by CVKickers | Apr 3, 2011 | Game Reports, Men's News
The Cowichan Piggies have called to say that it cannot field a team against the Kickers on Sunday, April 3. The good news is that the Kickers pick up two points — the downside is that they don’t get to play a game on a fine day.
by CVKickers | Mar 28, 2011 | Game Reports, Men's News
It was a fired up Comox Valley Kickers team that stepped onto the soggy pitch at Herd Road to face long-time rivals Cowichan. Due to snow earlier in the season, this make-up game was to be the first of two consecutive clashes, with the next one happening at home on Sunday, April 4th. After a very physical contest the visitors walked away with a few bruises, some big smiles and a 25 - 5 victory over the Piggies. “This win will give us lots of confidence and inspiration for next week’s home game.” said tryscorer Steve Hextall. The boys in black started pushing forward as soon as the whistle blew and kept the ball inside the green half until flyhalf Doug Wynd converted a penalty forced onto the hosts. Cowichan tried to drive back but saw their first-half hopes crushed as swift Steve Hextall ran in a beautiful 40m try. The Kickers opened the 2nd half with a try from Ross Mclean at fullback, putting his speedy sidestep to excellent use as he ran past 3 defenders, earning him the Most Valuable Player title. The Piggies answered with one of their own, unconverted. Kicking centre Brandon Huddleston converted another when Doug Wynd powered his way through the Cowichan line for the second score of the half by placing an angled kick right between the uprights. And then the productive flyhalf converted a final penalty for the total of 25. Although the points all came from the Kickers backline, the forward pack deserve much of the glory. Their relentless driving and rock-solid defense kept the hosting team on their heels,...
by CVKickers | Mar 21, 2011 | Game Reports
A driven, determined Kickers Rugby team ran onto the field to face the Velox Valhallians from Victoria - currently the league leaders. The final score of 25 - 32 in favour of the visitors may not be the outcome everyone hoped for, but it tells the story of a hard-won, evenly contested match. When asked, coach Aaron L’Arrivee simply replied: “Not much to say, the boys put in a good performance and should be proud.” Knowing full well that this was to be a hard match referee Mike Magee laid down the law early in the game and managed to maintain excellent control throughout the game. The Kickers opened the scoring with two outstanding tries that gave the spectators some of what they came out for on a sunny Sunday. The first came from inside center Eli Cummins, who sidestepped no less than 3 players to place the ball directly under the posts. Next up wing Ross McClean ran a clean ball around the Velox defense for a try that spanned most of the field. The Velox players, not to be outdone, answered swiftly with 2 tries of their own by Toby Burg and Garret Posein respectively. After a period of almost 10 minutes staunchly defending their line, the Kickers conceded another 3 points in the form of a penalty kick to place the Velox ahead at half time. The second half started with at pace as both teams fought hard for the advantage. The Kickers gaining it in the form of yet another try from outside center Steve Hextall, only to see the Velox get across for two...
by CVKickers | Feb 21, 2011 | Game Reports, Men's News
For over a century James Bay Athletic Association rugby teams have been the toast of B.C. and Canadian rugby. Formed in 1886, three years before the Kickers, the “Bays” as they are known have won fifty-four Vancouver Island Barnard Cup championships and a record twenty-three British Columbia Rounsfell Cup Championships. Over the years JBAA has placed more players on the Canadian rugby team than any other club, so, when a team travels to MacDonald Park in James Bay to play the “Bays”, the visitors had better be ready to play their best. The Kickers Men’s team set off on Sunday morning to play the JBAA with high hopes coming off two early season wins against Saanich, 30-12, and Powell River, 52-0, and got off to a good start when star centre Steve Hextall touched down after a typical “Hextallian” romp through the heart of the James Bay backfield. Wing Ross McLean scored his seventh of the year soon after and with a conversion by Brandon Huddleston and a penalty by Doug Wynd, the Kickers took a 15-7 going into half-time. In the second stanza James Bay’s experienced older players, many of whom played for James Bay’s Premier sides in their day and some who had even donned a Canadian jersey, took more control of proceedings. First they double-teamed the Kickers most potent player, Steve Hextall, limiting him to only one try in the second-half, which Huddleston converted, and used their bench to effect as they added fresh legs as the game progressed, while the Kickers had limited reserves. In the end the wily “Bays” eked out a narrow 29-22 win,...
by CVKickers | Feb 13, 2011 | Game Reports
Steve Hextall and Ross McLean both ran rampant on Sunday, scoring hat tricks apiece as the Kickers throttled their cross-Straits rivals the Powell River Otago, 52-0, at Cumberland’s Village Park. For winger McLean, who is new to the Kickers club this year, his three-try effort matched the hat trick he scored two weeks ago in the Spring opener against Saanich, which now gives him six tries in just two games. Despite this exemplary output, veteran centre Steve Hextall notched, not just a hat-tick in the first half alone, but added another try late in the game to give him four on the day, a first for him for the Kickers. Hextall already has a hat-trick from the fall season and twelve tries overall this year making him the club’s overall top try-scorer for the year, however if McLean keeps his pace, Hextall will have reason to worry. “The back-line played well today,” said Hextall after the game. “The ball was really flying around and gaps opened up that you could drive a truck through. It was good to be back. I have missed not playing,” said he on his first game back from the Christmas break. The ten-try win, the Kickers second win of the new year, came at the expense of the Otago club that is going through some lean times this year, however despite being overwhelmed the visitors continued to compete until game’s end and indeed played much better in the latter stages than they did at the beginning of the match, while the Kickers did things the other way round. The Kickers enjoyed total domination in...
by CVKickers | Feb 13, 2011 | Game Reports, Women's News
Amid the dreadful rain storm on Saturday the Kickers Women’s team took on the visiting Burnaby Lake Buffalos at Cumberland’s Village Park and miraculously no one drowned as the two teams fought to a 12-12 draw. Kicker scrum-half Laura Locklin scored a try early in the match which she converted giving the home side a 7-0 lead. Deb Capps replied for Burnaby to make it 7-5 and later Capps gave the visitors the lead when she touched down again.This time Michele Young converted to nose the Buffalos ahead 12-7. Late in the game Morgan VanKarrobroeck scored for the locals to tie the match after the conversion attempt went wide. 12-12 Final. “It was a really good game despite the weather,” said Kicker’s Coach Steve Russell. “Our handling seemed to be better than theirs and we managed to spin the ball quite well in the backs. So all in all a good day of rugby.” “It’s the most fun I’ve had since I was a girl playing in mud puddles,” said prop Ona Thorington with a huge smile on her face. Kickers player Lindsay Mallette won Woman of the Match honours for a superb all-round...
