More than 600 rugby players and 13 clubs compete at Caledon Cavaliers’ 4th Annual Tourney at Palgrave Park

June 26, 2025 · 0 Comments

By Jim Stewart

The fourth annual Caledon Cavaliers Rugby tournament rolled out in super-heated conditions on Sunday at Palgrave Park.

Burgers on the grill and the sweet scent of spun blue candy floss provided an aromatic backdrop for players, coaches, and parents getting hydrated in the shade of the Palgrave pavilion as daytime temperatures soared to 44 on the Humidex scale.

The challenging humidity was ameliorated by a constant breeze that swept through Palgrave Park, but an abundance of caution was meted out by tournament organizers. Cavaliers’ Community Development Director Ryan Nesbitt explained strategies that were put in place to provide relief for participants.

“The teams aren’t playing back-to-back games in this heat. The kids are being taken care of by coaches and parents. They’re cooling off in the shade and hydrating between games.”

Parents and coaches could be seen deploying spray bottles and misters for on-field players. Water breaks were frequent, and, remarkably, medical services reported no cases of heat exhaustion to treat.

Equally observant of his players’ needs in the heat was Cavs’ U12 Coach David Franceschetti whose team went 2-2 in its four games in the morning.

“Water, shade, and verbal motivation were ways to beat the heat today. The effort was there today, as was their endurance, but taking care of our players was the key. This is our third tournament so they’re getting used to playing multiple games. We had success at the recent Barbarians Festival in Aurora. Our guys played well and made the club proud – as well, they made the coaching staff and parents proud of their efforts.”

Coach Franceschetti was satisfied not only by his team’s efforts in challenging conditions, but also by his players’ emotional growth.

“Just seeing them get along off the field—the ease of how they talk with each other. It’s great to see them having fun on and off the field.”

Community Director Nesbitt offered insights into the composition of Franceschetti’s high-performing U12 squad and noted that even stronger Cavs teams are in the pipeline.

“Almost all of the U12 team has been in the Cavaliers program for four years. The legacy is building. Our U10 team looks really good, too. As soon as they’re allowed to tackle, it’s going to be a great team.”

Cavaliers’ President Mike Iacovelli, who resurrected the Cavaliers’ program four years ago and created the legacy to which Nesbitt referred, was pleased by what he saw at Palgrave Park.

“We pivoted to a Sunday Open tournament and attracted 55 teams from 13 clubs. Teams have had some difficulties connecting this year, due to changes in regional play directed by Rugby Ontario. Many teams opted for our tournament and it’s worked out really well for everybody. The best part of today is that we’ve pulled everyone together. Each team is getting four games. We’ve invited the community and built community. We have more girls’ teams this year, too. The tournament switches in the afternoon to 14U Girls and 14U Boys teams playing on the two main fields. We’ve also received huge support from the Palgrave and Bolton Rotary Clubs which have done so much for our rugby program, including the donation of the new uprights on the main field.”

At noon, the U6 to U12 squads that populated Palgrave’s pitches secured their post-game meals in the shaded, breezy pavilion and beat the heat while the U14 to U18 teams took their places for the afternoon matches. Nesbitt, in his first year as Community Development Director and fourth year with the Cavaliers, noted the success of the tournament and its complex schedule.

“We’re at field capacity for the day. Our facility here in Palgrave is quaint, but it’s convenient and accessible for our teams and for visiting teams. It’s helped us to feed the desire for the game that wasn’t being served years ago. It’s challenging to run the program and tournaments of this size, but we have a great volunteer army. The athletes are showing up and we’re getting it done for them in Caledon. Today, we’re making it happen for the 600 kids who love playing rugby that are here at Palgrave.”

The 600 players that competed in the Cavs’ 4th annual tournament were from thirteen rugby clubs across the GTHA and Central Ontario: the Aurora Barbarians, Balmy Beach Rugby, Barrie Rugby, Fergus Highlanders, Georgian Bay Titans, Hamilton Hornets, Markham Irish, Niagara Wasps, Oakville Crusaders, Owen Sound Rugby, Toronto City, Toronto Nomads, and the host club, the Caledon Cavaliers.