U16 & U18 Girls
Our U16 & U18 junior girls program is open to all players, regardless of skill level. Newcomers to the game, especially those with a high level of athleticism or experience in other competitive sports, often find a smooth transition. We play full contact, and our program is designed to introduce athletes from other sports to rugby and develop our long-term rugby athletes who aspire to join one of our two Nomads Women's teams, both of which are strong contenders in the Ontario Women's League (OWL).
Our coaching staff identifies players interested and capable of advancing their rugby careers beyond our club to compete for spots on university, college, provincial, national teams, the Toronto Rugby Union (TRU) 7s, or other elite international travelling squads. Many graduates of the Toronto Nomads junior girls' program have gone on to represent Canada in national 15s and 7s teams and coach women's rugby at the national level. Our Senior Women's team boasts players who currently play for Team Canada 7s, the Philippines National 7s, and Team Scotland & Exeter Chiefs.
We strive to provide personalized attention to each athlete to develop their skills, with an expectation for players to be dedicated to their personal fitness between practices and games, impacting team selection.
Our focus is on fostering an environment that embodies core values such as respect, honor, discipline, integrity, teamwork, and accountability. We aim to teach and develop all core skills and understanding of the game, creating a fun and engaging place for personal and athletic growth.
The age group begins with pre-season training once a week from February to April, followed by full 15-a-side rules with weekly games and two practices per week starting in May. The 7s season kicks off in the fall, running in a tournament style on weekends.
Toronto Nomads Juniors strive to be a welcoming club, building a strong sense of connection between all junior teams through club activities and a fun club culture beyond the field. We remain committed to growing our teams and have the largest juniors' training program in the west end of Toronto. At this age grade, we often collaborate with other Toronto teams to ensure sufficient numbers of girls to safely field teams, given the number of specialty positions in the sport. During the fall 7s season, Nomads fields both U16 and U18 girls teams.
Contact Details For Team Director
Interested in Junior Girls Rugby?
Annual Nomads membership provides access to all Nomads programs from the year purchased until April 30 of the following year. Pre-season (training only) runs February to May; rugby season (training and games) runs May to October. Contact our Junior's Director via email if you have questions juniors@torontonomads.com or register today!
Junior Girls Coaches
U16 & U18 Girls Coach | Rich Pauptit
Rich’s love for rugby started in high school. As a big kid he found himself a home in the forward pack specializing in clearing out rucks and being the engine of rolling mauls. Rich found the Nomads in his 20’s and has never strayed. Inspired by his tough daughters he turned his focus from playing to coaching. Guiding the girls as they refine their talent and support each other on the pitch is endlessly rewarding. Rich enjoys fostering young talent and watching a new hesitant player find their place on the team. He is a Level 1 coach with a focus on seeing success grow in the women’s game.
U16 & U18 Girls Coach | Marcelo Palacios
When Marcelo Palacios first experienced rugby in Canada, Nomads welcomed him with open arms, from that time he continues to give back. He really enjoys seeing the development of young players and their growth in the rugby world. His most rewarding moment, being part of a coaching team when Nomads junior boys played The Marches School boys from England. Our boys showed great skills and grit against a much developed squad.
Marcelo is a Level 2 coach who played in Argentina during his high school years, and coached with Nomads since 2014.
He speaks Spanish and English and is a well-rounded coach with knowledge in a bit of everything. His coaching philosophy is to do the basic things right, work hard on those and things will line up. He is a big believer in fitness and conditioning…a no pain, no gain kind of coach.
His favourite player is Julian Montoya, Argentina’s captain.
Girls 7s Coach | Stuart MacKenzie
Stuart coaches with Nomads because it is the club and his son plays for. It is a way for him to stay involved and try to help grow the game in our area. His most rewarding coaching moment was finishing fourth in the U16 league in 2023. The team was so dedicated, tough and resilient. So many players rose to the challenge and improved so much, it was great to see.
He is a Level 2 coach in training and has been part of the Applewood Heights High School rugby coaching team for 21 years. His coaching experience spans club rugby U10-U18 teams for 8 years, and U15, U16, U17 Ontario provincial teams for 5 years
His familiarity with all aspects of the game elevates the entire coaching team, but his real joy is in coaching attack, forwards and set piece. He believes in a player-centered approach that focuses on skill and tactical development through game play. The core values of rugby should be prioritized to develop not only players with a high level of skill, but players of high character who embody the sport on and off the field.
Juniors Head Coach | John “JP” Peel
JP is a Level 3 New Zealand Rugby coach with 14 years of experience. He has coached a diverse range of teams, including boys, girls, senior women's and men's teams, and has expertise in both rugby 15s and 7s. Additionally, JP has spent four years as a Talent ID and National Selector for the New Zealand Black Ferns 7s Development team and served for two years as the Club Captain for Melville Rugby and Sports Club in Hamilton, New Zealand. Here in Canada he provides technical direction and coaches both Juniors and our senior women. During his time in Canada he has coached Rugby Ontario teams as well as many local primary, middle and high school teams in support of team and player development.
Training
Our home games are played at Eglinton Flats, but we train in downtown Toronto and are the only Toronto-based rugby club to service the city west of Yonge.
Summer/Fall training - Monday and Wednesday at Eglinton Flats
Winter training- Jan to March: indoors at Lamport Stadium on Saturdays
Spring training - End of March to May: outdoors at De La Salle College
Gear
Rugby shorts, t-shirt and/or rugby jersey, rugby or soccer boots, mouth guard, water, and any other contact gear you need can be found at our partner online store.
Games & Times
Our home games are played at Eglinton Flats, usually on Wednesday evenings. Games are typically 60 minutes
Calendar
View this year’s games schedule, events and more in the calendar below.
About us
Established in 1950, Nomads Rugby is one of the Toronto’s original six rugby clubs. We are a progressive club with a proud history and a brilliant future. As a full-service club, we pride ourselves on offering rugby for all ages, genders, athleticisms and rugby abilities. Blue is the colour!
Contact Info
General | information@torontonomads.com
Senior Men | mensrugby@torontonomads.com
Senior Women | womensrugby@torontonomads.com
Juniors | juniors@torontonomads.com