CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Hunter’s Corner Mudmen RFC is on top of Maritime rugby.
The Mudmen defeated the Fredericton Loyalist 32-21 to win the Caledonia Cup. It is the first time an Island squad has won the championship since 1955.
“That’s the Stanley Cup for us,” Brodie Macdonald said as he watched his teammates celebrate with the trophy.
The 29-year-old Charlottetown native said Saturday’s jubilation makes all the blood, sweat and tears, sacrificed during the past 12 years he has travelled through the region with his teammates playing the game they love, worth it.
The win completed the sweep of the Maritime championships as the Mudmen defeated the Moncton Black Tide for the division two title earlier in the day.
“That fired us up,” Macdonald said, noting the importance of the club’s depth to its performance. “Our bench made the difference in both games.”
The victory also avenged the Mudmen’s lost to the Loyalists in last year’s Maritime title game. The sting of that defeat wasn’t far from the team’s memory as it prepared all season with the hopes of getting another chance to play for Maritime supremacy.
“That was the motivation that pushed us through,” said Macdonald, who plays inside centre.
His father Eddie, the team’s coach, said losing games can drive players to improve and that was a definitely the case with last year’s championship game defeat.
“To a man, we knew we had that game,” Eddie said. “We let it slip away and we wanted another crack at it and today was the day.”
Aaron Fitzpatrick and MacDonald each scored two tries in the championship game. Liam Carter had the other try and Ryan Lloyd kicked seven points.
The Mudmen led 19-7 at the half, but Fredericton refused to rollover.
“When I came here today I was just a bundle of nerves because I just knew the task in front of us and I knew the Loyalists would give us everything we could fight for,” Eddie said. “And they did. They gave us a battle right to the bitter end.”
The Mudmen didn’t have their full lineup available on Saturday with injuries resulting in a handful of guys unable to dress. The squad pushed on with those guys who were able to play.
“That’s the strength of our team,” Eddie explained. “We had a deep bench and we had guys that could step in.”
After the win, players and staff rushed off the sidelines to celebrate the victory with their teammates. Players, who have worn the jersey in the past, were in the stands cheering them on all day. They came onto the field to congratulate this year’s squad and be part of a group photo.
“It’s a family approach,” Eddie said, “and we really care for each other.”
He said the fan support was great all day.
“They were the 16th player on the field. They just kept fueling the fire for our players.”
The Mudmen will play the Newfoundland and Labrador champs in 2019 with the winner representing Atlantic Canada at the nationals.
Saturday’s victory capped off a remarkable year for Prince Edward Island rugby, which included the Charlottetown Rugby Football Club sweeping Nova Scotia Rugby’s tier A and B championships in August.
