Response By
Natascha Wesch
London Intermediate Rugby Champions of Canada, and a Dance Card Invitation to the 16th Annual UWO Rugby Dance, Dance Card: 1934; Photograph: 1901
various materials Dance Card: Collection of Museum London; in memory of Kathleen McDonald Hermann, 2018; Photograph: Gift of Marion Bice, 1977Response
Becoming a champion requires a dedication to excellence and a total investment of self. The eyes of the young men photographed hold the confidence gained from the preparation and sacrifice needed to succeed. I can imagine what that 1934 rugby dance would have entailed: rugby boys in their suits trying to impress the ladies with their championship stories and battle wounds; the boys roughhousing on the dance floor, practicing their tackling to the obvious chagrin of the women in attendance.
Dr. Natascha Wesch is a Psychologist specializing in Mental Performance Training and Counselling and working with athletes and performing artists. She also teaches in the areas of rehabilitation and sport psychology in the Faculty of Health Science at Western University. An athlete herself, Natascha competed in two Rugby World Cups for Canada. As a rugby coach, Natascha has been involved at the high school, club, provincial, national, and international levels.