by CVKickers | Dec 12, 2011 | BCRU / VIRU News, Game Reports, Men's News
A bright sunny winter Sunday at Cumberland’s Village Park provided the perfect setting for a titanic clash between the 10-0 Comox Valley Kickers and the 9-2 Velox-Valhallians as they took the field to play the final of the Fall Vancouver Island Div. 3 final. The biggest crowd of the year; intense committed rugby by both sides; referees and touch-judges brought in especially from Victoria with miked headsets – the first ever seen in the Comox Valley, all helped create an atmosphere of cup final rugby. And, as befitting such a momentous occasion, the appreciative crowd enjoyed a hard-fought, well-contested match that saw the visitors from Victoria win 24-15 and retain the impressive looking trophy they had won last season. The home team played a fine, spirited game of rugby spinning the ball wide to their backs at every occasion but, as the game wore on the more experienced visiting team, boasting seven players over the age of thirty seven, one of whom, forty-eight year old Canadian international prop Kevin Wirachowski earned seventeen caps playing for his country from 1992-2003, proved decisive. It was this experience that saw the Valhallians eventually gain the ascendency in the second-half to secure the victory after the sides had played to a 10-10 half time draw. “It was a fantastic game of rugby between two teams that like to play open, running rugby,” commented Velox captain Todd Cunningham after the game. “In the end however, it ended being a defensive struggle with our experience being the decisive factor. Full marks to the Kickers, they gave as good as they got and it was a...
by CVKickers | Dec 10, 2011 | BCRU / VIRU News, Club Events, Men's News
Thanks to Konrad Nikkel for the...
by CVKickers | Dec 7, 2011 | BCRU / VIRU News, Game Reports, Women's News
On Saturday December 3rd Comox Valley Kickers Women travelled to Port Alberni to play in a round robin with Nanaimo and Port Alberni to complete the fall season. Low numbers prompted the coaches to divide all the girls into Comox Valley “Pink” and Port Alberni “Black” sides. The first half evolved into a defensive standoff with neither team being able to score. However with resumption of play, a quick pick close to the try line put Pink up 5-0. Within a few minutes Black replied after quick ball off the breakdown. The convert made the score 7-5 After a lot of back and forth, Black capitalized on a gap in the Pink defense running the ball over in what turned out to be the final phase of the game. Final score: Blacks 12 Pinks 5. When asked about her impressions of the day, Comox Valley captain, Aimee Burley stated, “Today is what rugby is about. It didn’t matter who your teammates were for the day, they were just out to have fun, win or lose! Port Alberni’s hosting was top-notch and all three teams meshed well on the pitch, everyone was smiling and having a great time. When the final whistle blew the girls the weren’t quite ready to call it a day.” Comox woman now enter the winter break with training sessions once a week. Keep checking www.kickersrugby.ca for details! ...
by CVKickers | Dec 6, 2011 | BCRU / VIRU News, Game Reports, Men's News
This past Sunday was truly a rugby day at Village Park, Cumberland as the Kickers took advantage of the superb conditions and appreciative crowd to beat Nanaimo Hornets 35 - 8. Steve Hextall and Troy Mader exploited their opportunities each scoring twice thereby putting the Kickers out in front 20 - 3 at the half. Play transformed into a defensive tussle for the rest of the game providing occasion for forwards Shane Stuchbery, Jeromy Grootendorst and Andy Eaton to each notch a try. Jamie Kerr replied for Nanaimo. None of the conversion attempts were successful. Many thanks to Michelle Hamilton for the images below. [HTML1] The Kickers will face a stern test in the VIRU Fall final facing Velox, Sunday, Dec 11th, 1:00 PM at Village Park. SIDELINES: The Kickers Rugby Club invites all those men and women interested in playing rugby to attend training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.30 p.m.at the club’s Fallen Alders facility on the Royston/Cumberland Road. For more info, visit our website at http://kickersrugby.ca. The club gratefully acknowledges our team sponsors, Investors Group and Wedler Engineering; along with our club sponsors AFC Construction and Continual Palingenesis – Social Media Solutions. Many thanks also to Bayview Chiropractic, Fluid Bar and Grill and Yummies & Gyros for their community way dollars (cw$) contribution. Without this support rugby would not continue to flourish in the Comox Valley....
by CVKickers | Sep 28, 2011 | BCRU / VIRU News, Canada Rugby News
The video below is a key element in BC Rugby’s action plan to promote and streamline youth rugby across the province. [HTML1] URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqeXYPSd_Mw&feature=channel_video_title BC Rugby’s goal was to produce a promotional video that was tempting to young individuals across British Columbia looking to be part of a team atmosphere and engage in a dynamic sport. Working with Brudder Productions, the concept of “it’s your turn to carry the ball” as a focus piece was developed. The themes of tradition, camaraderie and opportunity are central. The outdoor elements were utilized to accentuate the dynamic nature of rugby and the athletes were fully committed to each shoot to ensure the video represented the level of “compete” and “commitment” as key elements of the sport. In addition to being available for online viewing, the promotional video DVD will be affixed to the back cover of BC Rugby’s newest release of the Youth Rugby Manual. All who receive the manual will be encouraged to show the video to young individuals who are current and potential rugby players. With the release of the video, the youth manual will now be mailed to clubs and schools in British Columbia. Aligned with Sport Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) plan, the manual provides a consistent youth rugby continuum for clubs and schools. Youth rugby in British Columbia encompasses ages up to 17 and grades Kindergarten to Grade 12. Each age / grade is provided its own section in the manual. Each section includes a practical reference guide for club volunteers and school teachers to implement the continuum. The laws of the game for each age / grade...
by CVKickers | Dec 13, 2010 | BCRU / VIRU News
British Columbia Rugby Union – BC players headline: Canada U-17 roster announcement Rugby Canada has announced the touring squad for the Canadian Men’s Under-17 Team that will travel to Santa Barbara, California for a two-game series against the USA High SchoolAll-Americans. Of the 28 players named to the roster, 17 are from British Columbia and compete in the local club leagues. TOUR SCHEDULE Dec. 29 vs USA High School All-Americans (UC Santa Barbara, CA) Dec. 31 vs USA High School All-Americans (UC Santa Barbara, CA) DECEMBER TOUR INFO Seen as a crucial step on the high performance pathway to the national team, these players have undergone several selection camps to crack the roster for December’s tour. The end-goal of the Under-17 setup is to send a competitive side to the Wellington Festival in UK next March to compete in a high-pressure environment against other national squads. All 17 of the B.C. players selected for the Santa Barbara tour have represented their province at the Under-16 level. Comox Valley’s Connor Willis and Abbotsford’s Jorden Best are two of the more experienced players who have represented B.C. at two national championships. “The inclusion of the players from BC is a very good indication of the quality of programming within our clubs and schools and also reflects well on our regional and provincial structures,” said Dave Brown, BC’s Provincial Coach and Development Manager. “The National Under-17 program allows players to get further development in all aspects of the game and it is closely aligned with the Regional Academy Programs. It is a key stage in their education and development as people, athletes...
