REGINA, Saskatchewan — The Regina Condor Football Club is the oldest active rugby football club in Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, it has a home today at the Regina Rugby Park. After them, the closest rugby club still in existence is the Saskatoon Rugby Football Club (called Saskatoon Gophers), founded in 1968. 

The formation of the Regina Condor Football Club marked the beginning of modern rugby in Saskatchewan. Before 1967, the only rugby club in the province was the All Blacks Club, also known as the Harlequins. The creation of the Condor brought about local competition, which was the positive rivalry needed to take rugby in Saskatchewan to the next level. 

With the Condors coming on board as a rival rugby club, there arose a need for a governing body. Hence, this led to the formation of a formal, well-structured governing body in 1970, with Peter Ventre being the first president. It was called Regina Rugby Union. The Saskatchewan Rugby Union was formed the following year (1971). 

Today, the Regina Condor Rugby Football Club is one of Regina’s biggest competitive rugby football clubs, fielding two high school sides, one women’s side and the men’s side playing in the first division. As of 2017, the Condor Rugby Club had over 40 male registered players and a large community supporter base – more than most rugby clubs in Regina. 

The Club started with just ten men sitting in the basement of the house of one of the rugby players. Erling Anderson, who was 19 years when the Condor Rugby Club kick-started in 1967 and one of the ten men who started the Condor, recalled the Club’s early beginnings while speaking at the 2017 Condor Rugby Club banquet to mark 50 years of its existence. He said, “There’s not many clubs or teams that get close to that.”

Darren Carter, one-time captain of the Condors, who joined the Club in 1987 at the age of 17, said one of the best things he enjoyed about joining the Condors when he finished high school was that he was free to smash things. He also loves the community of people it brings together. 

Carter also spoke about his favorite memories during all his years with the club at the 2017 banquet. “My favorite memory right now will be watching my son start in the city final at 16 years old, the one before that, probably my favorite memory would be when I was captaining the club,” he said.

One thing that has helped the Condors over the years is the people who have led the club over the years. One of such people is Derek Bisaro (Shaun Zunti). 

The Condor also boasts a female team – The Lady’s Condor, which started in 2011 when a group of high school graduates came together to help grow female rugby in Regina. When they started, it wasn’t looking like something that would be achievable, but ten years later, these ladies seem to have performed a miracle. The Lady’s Condor, as of today, has 7’s and 15’s official teams. 

The Regina Lady’s Condor team members have also made waves even outside the Club. One of its founding members, Madeline Berry, the Vice-President of Regina Women’s Rugby way back in 2017, started learning how to play rugby from grade 11 when it was only a men’s team. As of 2007, she was already a good player.

Meanwhile, at 54, the Regina Condor Rugby Football Club inspires both the young and the young-at-heart to get involved in a sport they love.

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