Four championships in five years.

That's what Muenster's Rienna Rueve has experienced with the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women's Canadian Football League.

The Valkyries dominated the Edmonton Storm 81-6 on Saturday to claim the championship in Lethbridge.

After coming up short last season, Rueve says to bounce back and win with a large amount of first-year players is quite special.

"We've worked really, really hard this year. We had half our team be rookies, and to come back and win a championship with a dominating force, it's such a great feeling."

Rueve is one of just ten players on the roster with atleast five years experience in Saskatoon.

Last season, the Valkyries were defeated by the rival Regina Riot, giving them extra motivation to re-capture the league title.

When the regular season concluded and it was once again Saskatoon against Regina in the conference final, Rueve says the team was ready.

"That's the game I was waiting for all year. To come back and re-match them and get the win out of it. I think that's what our whole team was focusing on," she explained. "After we won that one, of course we focus on the championship, but that Regina game felt pretty sweet."

With the Valkyries and Riot being the class of the league, Saskatoon didn't take long to run away from the Storm in the final. 

Up 67-0 in the fourth quarter, Rueve eyed the endzone, intercepting an Edmonton pass, taking it 37 yards for the touchdown.

"I don't think I've had a pick all year, and I was noticing it in the game and I thought maybe I should bait the quarterback, and then for that to come up, I saw it and went for it, and it was a pretty awesome feeling."

Although the season has now concluded, there is more football for Rueve this summer, as she was selected to play for Saskatchewan in the National Championship.

"I went five years ago to Montreal, but I was able to do just a little bit of kicking with a torn ACL at the time," she said.

After intense battles as opponents, Rueve says that the Valkyries and Riot will now have to set that aside and work towards one goal.

"We have to put the rivalry behind us, and now we're going to be teammates with Regina. A couple of us have been in the position before, and we know how to do it. Now that the season is over, we got to come together as a unit and try to win a national championship."

Mosaic Stadium in Regina will be the site of the tournament, held July 28-31.

With the women's game continuing to grow and develop, Rueve says that over her five years in the league, she has seen the game branch out to younger women.

"We're growing flag football leagues in Saskatoon, which I think makes a huge difference. Our junior flag teams have tripled in the last few years, and now we're getting all those girls coming to the Valkyries."

Rueve has a simple message to those looking to test the game out.

"Anybody out there who has ever thought about girls football, get on a team. It's an amazing experience and is such a huge reward."

After a pair of seasons with Rueve as the lone Humboldt area player on the team, Annaheim born Becky Zimmer was a member of the Valkyries for the first team this season.

Zimmer has previous playing experience when she lived in Atlantic Canada, playing for the Halifax Xplosion. She plays along the offensive line.


You can hear more from Rueve below.