Ferg ready to sing for the Blues

One of the standout performers in last year’s Canadian Rugby Championship, and one of a select few who can call themselves a four-time MacTier Cup winner, to some it might come as a surprise that we haven’t seen Andrew Ferguson’s name in any of the national senior squads to date. His rugby CV is as good as any in the country at his age – he is also a two-time traveler to the World Junior Trophy with Canada’s u20 side – but the road to the top isn’t that easy.

Ferguson comes from one of Ontario’s great rugby nurseries, the Crusaders out of Oakville, in the west end of Greater Toronto. Established in 1968 – a long time ago by Canadian standards – the club now boasts three playing fields, a first class clubhouse, and an extensive junior and mini division to feed it’s senior men’s and women’s sides. Among the numerous national reps in recent years are former no8 Phil Murphy, current sevens squad member Mike Scholz, and promising front rower Djustice Sears-Duru.

“I can’t say enough positive things about Oakville. Since I started playing there when I was 14, they have given nothing except unconditional support for my development. Even when I can’t make training sessions due to provincial commitments, they support my aspirations by providing me an opportunity to play in games.”

As with many of Canada’s top young players, his next stop was university, namely McMaster in Hamilton, about 40km west of Crusader Park. His classroom education was in psychology and economics. His achievements in the field are arguably more impressive. OUA rookie of the year in the Marauders’ Turner Cup season of 2010; four time OUA All-Star; and OUA Most Valuable Player in 2013.

“McMaster is a one of a kind place. The training facilities and strength and conditioning staff are incomparable to anywhere else that I have seen. The program is demanding but also sets an expectation that you perform well in class as well as on the field. Although the results may not have gone our way in the last few seasons, I don’t think there is a better training environment in Ontario.”

The step up to the senior Blues program began in 2011 when he was still only 19. Kyle Armstrong of Ajax was the incumbent scrumhalf at the time, but it was another of Oakville’s favorite sons who would become his chief rival for the position in more recent years. Jamie Mackenzie – along with brother Phil – was part of Canada’s squad at the 2011 World Cup. Mackenzie was three years older than Ferguson, powerfully built and with a wide pass. He had spent two seasons with professional outfit Esher in England and was now training in Victoria, the home base of Rugby Canada.

“Growing up, being able to watch Jamie and seeing what he had achieved was inspiring for me. Having him in the same side was a little bit unnerving at first. Our playing styles are quite similar and I didn’t know if I was ready to compete with him.”

Having two of the top halfbacks in the country has also been a challenge for Ontario head coach Chris Silverthorn, but a welcome one. The past couple seasons have seen Ferguson mature physically, and with some extra hours in the gym he now matches up well with Mackenzie strength-wise. While the two have largely split their time when both available, it’s been Ferguson who has emerged as starter and chief protagonist in the Blues’ offense.

“’Ferg’ has really matured in the last two seasons,” says Silverthorn. “He has always possessed a strong skill set, but now has the confidence to go with them. With Jamie living in BC for the past few years, there hasn’t been a lot of opportunities for him to train with with us, though he still has the desire to represent his home province in the CRC.

“Both Andrew and Jamie are very competitive and want to play, and of course that makes it hard as a coach. I see the competition as strong and a real positive for both. They push each other and it brings out the best in them. Their relationship really embodies our team’s culture – we’re all working together to win that fifth straight national championship.”

Ferguson’s attitude seems to support that sentiment.

“Jamie is a pretty laid back guy and that makes it easy for us to compete with one another but also allows us to be friends off the pitch. Having him around helps fuel my drive to get better.”

While Ferguson may have had the edge at the Blues, it was Mackenzie who got the nod for the Canada ‘A’ squad last November. School commitments have slowed his ascent somewhat, but with that now out of the way the ball is in his court to stand out among the best in the country once again in Calgary. One of the skills that should help him achieve that is his strong kicking game, both from hand and from the tee. It’s a useful talent, reminiscent of another leading light in Canadian scrumhalf play – Gordon McRorie.

“Kicking is something that I take pride in. I don’t get to kick as much because Derek [Daypuck] is so mentally strong that he doesn’t have very many off days, but it’s good to have another tool in the proverbial tool belt. I sometimes think I can spend too much time practicing it, but it’s nice to know I’m ready if called upon.

“Playing against Gordie is something I look forward to. It’s easy to believe in your ability if you never have to play against the best. I think Gordie is definitely ‘the guy’ right now, and I would love the opportunity to compete against him again.”

Repeating as champions with the Blues is still his immediate goal and if his form in preseason games is anything to go by, he looks fighting fit and ready to impose himself.

“I feel excited going into Calgary this year. There are never easy games in the CRC and I expect this year to be especially challenging with the tight schedule. I don’t want to look past the Rock in the first game as we always have a battle with them. If we are fortunate enough to make the final and it happens to be against Wolf Pack, I’ll be ready.”

And beyond that? What about the World Cup?

“A World Cup is my ultimate goal. Every moment that I train is always to wear that Canada jersey and play for my country. If I am fortunate enough to be included in this year’s squad, that would be a surreal experience. If it doesn’t happen, I just have to work that much harder to try and earn a cap next year.”