Rising rugby star Emery Kozak shines despite setbacks
Fifteen-year-old Emery Kozak of Wawanesa is an exceptional all-around athlete. Despite being only a ninth grader, she was crowned Wawanesa High School’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2023/24. Emery has excelled in volleyball, hockey, baseball, and track, but she recently discovered her true passion: rugby. Her interest in the sport was sparked by watching her father, Joe Hunt, and grandfather, Richard Hunt, cheer on rugby throughout her childhood. She officially began playing last fall, and her first year culminated in winning the gold medal at the Manitoba Summer Games in Dauphin this August.
“I mentioned to my mom (Brooke Kozak) and Dad last fall that I wanted to give rugby a try,” Emery explained. “We found a team in Souris, and the coach, Brian Yon, welcomed me to join a practice and see what it was all about.”
“It was love at first sight! I fell in love with the game during my first practice,” Emery said with a glowing smile. Though she admitted to feeling nervous at first, her anxiety quickly dissipated thanks to the welcoming nature of the team.
Learning a new sport can be challenging, and Emery continues to work on mastering key skills like tackling. “There are a lot of restrictions and techniques involved with tackling,” she noted. Although the concept of back passing and the rule against forward passes were new to her, she quickly adapted and soon became a valuable member of the Souris Sabres. Emery loves the physicality of rugby and the high energy on the field. “It’s very loud on the field – the louder, the better. It shows we are communicating,” she explained.
Sabres coach Brian Yon of Souris expressed his admiration for Emery’s natural ability. “She is a great kid with a positive attitude and a solid work ethic. I believe she has plenty of potential and could go far in the game,” Yon said. He noted her speed and agility, as well as her strong sense of direction on the field. Despite dealing with exercise-induced asthma, Emery refuses to use it as an excuse. Instead, she has learned to manage it with breathing techniques whenever she feels an attack coming on.
The Sabres were considered underdogs going into the Provincials in June, but they defied expectations by defeating the highly-seeded Crocus Plains in the semi-finals, advancing to the finals against the undefeated Dauphin team. Although they lost to Dauphin in the finals, Yon and the team were proud of their achievement, knowing that the Sabres hadn’t reached the finals since 2016. Yon constantly reminds his team that “supporting one another on and off the field is how you win,” and while they didn’t bring home the provincial banner, they left as winners.
The opportunity to join the Westman Green team for the Summer Games was eagerly embraced by Emery and two other Sabres players, Gracelyn Schroeder from Souris and Aubrey Skelton from Hartney. This was the first time rugby was included in the Summer Games, making the chance to participate even more special. The team was led by head coach Kathleen Muirhead from Minnedosa, who provided excellent leadership. Muirhead, the 2020 recipient of the Peter Dick School System Coach of the Year Award, began practices with the team in April, starting with indoor sessions in Brandon.
Unfortunately, Emery’s time at the Summer Games was cut short after only two matches due to an injury. After taking a cleat to the face, she suffered a broken nose and a mild concussion, which forced her out of the competition. It was a devastating moment for the young athlete, who managed to hold back her tears when the injury occurred but couldn’t do the same when she was told she wouldn’t be able to play for the rest of the tournament. “I even went to a different doctor, hoping to get the decision overturned, but that didn’t work out for me,” she commented with regret.
Despite the setback, 2024 has been a year full of great moments for Emery. In addition to being named Female Athlete of the Year at her high school, she was also honored as the Sabres’ Rookie of the Year. She has found a new family and like-minded friends in her teammates, and the Westman Green made history as the first team to win a gold medal in rugby at the Manitoba Games.
When asked about her most memorable moment, Emery quickly responded, “The looks on the faces of my teammates when that last whistle blew and they knew they won gold. I will never forget that.”
As Emery enters the tenth grade this week, she knows she must make some decisions about which sport to focus on. “I know I can’t join every team, so I will have to make some decisions. But I know without a doubt that I will be playing rugby, and I’m going to play hard – my goal is to receive team MVP this year,” she said with confidence and resolve.
PHOTO CAPTION: Emery Kozak of Wawanesa is a new Rugby player but is already accumulating rewards from the sport. PHOTO CAPTION
