A difference of a year – from the hospital bed to the rugby pitch: The story of James Dubois

A difference of a year – from the hospital bed to the rugby pitch: The story of James Dubois

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...
Strong start to the spring rugby season

Strong start to the spring rugby season

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...
Kickers winning streak snapped

Kickers winning streak snapped

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...
Men undefeated; Women hit roadbump

Men undefeated; Women hit roadbump

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...
Great start to the rugby season for both Comox Valley Kickers teams

Great start to the rugby season for both Comox Valley Kickers teams

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...
Positive end to regular season

Positive end to regular season

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...