Loyalist rugby player wins provincial college athlete of the week
Devon Forbet, a Loyalist Lancer rugby player that was announced athlete of the week from OCAA. Photo by Selena Steele-Clough, QNet News
BELLEVILLE – Loyalist Lancers rugby player Devon Fobert was named the Ontario College Athletic Association athlete of the week on Tuesday.
Fobert contributed seven points in Loyalist’s 39-23 win over the Sir Sandford Fleming Knights last Saturday.
“It really surprised me,” Fobert told QNet News Wednesday of his athlete-of-the-week position. “I wasn’t expecting it at all. I didn’t even notice it at first, until someone told me about it and then I went on the OCAA website to see if it was true.”
Fobert, 20, a Protection Security and Investigation student from Belleville, has been competing in sports since he was little. He played soccer until he 14 and then moved on to rugby when he went to high school.
“I did a little bit of everything around the same time in high school, between football, soccer and rugby,” he said.
Since he became a rugby Lancer, Loyalist College has awarded him two most-valuable-player awards and a most-improved award. Fobert said he believes that’s a huge accomplishment for him.
Getting on the rugby team wasn’t that difficult, he said. The captain of the team messaged his sister saying he wanted him to come out for a tryout. He made the cut.
Asked what’s on his mind before a big game, Fobert said that he wants to be sure to avoid concussions.
He added that being active and staying hydrated right before a practice or a big game is important.
“Coaches won’t allow us to go to pubs the night before, if we have a practice the next day. They’re always telling us to drink a lot of water, especially before a big game,” he said.
Daily routines are just part of the preparations for a practice or a game.
“I used to work out a lot, but not too much anymore. Usually I will go out an hour before practice or a game and just throw a ball around and work on my kicks,” said Fobert.
Rugby is a good outlet for stress, he said.
“You will be on the field and hit someone and won’t be able to get in trouble for it.”
He thinks he was picked for athlete of the week because he’s “faster than most people,” he said, although he added: “I never recognized it until now.”
The Lancers men’s rugby team next plays against the Algonquin Thunder at Loyalist on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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