by Natalie Ramsay | Jan 29, 2023 | Men's News
James Dubois, a current player with the Comox Valley Kickers RFC has defied all odds. In 2020, James was diagnosed with cancer in his spleen which he subsequently had removed. A spleen will usually weigh less than a pound, but James’ spleen was so enlarged that it weighed approximately 7 pounds when removed through surgery. Not long after his spleen was removed, he found out that the cancer was very aggressive and was attacking his other organs, namely his kidneys and his heart. The heart is made of connective tissue and muscle cells that do not turn over very fast which is why heart cancer is extremely rare with an incidence rate of 0.002%. James did several rounds of chemotherapy. His body reacted well to the treatment, and he was in remission. One year ago, James was once again in a hospital bed at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, now in a cancer coma with a brain tumour that was attempting to spread. He was on death’s doorstep. With a strong will, he began chemotherapy again and eventually had a stem cell transplant in June of 2022. On Saturday, January 28th, 2023, everyone at Cumberland Village Park witnessed something special. James – now 53 years old – stepped on the rugby pitch and played his first game of rugby after having beaten cancer twice. Low and behold, as he wore the black and maroon for the Comox Valley Kickers, he played against Richmond RFC, the club from his hometown that he had previously played 20 years with. It was a beautiful day for rugby and the camaraderie shown...
by Natalie Ramsay | Jan 28, 2023 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
The 2022/23 Club Rugby Season started up again this past weekend with both Comox Valley Kickers Rugby teams hosting Richmond RFC at Cumberland Village Park. As the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team had participated in regional play on the Island this fall, this was the start of the BC-wide regular season. The return to play showcased a mix of veteran players and new recruits and resulted in a dominating victory of 50-12 over Richmond. Tries were scored by Karli MacFarlane (2), Tyra Schaad (2), Sienna Stigant (2), Jenn Lund, Chloe Speed, with converts added on by Stigant (2), Christina Green-Speck (2) and Jess Nikkel. “We came out strong and put Richmond under pressure right from the start. Our defense was sound, and we made our tackles. We were able to string together plays on offense with support and that made a big difference,” says Coach JP Lussier. “This is a good start to our season, but we gave up a lot of penalties. There is definite room for improvement. We have a solid foundation to work with and will continue to build on it as the season progresses,” says Co-Captain Natalie Nguyen. The spring rugby season marks the continuation of the fall rugby season with the #4 ranked Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team upsetting the #1 ranked Richmond RFC in a landslide victory, 61-21. Brandon Hudson (3), Nate Bice (2), Steve Tien, Jimmy Robertson, Joe Barker and Sebastian Lambert scored tries for the Kickers with Kyle Hall adding 8 converts. “I’ve been putting off playing with the lads and I’m glad that they convinced me to do it. It was...
by Natalie Ramsay | Jan 12, 2023 | Club Events
Comox Valley Kickers’ webstore is open for orders until Friday, January 20th. Current players, alumni and supporters - this is the time to purchase gear and proudly wear the black and maroon around town, at the gym and on the field! View the store...
by Natalie Ramsay | Jan 3, 2023 | schedules
BC Rugby released and confirmed the spring schedule for all leagues this past week. The schedule looks to be 8 games of regular season play with 3 week of playoffs. As the Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team played in a BC-wide league this past fall, their results will carry forward to this season. For the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team, they played regionally this past fall and are now in a BC-wide league this season which means that they are off to a fresh...
by Natalie Ramsay | Dec 28, 2022 | Club Events
The Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Club celebrated the holidays in style with an ugly sweater party held at their sponsor pub, Ace Brewing. The night consisted of great drinks, great food, and great company! There was a White Elephant Gift Exchange and a fun night was had by all! Wishing everyone all the best for the holiday season and a happy new...
