Keegan Brantner Talks Horns Rugby Perfect Home Season
The Horns Rugby squad put up a win Friday to earn themselves a perfect home season for 2021. Long-time Horn and mainstay in the Lethbridge Rugby community Keegan Brantner took some time out of her Thanksgiving weekend to share her thoughts on the game with Lethbridge sports. “It was so awesome.” She says of Friday’s win. “We lost our first game against Calgary, so going at them again at home was a chance to get a different result. We analyzed our opposition ahead of time. We executed our game plan perfectly. We ended up with a win we were all pretty pumped about, which was great.” The Horns sit 3-1 on the season following the 22-14 victory Friday.
Keegan was pleased with her own performance through the match. “I had a pretty good game. Especially in my leadership role keeping the team calm and composed. We got scored on in the first 3 minutes and I was reminding the team it was a long game so we could come back. My own game I found I was playing physical and getting some good carries. Overall though it was a team effort. We benefited from back scoring and forward scoring, which was really great.”
Keegan says that the season has been going well for the team, which is great because next season will have a very different Horns rugby squad.“It’s so great coming off last year not being able to play. A few players chose to come back and finish off their years but 8 players are graduating this year, which is a huge graduating class. So we’re all coming together, working hard, and believing in each other. That mindset is leading to big energies on and off the field and we’re getting results. We’re hoping to keep things going and punch our ticket to the CANWEST finals in Calgary.” The team held a brief ceremony at the end of the game to recognize the squad of retirees this season.
In addition to closing out their 2021 home season, the team held a pregame event to recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness night. The team has been rallying around and supporting Karlee Durfey, the aunt of Bo Smith who has been fighting with clear cell sarcoma since she was 2. Durfey and colleagues are cofounders of Bo Smith & Co, a custom embroidery business who raise funds through the proceeds of their business for childhood cancer patients and their family. The ceremony, which included the news that Bo is now in remission following completion of her chemotherapy, was “Really important to our team.” Brantner tells us that, “All season we’ve been taping our cleats and putting cancer survivors’ names on our cleats. Bo Smith & Co are such a great organization and we’re so thankful we’ve been able to support them. It was really great having Bo and their family there. Seeing so many people wearing the shirts in the stands was so great to have that as our final game.”Bo has become something of an unofficial mascot for the team through this 2021 season, and Bo is her aunt’s team’s greatest fan.
Focusing back on Keegan, she is originally from Taber. “I played high school at WR Meyers.” She says. “I was fortunate to make Team Alberta and the Wolfpack team. That kick started my higher level rugby career. I was selected for the U18 Canada squad and got to go to England to represent Canada at that level. Ric Suggitt recruited me to the Pronghorns around that time, he was a well known and high profile coach and I was lucky to stay close to home with the UofL squad. From there it’s been a huge journey meeting so many wonderful people. I’ve represented Canada twice for the U20 cup.” As a Pronghorn, many of Keegan’s teammates are graduating this year but she still has another year with the team to help bring the new squad of Horns up the curve. “I have one more year of eligibility due to an injury in 2019. I’m doing a masters right now so looking forward to doing one more year here. After I age out of the University league I’m potentially hoping to play overseas for a year and then try to play in the Rugby World Cup in 2024. that would be great to play overseas when I finish school.” For the moment, Keegan is finishing up a thesis-based Masters in Kinesiology. Academically, she says, “The doors are still pretty open. I’m considering doing my PhD otherwise doing more of an applied route. Possibly continuing in academia to be a Kinesiology professor. Nothing set in stone yet.”
We asked Keegan about her injury in 2019 and how that has affected her career. “I did tear my MCL in my second year the week before we hosted USports national championships.” The Lethbridge Sports team recalls her being on the sidelines for that event. “That was really hard, playing all year but missing nationals. I learned empathy and understanding for injuries other players go through, which I didn’t really have before that. COVID also hasn’t really been ideal. 5th years were supposed to be finishing up together last season. Many were able to come back but some weren’t, so that group has been divided. COVID did help with a few lessons though, like I learned life is more than just rugby. I was fortunate to come back and play after that lack of the season.”
Keegan recognizes that her parents have been very helpful in her career and through the challenges over the last two years. “My parents have always supported me and pushed me to reach all my goals. Driving me to practices and camps, supporting me financially, I wouldn’t be here without them. They are the best supporters and role models I could ask for.”
Beyond the team’s support for Childhood Cancer Awareness this season, Keegan is personally a supporter of the Logan Boulet effect and the importance of organ donation. “I think the Logan Boulet effect is really important.” She says. “Toby Boulet being our manager, and Ric [Suggitt] donating his organs, because of that it’s a cause really close to me. Our team gets out and donates plasma frequently which is something really important to do. We’re one of 4 locations in Canada with a plasma donation site so that’s a critical resource.” Keegan is proud of the team’s efforts to support those causes in addition to their efforts on the field.
As we wrap up the interview, Keegan has a message for fans and her teammates: “Our team is really really gelling this year and we’re excited to see where we can continue to get to. We have 2 games left and are into playoffs. Hopefully we can secure a nationals spot.” The Lethbridge Sports team is looking forward to finding out as well, and wishes the team the best of luck in their final 2 games of the season prior to playoffs.