From the ashes of the old Whitehorse Wolverine rugby team rises the newly formed Whitehorse Gold Diggers RFC.

And they are going places, namely the Midnight Sun 7’s Rugby Festival in Anchorage.

The Gold Diggers are looking forward to unveiling their team at the tournament, set for this weekend.

“It is an amazing achievement to get a side together, practise regularly, and be in a position to send a team away,” club president Darrin Sinclair said.

“We have been lucky with the support from local businesses and key personnel within the club to be in the position we are now in.”

This weekend’s tournament roster includes captain Neil Cosco, Andrew Malloy, Jason Watters, Zachary Mills, Shinya Jomura, Mike Fancie, Brian Bruckman, Eric Fekete, Steven Qiu, Tom Luxemburger and Sinclair.

The formal squad has developed from a group of men throwing a ball around at the Canada Games Centre (CGC) and Shipyards Park.

Although it is still early in the club’s life, there are big plans for the future.

The Gold Diggers are looking for tournaments and fixtures to aid player development and retention.

Sinclair said the club welcomes anyone male or female, regardless of experience, to come to the CGC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. for touch rugby, or Takhini Elementary School for outdoor sevens practice Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

The team has received valued sponsorship from Yukon Brewing, Riverstone Dental Clinic and Back Country Construction.

Interested players can also check out the Facebook page Yukon Rugby Federation for more details.

– Report courtesy of Andy Todd