
“I just really like contact, I know how to take people down,” he said. “I don’t like letting people through and really consider myself a defensive specialist.”
The dual honours came as a surprise for the Lion.
“It’s really the social aspect of rugby that I enjoy,” he said. “These are just a bonus, if I didn’t get the (awards) I would still come back next year and play the same way.”
2012 was a season of new beginnings, but had a familiar ending for the Lions.
Foothills was on the outside looking in at the Calgary Rugby Union playoff picture for the second year in a row, their first fielding two senior men’s teams.
“We may not have won all the games, but we grew as a team, grew as a club and we’re really trying to make that next step,” Robertson said. “It was a fun year to get to know everyone and play rugby.”
First-year Lion Dylan Levacque made an early impression on the coaching staff and was rewarded for his freshman campaign with rookie of the year honours.
The Foothills Composite graduate said his men’s rugby debut season saw quite the trajectory from start to finish.
“It started out a little slow, I hadn’t played rugby since high school and I came back in and they were saying all these different terms and I had no idea,” Levacque said. “Throughout the year the guys were really great at helping me along, I was starting to get it and the last few games were just a pleasure to play.”
The 23-year-old’s physicality on the second row propelled him up the Lions’ ranks on both the third and second division teams.
“I gave it my all, I never quit even when we were down I would still hammer and charge until the whistle blew,” he said. “I started out in the third division and (coach Darcy Gallant) kept saying if you give it your all maybe you’ll get a spot above and as soon as I got that spot I wouldn’t let go, it kind of drove me.”
Like the club MVP, hitting is the name of Levacque’s game.
“Aggression, aggression,” he said of his biggest strengths. “I don’t know if it still shows, but I had a black eye for the last few games and it doesn’t bother me at all, I’ll hit and just keep hitting.”
Lions forward Jordan Smith was a big hit this season too. Smith walked away with the coach’s award and was one of three individuals, along with Mike McIntyre-Kelly and club president Paul Hudon, elected into the esteemed Lion’s Club.
A pair of Lions backs who spent the offseason sharpening their rugby on the north shore of Vancouver were also credited for stellar 2012 campaigns.
Kevan Yeats took home most improved player honours while Dan Larson was voted the team’s top back.
Foothills club captain Nathan Marquardt, more often than not the most vocal and enthusiastic player on the team, was voted the top social player.
Shayne Pelletier, the Lions’ vice-president of men’s rugby, was given the inaugural club/financial award for his tireless work in promoting the rugby club off the pitch.
For more information on the Lions go to www.foothillslionsrugbyclub.com
