The Palmerston Rookies are national broomball champions for the first time, after winning the 2015 All Canadian tournament held April 8 to 11 in Montreal.
The tournament included eight teams from across the country – Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia/New Brunswick – competing for the title.
Teams qualified for the nationals by winning their provincial tournament. The Palmerston Rookies played a total of seven games, finishing the round robin with four wins and one loss, sending them to the A-side semi-final game against Quebec Sphinx.
The Rookies battled to a 3-2 victory over Sphinx which gave them the opportunity to play in the gold medal game against Quebec As De Saint-Coeur De Marie.
The gold medal final was an exciting finish to the tourney, a 3-2 win in overtime for the Rookies.
The Rookies team started in 1978 by local residents John McLaughlin and Conrad Noble in the Intermediate Men’s division. It wasn’t until after winning provincials in 2000 that the squad became an elite team (the highest level of broomball played) in 2001.
After several years of playing together, the team captured the 2005 provincial gold in the elite division, advancing to the 2006 National Championship for the first time. In 2006 the team brought home the B-side gold at the national event.
After participating at the All-Canadians in 2007, 2009 and 2011, the Rookies were finally able to bring home a National Silver in 2012 when the tournament was held in New Hamburg.
The Rookies next shot at the title was in 2014, when they came home with bronze.
With a record of 6-1, the Rookies dominated the 2015 tournament. As national champions, they have an automatic berth in the 2016 national tournament, which will be held in Owen Sound.
The trophy awarded to the Rookies was put on display at the Roundhouse Restaurant in Palmerston.
