by Natalie Ramsay | Apr 3, 2020 | Canada Rugby News, Men's News, National News, Women's News
“With the continued uncertainty of this global pandemic, Rugby Canada will continue its suspension of all sanctioned rugby activities. We continue to support the directives of our National and Provincial health authorities in doing all we can to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus.” Allen Vansen CEO, Rugby Canada The following is an updated statement from Rugby Canada, regarding the continued impact of COVID-19 on rugby programming across our country: As we all continue to navigate this unprecedented situation, Rugby Canada remains first and foremost committed to the health and safety of our members, supporters, players, coaches, officials and staff. In keeping with this commitment, and in conjunction with our Provincial member Unions and Board of Directors, Rugby Canada has made the decision to extend the suspension of all sanctioned national rugby activities indefinitely. These activities include all in-person registered participant team training sessions, all in-person match official and coach training/education courses and all inter-provincial, club, domestic and international matches and tours. National Senior Teams & players may conduct some training preparation under the approval and supervision of Rugby Canada’s Chief Medical Officer, subject to the ongoing guidance of the Sport Medicine Advisory Committee and National and Provincial health agencies. At this time, the Rugby Canada Victoria office, Al Charron Training Centre and Vancouver office remain closed with staff working from home. Due to the constant evolution of the pandemic, the suspension of activities will be re-evaluated by Rugby Canada management as required over the coming weeks. Further communication to our membership will be made no later than June 30, 2020 based on updated advisements from relevant health...
by Natalie Ramsay | Mar 3, 2020 | Men's News, National News, Women's News
The following is a statement from Rugby Canada, regarding the impact of COVID 19 on rugby programming across our country: Langford, BC — As we all navigate this unprecedented situation, we remain first and foremost committed to the health and safety of our members, supporters, players, coaches, officials and staff. In keeping with this commitment, and in conjunction with our Provincial member Unions, Rugby Canada has made the decision to suspend all sanctioned rugby activities nationally effective March 14 until at least April 10. These activities include all inter-Provincial and Club competitions and training sessions, international and domestic tours, and all training & education courses for officials & coaches. National Senior Teams & players may conduct some training preparation under the approval and supervision of Rugby Canada’s Chief Medical Officer, following the advice and guidance of the Sport Medicine Advisory Committee and National and Provincial health agencies. The suspension of activities will be reevaluated prior to April 10, and further communication to our membership will be made based on updated advisements from health authorities. In conjunction with World Rugby, we continue to monitor the evolving situation around the globe, and will provide updates on international events and tours as decisions are made based on the best available information. Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen stated, “The rugby community in Canada is brought together through the love of the game, which is founded on the principles of integrity, solidarity, and respect. As we navigate our way through this evolving situation, we thank the entire Canadian rugby community for their patience and understanding. We recognize the investment and commitment of our members,...
by Natalie Ramsay | Feb 24, 2020 | Game Reports
This past weekend, the Kickers travelled to Victoria to face off against the Castaway Wanderers (CW) at Windsor Park. It was a very fast paced and hard-hitting game. The Kickers utilized quick ball handling to take advantage of a faster and more experienced backline. The forward pack was strong and out muscled the opposing side. The Kickers had possession for most of the game, which allowed for numerous attacking phases and forced CW to always be on their back foot. Inside Centre Natalie Nguyen registered a hattrick of tries. Outside Centre Brenna Collicutt, Fullback Daris Tender and Flanker Danelle Campbell added a try each with Flyhalf Paula Simpson successfully kicking four converts. The final score was 38-0. The Kickers now have a 2-1 record for the season. “We continued where we left off last game with our teamwork. Offensively, we made use of our opportunities to score and defensively, we neutralized the opposition by putting constant pressure and covering very well,” said Kickers Coach JP Lussier. “If we keep playing with that intensity, we could upset the League’s top teams that we have to play in the upcoming weeks.” On Saturday, February 29, the Kickers Women will host the Nanaimo Hornets at Cumberland Village Park for an anticipated rematch against their Island rivals. The Kickers Men’s team will be travelling to Victoria to play against James Bay Athletic Association after having a bye this week. The Comox Valley Kickers are still recruiting players for the season. No experience needed. For more information, please visit comoxvalleyrugby.ca or email...
by Natalie Ramsay | Feb 12, 2020 | Game Reports
This past Saturday, Cumberland Village Park had double the rugby action as the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s Team hosted Abbotsford RFC and the Comox Valley Kickers Men’s Team hosted Cowichan Piggies. Facing off against Abbotsford, the defending BCRU Division I Champions, the Kickers Women’s team was up to the challenge. The Kickers scored first and never looked back. The whole team played with unrelenting intensity from start to finish. The backline utilized their speed and capitalized on opportunities with Fullback Daris Tendler leading the charge with four tries, Flyhalf/Winger Paula Simpson had three tries and Winger Chloë Speed added one try. With some hard hits and quick rucks, Prop Jenn Lund and Hook Taya Gagnon scored one try each. Flyhalf Kara Galbraith and Simpson had a combined six successful conversions, for a final score of 62 – 5. “This was a great win involving an incredible team effort. We played as a unit. On defence, we completely shut down the opposition and on offence, there was always someone in support to keep the ball alive,” says Kickers Coach JP Lussier. “To do this against last year’s league winners is no easy feat and was especially satisfying. This game is a good indicator of what we can achieve going forward.” Stepping on the field for the first time this season, the Comox Valley Men’s team found themselves playing defense more often then attacking downfield. It was a very punishing game of rugby, full of big hits and long runs. Flanker Brandon Hudson scored twice, and Winger Kai Mills added a try, for a final score of 15-78. “Cowichan is a...
by Natalie Ramsay | Jan 27, 2020 | Game Reports
After a long hiatus for the winter break, the Comox Valley Kickers rugby team were back at it, travelling to Nanaimo to face off against the Hornets this past Saturday. It was a quadruple header at May Bennett Park with the women’s game being one of the two games featured on the main field. There was definite rust showing from being unable to practice outdoors due to the unprecedented snowfall in the weeks prior to this match. It was an evenly matched game that saw more defensive stances than previous games. Kickers Outside Centre, Daris Tendler scored the lone try for Comox Valley, but it was the opposing side who came out on top by a score of 15-5. “We were our own worst enemy. We made too many errors and conceded too many penalties. We had several good phases and were within 5 metres of scoring a few times but were unable to capitalize. Those missed opportunities really hurt us, ” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “At the end of the day, I am still happy with how we played. There were some good things happening during the game and as we get more practices together under our belt, I am optimistic that the team will only get stronger as the season progresses. We had travelled light and had some players playing in different positions, but we were still competitive, and this game was very much within our grasp.” On Saturday, February 1, the Kickers Women will host Victoria’s Castaway Wanderers at Cumberland Village Park with a kickoff time of 11:15AM. The Comox Valley Kickers are still recruiting...
