News

There are a lot of moving parts in our local rugby community. On Sunday, September 23rd, they will all come together to participate in the 80 Minutes fund-raiser in support of local cancer research and cancer patient care.

80 Minutes refers to the length of an adult rugby game. The 80 Minutes fund-raiser will involve 100+ local rugby enthusiasts circling the Apple Bowl track for 80 minutes. Some will run, some will jog, some will walk. All will raise funds in support of local cancer services.

If some wondered how competitive the Summer Touch Competitive League really was, they have no doubts anymore. Both semi-finals for the Dai Dobbs Trophy were tied at full time. The #4 Hammers nailed the undefeated Touch & Go team for most of the game before the eventual champs detooled them in sudden death overtime and won 4 - 3. #2 Riskey Wicks and #3 Killer Bunnies were also tied at 3 each at game's end, before the Wicksian ones burned their not-so-hoppy opponent in OT. In the final, the Touchies brought their A game, beating Riskey Wicks 3 - 1 to win the Competitive League Championships.

Warriors are people who rise up when the going gets tough. 37 degree heat, level 5 smoke conditions, bodies worn out from a weekend of rugby or excessive beaching - none of these things can prevent an avid touch rugbian from playing their game.

Tonight, 143 touch rugby warriors arrived to play. This is their Week Five story.

The two teams that travelled the farthest went head-to-head in the $1,000 Tier 1 Final at the first-ever Center of Gravity Sevens. The Defcon Fiji Blond side from Burnaby/Bayside defeated Vancouver Island's Westshore Valhallians 38 - 5. The talented Fiji side scored 191 points in their tournament games, allowing only 19 points against.

In the $500 Tier 2 Final, The Tropicoos took their equatorial jerseys and milked The Bovines 22 - 0. No cattle were harmed in the playing of that game.

300+ athletes on 7 Men's and 4 Women's provincial teams took to the fields at Parkinson Recreation Center in Kelowna on July 26, 28, and 29, as part of the U16 Western Canada Rugby Championships. 29 games were played in the hot Okanagan sun. Photos of the tournament can be seen here.

The BC Blue team was untouchable this weekend, winning all six of their games and scoring 291 points in the process. Their most competitive game was a 31 - 17 win on Saturday against a feisty Alberta White side. In a rematch of these two teams on Sunday, the Alberta side led for much of the first half but the hard-working and skilled approach of BC secured a 38 - 15 victory.

It was a match made in heaven. Combine the most exciting new Olympic sport (Rugby Sevens) with the biggest music, sports, and social event for young adults in the interior of BC (Center of Gravity), and you're sure to have something special.

100+ elite rugby athletes on nine teams go head-to-head at City Park this weekend. The tournament features several very competitive sides, including:

• Fiji Blonde - a Lower Mainland team that just won the Stampede Sevens Tournament in Calgary;
• Canadian Coos - a team of talented locals compiled by professional rugby player Cam Pierce (see photo);
• Westshore Valhallians - provincial 3rd Division Champions for the past two years; and
• Vernon Jackals - winners of the Okanagan Rugby Union competition this summer.

A record-setting 43 interior athletes were invited to try out for U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18 men's and women's provincial rugby teams in June. 22 of those athletes were from the Central Okanagan. As a result of excellent team play in the Provincial Regional Championships (PRCs) and outstanding performances at the ID camps at UBC a week later, 16 Central Okanagan athletes were selected to play for BC in summer rugby competitions.

Congratulations to the following Central Okanagan athletes for making their respective provincial teams:

One undefeated team sits on top of each of the summer touch leagues. Touch & Go won a couple of close games to remain undefeated in the Comp League: 4 - 3 over the Scarecrows and 8 - 6 over Riskey Wicks. Alcoballics are looking like they are in the wrong league, as they won both their Rec League games to go to 4 - 0 on the season.

More than 400 points have been scored so far in 38 league games, an average of 10.6 points per game (PPG). Here is how it breaks down by league:

Week Two Summary

Two teams remain undefeated in the Summer Touch Competitive League, each with 4 wins under their belt. Touch & Go and the Killer Bunnies have been lighting it up on the pitch, with T&G earning a greater point differential with their stingy defense and hard-to-see camo shirts. 74 points were scored in 8 Comp League games in Week Two. Five of the games were back and forth battles, showing how well named this league really is.

In the Rec League, there are also two undefeated teams. The reigning champions Alcoballics and the up-and-coming Painkillers both sport 2 - 0 records. They meet for the first time next week in the 7:45 PM game.

The TORA U18 Mens team appears to have had a tough PRC tournament, losing all 6 of their matches. However, this could not be further from the truth. The TORA U18 side was very competitive, unlike local U18 teams in previous years. The team’s quality play resulted in 8 players being invited to U18 and U17 provincial tryout camps.

TORA started the tournament against a very strong South Vancouver side, which they held to 5 points up to half time. Final score, a hard-fought 19 - 0 loss. The second game saw TORA facing the eventual silver medalist VIRU Tide squad. Another loss but the TORA U18s put up an excellent fight and ultimately got people talking about the quality of the Okanagan team.