YORKTON - If you are a fan of the Saskatchewan Rush you had to be all smiles last week as the team announced that Robert Church had signed a one-year extension, taking him through the 2024/2025 season.
“Robert Church is a cornerstone of the Rush offence and the entire team. This signing illustrates Robert's long term commitment to the Rush organization. He's never wanted to play anywhere else and that sentiment is mutual,” said franchise GM Derek Keenan in a release. "I personally would like to thank Robert and our ownership for that continued commitment! We are excited about the push to the playoffs and beyond."
Church told Yorkton This Week he wanted to stay with the franchise he started his career with in 2014.
“I was definitely confident I wanted to be with the Rush,” he said, adding the contract extension had been on the table for a while. “There were kind of little discussions along the way.”
In the end it was just a matter of fine-tuning a few details with GM Keenan to get a deal done.
Church added just the way the NLL and its player union are formatted for older players “a one year deal is the best way to go . . . So we’ll be exploring the same things at the same time next year.”
In this case it will allow Church to see how the current Rush rebuild – he prefers the term transition – is going into 2025.
“We’ve got younger over the last couple of years. The young guys are doing really well,” he said.
But the Rush are still sitting at 4-6 this season 11th out of 15 teams in the National Lacrosse League.
“I think every game this season with the exception of the two against Halifax (lopsided losses) we’ve had a chance to win every one,” said Church, adding he sees progress. “As a group we’re still learning what it takes to win in this league.”
Part of what it takes is of course goals, and that is where Church has always been proficient. In his time with the Rush he has scored 371 goals, the most in team history.
Sitting on 633 points in a Saskatchewan Rush uniform, the B.C. product is just 54 points away from becoming the franchise’s all-time points leader as well.
This season, with the off-season trade which sent long-time team leader Mark Matthews to Toronto, Church’s need to score is of course paramount.
Church said it has of course been an adjustment, noting Matthews “is one of the best passers to every play in the NLL. If you were open you were getting the ball.”
But, lacrosse is a team game, and that means everybody has to contribute and that is what is developing with the Rush said Church.
Now it’s simply about winning, not personally scoring goals.
Church said the next handful of games are huge if the team wants to make the playoffs the obvious goal of the season.
And if they get to the postseason, Church said anything is possible. He reasoned that to make the playoffs the team will have to have won five, or six of their final eight games.
“That means we’re a hot team and have figured it out,” he said.
Then get some timely goaltending, and the fan support winning will help re-attract in Saskatoon and Church might have a fourth NLL championship – he has won three league championships in his 10 seasons..
The new contract is pending league approval.
