by Natalie Ramsay | Oct 22, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News
After starting the season 4-0, the Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team saw their winning streak snapped after hosting the UVic Saxons this Saturday at Cumberland Village Park. Levi Friis and Joe Barker scored for the Kickers with Kyle Hall adding a penalty kick and two successful conversions for a final score of 17-58. “They were well trained and executed a good game plan. They moved the ball quickly from one side of the field to the other, catching us on our hind foot at times, and utilized their speed,” said Captain Kyle Hall. “We were strong in the scrums and rucks but allowed a few quick scores go through. We were never able to garner any momentum in the game. We have four more games left this half of the season and I feel that our team is still in a strong position. We look to improve from this game.” Both Comox Valley Kickers Rugby teams are back in action at Cumberland Village Park on Saturday, October 29th with the women’s team hosting the Nanaimo Hornets and the men’s team hosting the Squamish Axemen. Both the men’s and the women’s teams are continually recruiting players. No experience necessary. Practices are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cumberland Village Park. Everyone welcome. For more information, please visit...
by Natalie Ramsay | Oct 15, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
In their first match on the mainland this season, the Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team travelled to Surrey this past Saturday to face off against the Beavers, winning 46-20. Devon Moore (2), Craig Whiley (2), Brandon Hudson (2), Raffael Tonazzi and Derek McCubbin scored tries with Kyle Hall adding three successful conversions. “It was a very tough initial first 15 minutes. We found ourselves on our back foot often during this time and didn’t really have a chance to possess the ball. After that first 15 minutes, we were able to get into our groove and score a few quick tries with one right before the end of the half, which shifted the momentum of the game,” said Outside Centre Devon Moore. “We worked hard at the breakdowns and were able to run some plays which resulted in more scoring opportunities. Overall, we were successful at executing our game plan.” The Comox Valley Kickers Women hosted a combined side from Cowichan/Westshore. With the visiting team travelling light, the game had to be modified to 10-a-side rugby at Cumberland Village Park. The Kickers lost 33-10 with Kaitlyn Hazelman and Chloë Speed scoring a try each. “Playing 10’s is tough. There is a lot more open space on the field. One missed tackle can result in a big breakaway. The game was more fast paced, and we were caught out of place on defense a few times which hurt us,” says Co-Captain Natalie Nguyen. “The end result wasn’t what we wanted but there were still good takeaways from this game. We were better at jackaling the ball and had some...
by Natalie Ramsay | Sep 12, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
A new rugby season kicked off this past weekend! The Comox Valley Kickers Men play in the BCRU Division III League and traveled to Victoria to face off against the Castaway Wanderers RFC (“CW”), winning 51-35. Jesse Ramsay, Kyle Hall, Nick Gilmour, Craig Whiley (2), Devon Moore (2), Derek McCubbin (2) scored for the Kickers, with Hall adding 3 conversions. “It was truly a team effort in our victory this weekend. Our field coverage and support lines were the difference maker in this game,” says Scrumhalf Kyle Hall. “We maintained possession for most of the first half, though CW was trying to mount comeback early in the second half which we nipped by being quick to the breakdowns. Our rucking was sound and when a player had a breakaway, there was great support. With so many options provided, it is very tough to defend.” The Comox Valley Kickers Women play in the BCRU Island League this fall and started off the rugby season with a mini tournament held at the Cowichan Rugby Club. Teams in attendance included James Bay Athletic Association, Nanaimo RFC, Cowichan RFC, and Castaway Wanderers I and II. “There was some rust in the first game, and it took a bit to get going. Our defense was not as tight as it could be, and we were beat out wide in the first game we played. A highlight was that we were strong in the breakdowns and continued building momentum going into our other three games. We were able to execute more attacking plays which resulted in some big gains. We improve greatly from our first...
