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...
by Natalie Ramsay | Oct 21, 2019 | Game Reports
This past Saturday saw both Comox Valley Kickers teams playing against the Castaway Wanderers (CW). The women’s team hosted CW at Cumberland Village Park and the men’s team travelled to Windsor Park in Victoria. It was a case of déjà vu for the women as it was the second time this season that these two teams faced off against each other. The Kickers won the previous game 45-29 and CW was out for redemption. This was an exciting back and forth game full of big hits, long runs and sound set pieces. After each score, both teams kept their foot on the gas pedal to keep the pressure on, making it a game of who wanted it more. The Kickers were able to take advantage of the opportunities provided and were able to move the ball in contact with support. Winger Carlie Beaulieu scored twice with Flyhalf Kara Galbraith and Flankers Michelle Johnson and Kaitlyn Jinda each scoring once. Scrumhalf Paula Simpson added two tries and successfully converted four kicks for a 43-30 win. “This was a good game for us as it confirmed our strengths and exposed our weaknesses. We allowed CW to score back to back tries on us by missing our initial tackles. We need to be quicker in the rucks to maintain possession as when we had the ball, beautiful things happened. Our handling was on point and the backs utilized their speed to get the ball out wide to score. Our scrums were strong; we didn’t lose any of our put ins,” said Kickers Coach Thyssen de Goede. “All in all, I am...
by Natalie Ramsay | Oct 8, 2019 | Game Reports
This past Saturday, the Kickers travelled to Nanaimo to face off against their Island rivals, the Hornets. This is the first time the teams have played each other this season. It was a hard-fought battle between both sides. There were some beautiful running lines and off-loading. Kickers tries were scored by Fullback Daris Tendler and Flanker Danelle Campbell, but it was the opposing side who came out on top by a score of 31 – 10. “It is always a very tough and physical game when we play Nanaimo. They were unrelentless with their attack. We couldn’t get into a rhythm and weren’t quite able to hit our groove,” said Kickers Captain Natalie Nguyen. “This was a very humbling game. It showed that we still have a lot of work on. We need to make our tables and be quicker at the breakdowns. It is still early in the season so we will learn from this game and continue to get better.” Next week is a league-wide bye for Thanksgiving. The Kickers Women will once again face the Castaway Wanderers at home on October 19th. 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 | Sep 30, 2019 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
This past Saturday had double the rugby action as both the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s and Men’s teams travelled to the Cowichan Valley to face off against the Cowichan Piggies. It was a game of endurance for the women’s game as both squads only had 15 players. The Piggies scored the first points of the game, but the Kickers quickly fell into their groove and answered back right away. The back line was able to use their speed which helped to create overlaps that they used to their advantage. Inside Centre Natalie Nguyen, Outside Centre Daris Tendler and Wingers Carrie Weekes and Béatrice Sylvain each scored once with Flyhalf Paula Simpson scoring twice and making 5 out of 6 conversions for a 40-15 win. “It was a closer game than the score line indicates. Cowichan had some big runs. They were at our goal line for several plays, but we had a strong defensive stance and did not let them score. Once we were able to regain possession and relieve pressure, that’s when everything started to click. Our forward pack shined in the lineouts, winning all but a few and our back line kept on attacking,” said Kickers Coach JP Lussier. In their first game of the season, the Comox Valley Men’s team found themselves playing defense more often then attacking downfield. “Cowichan is a more experienced and seasoned team. When we had possession, we ran well, and our set pieces were sound. With more practices and games under our belt, I believe that we will improve steadily. There were a lot of good takeaways from this game,” said...
