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As the weekend approaches, so does a new decade of Rugby Canada Super League action.

The RCSL’s 11th season will kick off this Saturday, May 10th and will mark the beginning of a new era in league history.

The question of a defending champion in the senior league has certainly been a hot topic in the off-season. Can Saskatchewan ignite another perfect season, or will the league’s new look put out the fire?

As critics across the country challenged the structure and significance of the Rugby Canada Super League, the RCSL executive pushed for a motion at the 2007 Rugby Canada Annual General Meeting to improve the competitiveness of the league by mandating North America 4 player association with RCSL clubs.

A unanimous decision was made and the policy was put in place for the 2008 season that unless permitted by the Rugby Canada High Performance Committee, all players selected for NA4 duty must be associated with an RCSL team.

In the past few years, the RCSL has lost its shine with many of the nation’s top players as competition levels began to drop. This new structure will give the league a new look and a more competitive arena for Canada’s aspiring talents.

The season will begin with two great matchups in the eastern conference as the 2007 RCSL runners-up Niagara Thunder will be eager to get back to their winning ways.

Standing in their way are the always tough Quebec Caribou, who have just returned from a pre-season tour of France. Both squads have many returning players as well as a few new faces in their line-ups. The game will be played at the Concordia University field in Montreal, Quebec, on Saturday, May 10th at 4:30pm EST
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The senior game will follow the first junior match-up of the year. Last year’s junior competition fell under the umbrella of an under-21 structure, but to follow the International Rugby Board’s move towards an under-20 age group, the RCSL have implemented the junior (U20) league.

Niagara’s junior squad, the Lightning, was a very strong side a year ago; they look to top the central division of the eastern conference in the junior league. The Lightning will suit up against the Quebec Junior Caribou for a 2:30pm EST kickoff on Saturday afternoon, May 10th.

The RCSL is very excited about the 2008 season and hopes to regain the support of rugby enthusiasts across the country for another year of great rugby.

Check rcsl.ca for the latest RCSL news and scores.