by Natalie Ramsay | Apr 10, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
Both Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Teams were on the road to face off against the Nanaimo Hornets at May Bennett Pioneer Park this past Saturday. The Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team beat Nanaimo, 37-19. Tyra Schaad (2). Karli MacFarlane (2), Lauren Sargent, Yui Okada and Maddie Yule scored tries for the Kickers with Christina Green-Speck adding one conversion. “It was a very back and forth game with a lot of physicality. The tone was set early on that this would be a hard-hitting game. Both teams played hard and wanted to win, and it came down to who wanted it more” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “I’m proud of how the team played. Everyone has improved so much from the first practice and things that we have been working on all season were being executed.” The Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team narrowly lost to Nanaimo, 26-30. Devon Moore, Joe Barker, Trevor McGuire and Brandon Hudson scored for the Kickers, with Kyle Hall adding three conversions. “It was a hard fought and physical game, that was well played on both sides. The tides turned against us when the scrums went uncontested due to Nanaimo not having a replacement front row player,” said team captain Kyle Hall. “We were quite dominant in the scrums and going uncontested did not allow for us to utilize our strength.” There is a league-wide bye for Easter, with playoffs beginning April 23. Both the women’s and men’s teams are continually recruiting players. No experience necessary. For more information, please visit...
by Natalie Ramsay | Apr 3, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
Both Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Teams welcomed the Chilliwack Crusaders to Cumberland Village Park this past Saturday. The Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team beat Chilliwack, 102-0. Karli MacFarlane (6), Lauren Sargent (3), Natalie Nguyen (2), Maddie Yule, Chloë Speed and Béatrice Sylvain scored tries with 9 successful converts by Christina Green-Speck and 2 by Jessica Leck. “Our team played well today, with an increased focus on rucking and tackling as that was our main takeaway from our previous game. This is Chilliwack’s first season in the league and that inexperience led to the lopsided score,” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “This is a confidence booster leading up to our last game of the regular season when we travel to Nanaimo. We need a win to secure home field advantage during playoffs.” The Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team lost to Chilliwack, 7-48. Justin Thomson scored the lone try for the Kickers and Kyle Hall successfully made the convert. “It was a very tough and physical game that was close in the first half, but we had some tries called back due to penalties. That kind of undiscipline, along with Chilliwack’s well-execution of their mauls and offloads, lead to us not being able to stop their momentum,” said team captain Kyle Hall. Both the Comox Valley Kickers Men and Women travel to Nanaimo next week to face off against the Hornets at May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park. Both the women’s and men’s teams are continually recruiting players. No experience necessary. Practices are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cumberland Village Park. Everyone welcome. For more...
by Natalie Ramsay | Mar 20, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
This past weekend saw both Comox Valley Kickers teams travel to the mainland with a doubleheader against the Langley Rugby Club. The Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team beat Langley, 24-21. Levi Friis, Kyle Christensen, Nick Gilmour, and Justin Thomson scored tries with 2 successful conversions by Kyle Hall. “It was a gritty back and forth game, and well-contested from both sides. Our team defended the goal line for several phases during the last 10 minutes and did not allow Langley to score. That drive and determination resulted in a hard-fought victory, and I am very proud of how the team played,” said Coach Dan Mills. The Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team lost to Langley, 31-44. Lauren Sargent (2), Liz Adams, Chloë Speed and Dara DeMarce scored for the Kickers, with Christina Green-Speck adding 3 conversions. “There was an accident on the highway on the way to Langley which unfortunately ate away at our warmup time. Because of that, we were slow to get going and Langley took advantage,” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “We were then able to score in quick succession and had the lead but were ultimately unable to maintain that momentum and allowed Langley to claw back in the final minutes. We had good moments and can be proud of how we played, despite the final score. We have two more games left in the regular season and hope to close out the season on a high note.” Comox Valley Kickers Men host the Castaway Wanderers at Cumberland Village Park next week; the Comox Valley Kickers Women have a bye. Both the women’s and men’s teams...
