Longtime Mountaineer Terry McGuoirk carries the ball while surrounded by club members Baylee Annis, left, and Tyler Callahan during Tuesday’s mixed team practice at the Spencer Boatworks field. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

SARANAC LAKE — Around Saranac Lake, it’s become a given what takes place on the first weekend of August every summer.

It’s the Can-Am Rugby Tournament, of course.

The 46th annual Can-Am Rugby tournament, hosted by the Mountaineers club, starts Friday with a day of old boys action. The fun continues into Saturday with men’s and women’s opening-round games and wraps up on Sunday with playoff and finals action.

What started as a competition of eight teams back in 1974 has evolved into a mainstay in the Adirondacks that draws more than 100 men’s and women’s clubs annually.

“It’s kind of mind boggling because it’s 46 years,” said longtime Can-Am Tournament director Jay Annis. “It’s past a tradition. It’s just what you do on the first weekend of August, and everybody gears up. Everybody knows what’s going on, everybody’s prepared. You talk to people in town, you talk to the police department, they understand what’s going on. It’s a lot of fun.”

All the old boys games will be played on fields in Saranac Lake. Saturday’s contests take place in both Saranac Lake and at the North Elba Athletic Fields in Lake Placid. Then on Sunday, the finals take place on the pitch that everybody is shooting for, the bowl at North Country Community College.

This year the Mountaineers Rugby Football Club will place four teams in the event after traditionally fielding three sides every summer for the past two decades. The additional side stems from the success that the men’s team has had the past two summers claiming back-to-back titles in the social division.

On Saturday, one Mountaineers men’s team will make its first appearance in the tournament’s top division, the club side, while a second Mountaineers squad will again compete in the social division.

The Mountaineers will also be represented by their old boys, who will start play Saturday in the over-50 division, as well as a women’s team that begins competition on Saturday.

Forrest Morgan has been a player-coach for the Mountaineers men the past two seasons and said the step up to the 16-team club division is certainly going to be much more competitive. Morgan said the Mountaineers are expected to have 40 to 45 players between the social and club teams.

“It’s definitely been an unwritten rule,” Morgan said of moving up a level after claiming two straight championships. “Usually the team that wins the social side is more than competitive enough to play in the club division. We’re just trying to be that first team that moves from the social to the club and kind of makes it happen up there.

“Obviously, a heck of a lot more competition,” he added. “It should be a lot more fun, a little more grinding it out but we have a good group of dudes who I think can definitely pull it off. It will be stepping onto Wilson Raymond, the premier Saturday field that everyone wants to play at. Hopefully it carries over into the bowl. We’ll see how the day goes and see how we match up.”

Although Tyler Callahan is just 19, he’s already heading into his third appearance in the Can-Am Tournament. The Saranac Lake High School graduate who learned the game competing in the under-18 program, has been on two Mountaineers men’s championship teams in the tournament, and this weekend, he’ll captain the social side.

“We’re always competitive. We’re going to be in it to win it just like the last two years,” Callahan said. “That’s our attitude. For me, third year in the tournament and I’m going for 3-0. You’re shooting for the championship mentality. It’s looking like a good club side and our social is going to be just as competitive.”

Katie O’Reilly will captain the Mountaineers women. She said the team is a combination of players from the area and ruggers from the Upper Valley, New Hampshire club.

“It just so happens that we’re equally low on numbers so we’ve combined for a lot of tournaments this year, and this is the big one,” O’Reilly said. “I think we actually should be a strong side. In years past, we’ve really suffered with a pretty weak back line. We haven’t hit the chemistry. Primarily, most of our regular players are forwards, so that’s always been our strong suit, but this year, I think we have a decent back line — really strong runners both offensively and defensively. I’m really excited.

“Goal is definitely to make it to Sunday,” she continued. “We’ve come up short there in years past. It’s a much younger group than we are used to having. I think I’m one of the oldest at 29. It’s nice to have some new people who are in. It’s nice to see the new people coming up.”

The Mountaineers Old Boys, known as the MOB, will have their hands full Friday, taking on two teams consisting of former members of the U.S. Marine Corps. The MOB begins play at 10 a.m. at Petrova Avenue against Chesty’ Disciples and then take on the Old Breed at 3 p.m., also at Petrova.

On Saturday, the men’s club side begins play at 9 a.m. Against Madison Rugby at Wilson Raymond Field. The men’s social team has its first matchup at 11 a.m. Against the Gamblers, and the Mountaineers women kick off their tournament with a game against the Midwest Tbirds, also starting at 11 a.m.