C.B.S. teen selected to Canada’s U18 rugby team

Conception Bay South teen James Noftall selected to Canada’s under-18 rugby team

For Conception Bay South teen James Noftall, the lessons he’s learned in three short seasons of playing rugby are greater than any other sport he’s tried.

“The sport has helped me more than any other sport or anything else has to get to where I need to be, not only as a player, but as a person,” said the 17-year-old.

A Swilers Rugby Club product, he took a chance on the sport when he was a Grade 10 student at Holy Heart of Mary High School in St. John’s.

A friend from chamber choir asked Noftall to try out for the school team and he fell in love with the sport.

“It's given me gives me the ability to respect anybody, no matter where they come from, who they are, or what challenges they may have faced,” he said.

'IT MADE MY MONTH'

On a Friday night a couple of weeks ago, Noftall got an email he was hoping to receive, but didn’t necessarily expect.

It was from officials with the Rugby Canada, informing him that he'd been selected to play on the under-18 national team.

Players were picked for the team after the under-18 East Vs West Camp was held in Abbotsford, B.C., in April. Noftall, along with three others from Newfoundland and Labrador – Logan Burt (Paradise), Tyson Snow (Paradise) and Lochlann Strand (St. John’s) – represented the province.

After three days of camp and a pair of games – one of which he'd missed due to being in concussion protocol – Noftall walked away feeling like he hadn't done enough to make the team.

His coaches felt otherwise. They liked his defense away from the ball in the first game and how he competed.

“It was a nice boost of confidence, and it was a great to hear,” said Noftall.

“It made my night, made my day it, made my weekend, and it made my month pretty much.”

POINT OF PRIDE AND A BIT OF A CHIP

Noftall was the only player east of Quebec to get named to the squad, a fact that puts a bit of a chip on his shoulder to continue to prove himself with the team.

It also means that when he plays his first game in the red and white, he can add his name to the list of players from this province who have suited up for Canada in international matches.

That list includes Patrick Parfrey, Ciaran Hearn and, of course, Rod Snow, amongst others.

“I carry a lot of pride with that,” he said.

BUCKET LIST LOCATION

Noftall will travel to The Netherlands to represent his country at a 4 Nations event in Amsterdam later this summer.

While he just got back from a tour of Wales with the Atlantic Rock, he's very much looking forward to getting to Amsterdam.

“Amsterdam is on my bucket list of places to go,” said Noftall.

“I've seen a lot about it. It's obviously it's a beautiful city, and a different part of the world. That's something that a lot of people don't get to experience. I'm going to focus on cherishing it while I'm over there.”

Then there’s the rugby: Canada will be playing the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States, and Noftall is looking forward to seeing how those nations play the sport he loves and perhaps sharing his style with them.

“There's just so much good in the sport. One of my favourite sayings is, 'It's a barbarians game played by gentlemen’,” said Noftall.