North Halton Highlanders
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The North Halton Highlanders Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby club located in Georgetown, Ontario.
The club was founded and first registered with the Ontario Rugby Union in 1984 by local Georgetown resident Sandy MacKenzie. It rose through the ranks of the Niagara Rugby Union and the Toronto Rugby Union (TRU), culminating with Marshall Cup championships in 1998 and 2001. After the 2001 championship, it received a warranted invitation to compete in the Ontario Rugby Union (Provincial Senior League) Keenan Division.
It currently fields four teams: Men's 1st, Men's 2nd, Men's Under-18 and Men's Under-16. The Men's 1st team finished the regular season with a 6-3-1 record and a victory in the TRU "C" championship; it will compete in the TRU "B" division in 2006. Club members vary in age and experience. Although most are from the Halton Hills area, players from as far away as Brantford and Markham participate on the team. The Highlanders play on a pitch directly behind the Gellert Community Centre in Georgetown.
Because of the severe winters in Ontario, the rugby season runs through the summer. Players typically start indoor training in February, and move outside when daylight saving time begins and the snow melts. Usually a few friendly matches and a tournament are played in April, and the regular season begins in May. Men's rugby continues until September; cup competition may extend the season until the end of October. The junior teams run a shorter season to avoid conflict with high school sports, playing matches in July and August on Wednesday evenings.
