Raymond Comets 7s rugby team takes fourth provincial gold medal

Posted on May 28, 2026 by admin

By Garrett Simmons
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Winning rugby 7s provincials is becoming a habit for the Raymond Comets.

On Saturday in Lethbridge, Raymond earned gold for the fourth time in five tries, as the Comets defeated Holy Trinity Academy by a score of 30-0.

“We played that team in the semifinals last year, and their core of leaders are all in Grade 12 this year, so we knew they would be strong,” said Raymond coach Dan Bikman.

But as the two undefeated teams took the field with a title on the line, Raymond left no doubt.

“Our kids were locked in,” said Bikman. “They were ready to play. They wanted to win a provincial title and they were just at the next level. They did it as a group and they were laser focused and united.”

In particular, the team captains, Margaret Baldry and Mady Bourne, played key roles all weekend.

“They were part of our 7s team last year, and when kids have that experience, they can help everyone else prepare and perform,” said Bikman.

As well as Raymond played in the final, the Comets needed a 10-5 win over Jasper Place in the third game of the tournament, to keep the unbeaten run alive.

“We scored our winning try with no time on the clock,” said Bikman. “Jasper Place was a very good team, a good 15s-style team playing 7s. The mistake we made was that for whatever reason, they were able to keep us in tight, and they didn’t let us get wide.”

It took until that very last play of the game to Raymond to break through on the outside.

Raymond was able to handle its other opponents a little easier, the Comets took out Lloydminster 51-0 and defeated Chinook by a count of 70-0.

Now, Raymond prepares for the 15s south zone final on June 1 against Lethbridge Collegiate Institute.

Then, on June 5-6, Sturgeon Composite High School will host the School Sport Alberta Rugby 15s Provincial Championships.