Humboldt’s Rueve and Valkyries dominate short WWCFL season

The Riot made it a bit tougher during Sunday’s game at the Saskatoon Minor Football field, Rueve told northeastNOW.

“That’s what makes football fun and exciting.”

Along with a few big drives and amazing catches on both sides of the field, two separate incidents resulted in ejections from the game; Valkyries’ Danaye Holynski for throwing a punch late in the third quarter and then the Riot’s Josie Shannon for contact after the play early in the fourth.

No matter the outcome, Rueve said she is just happy to get some sort of normalcy back following COVID-19 shutting down the 2020 season.

As well as her duties as a defensive back, Rueve is also a kicker for the team. (Becky Zimmer/northeastNOW Staff)

The Valkyries were raring to go following a Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship win in 2019. The Saskatoon team had a four championship run from 2011-2014 before trading titles back and forth with Regina from 2015 to 2019.

While a non-COVID season for the team would include trips to Manitoba to take on fellow WWCFL teams, the Manitoba Fearless and the Winnipeg Wolfpack, during the Prairie Conference regular season followed by conference finals against the three Alberta teams, Valkyries head coach Pat Berry told northeastNOW they were fortunate to have the season that they did.

“We’re very fortunate to be able to do what we’ve done. I think we’re the only teams in Canada who have been able to do this much. So we’re very fortunate.”

Along with many of the challenges that all sports teams are facing due to COVID-19, recruitment was a challenge this year, said Rueve, with both the Valkyries and the Riot playing with much smaller rosters compared to other years.

The Valkyries continue to work with high school aged football players to prepare them for the WWCFL, said Barry, with the Valkyries helping out in camps further south.

The Valkyries have been great advocates for players under the age of 18 and the players they do have become the best female football players in the country, he said.

The players they do have become the best female football players in the country, he said.

“These are the two best club teams in Canada and they’re two of the best club teams in the world. And they’re going to prove it. A lot of these women are going to be on Team Canada, and they’re going to be challenging for a gold medal next year in Finland and they come from right here in Saskatchewan.”

Rueve was part of Team Canada during the 2017 IFAF Women’s World Championship in Langley, B.C. when they brought home silver after a loss against the United States.

Rueve is seeing more women and young girls getting involved in football, whether they are starting young with programs like Tykes on Spikes through Saskatoon Minor Football, joining the high school flag football teams, or discovering the Valkyries later in life, Rueve is happy to see more women participating in the sport, especially since she didn’t get her start until she was 19 years old.

Football is a game for everyone, she said.

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Becky.Zimmer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Bex_zim

by Becky Zimmer

Humboldt’s Rueve and Valkyries dominate short WWCFL season

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