Eric Rugabisha shows off some of his skills at a Carlton Crusaders practice on Friday. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D’Andrea

‘Relentless’ Rugabisha returns to Carlton for a practice before returning to FC Tigers Vancouver

Sep 5, 2021 | 3:50 PM

Ever since his father introduced the beautiful game to him and his brothers, all Eric Rugabisha has ever wanted is to be is a professional soccer player.

Even when he was raised in a Burundi refugee camp in East Africa where soccer leagues and teams are scarce, to say the least, all Rugabisha wanted was to improve his skills and play the game he loved.

“We didn’t have that many supplies to play soccer,” Rugabisha said. “To play soccer there, there isn’t that much opportunity to become whoever you want, to become a professional player.

“My favourite thing about playing soccer is just to keep playing until I become a professional.”

Eric Rugabisha shows the Carlton Crusaders soccer team how it’s done during a practice on Friday. Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff

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But thanks to his burning passion and determination, Rugabisha is progressing to his dream. He recently joined with FC Tigers Vancouver, a development program that has turned out professional players across North America and Europe. Rugabisha also had a short stint with FC Edmonton, a team playing in the Canadian Premier League.

When his family moved to Canada back when he was 12, he started playing in soccer programs in Prince Albert, with the Celtic rep programs with the Prince Albert Youth Soccer Association, and at the high school level with the Carlton Crusaders. Rugabisha and the Crusaders won a bronze medal in his first of four years in 2016.

“He is just relentless,” Carlton Crusaders soccer coach Mark Odnokon said. “There are guys that just play, and there are guys that just play hard. And he’s a guy that always plays hard.”

“I learned many things from here, from Odnokon, Carlos [Correa], they taught me a lot. I was playing club here as well with Celtics,” Rugabisha said. “I learned how to pay attention in the game, not keep the ball too much, pass and play with your teammates.”

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW