by Natalie Ramsay | Jan 28, 2023 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
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...
by Natalie Ramsay | Oct 15, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
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...
by Natalie Ramsay | Oct 1, 2022 | Game Reports, Women's News
This past Saturday, the Comox Valley Kickers Women hosted the Castaway Wanderers (“CW”) at Cumberland Village Park. This was the second time both teams have played each other this season, but with a different result this time around. The Kickers won 29-26 with Dara DeMarce, Lauren Sargent, Lisa Korcsmaros, Jessica Nikkel and Daris Tendler Forberg scoring a try each. Christina Green-Speck added two converts. “We came back from an early deficit to take the lead and worked hard at the end of the second half to secure the win. There was a bigger focus on teamwork this game. As the saying goes, you can go faster alone but can go further together,” says Coach Jean-Pierre Lussier. “We ran better support lines, were strong in the scrums and improved with our rucking. Things are really coming along for the team.” Regretfully, there was no men’s game as CW Men’s defaulted. There is a league wide bye over Thanksgiving weekend with the league resuming on October 15. The Kickers Men’s Team will travel to the mainland to play against the Surrey Beavers while the Kickers Women’s Team will host a combined side from Cowichan/Westshore. 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...
by Natalie Ramsay | Sep 26, 2022 | Game Reports, Women's News
The Comox Valley Kickers Women were on the road again, this time to Nanaimo to face off against the Hornets at May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park. The Kickers lost 10-36 with Yui Okada and Lauren Sargent scoring a try each. “There are positive takeaways from this game, despite the end result. The score was 5-10 at the half, but Nanaimo’s experience made the difference in the second half, and they were able to score a few quick ones. We’ve made improvements from our last game and will continue to build momentum,” says Coach Jean-Pierre Lussier. “I’m proud of our team. The most important thing was that we never gave up.” On Saturday, October 1st, there will be a doubleheader at Cumberland Village Park where both the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s and Men’s will host the Castaway Wanderers. Kickoff will be at 11:30AM for the women and 12:45PM for the men. 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...
by Natalie Ramsay | Sep 12, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
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...
by Natalie Ramsay | May 9, 2022 | Community Involvement, Women's News
Natalie Nguyen, Captain of the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s Rugby Team is a 2022 Gilbert Champion! From Gilbert Rugby Canada: “These incredible folks are working to grow the game of rugby in Canada. We have a diverse group of athletes, coaches and community builders who are inspiring the next generation of rugby players. At Gilbert we truly believe that rugby makes your life better - through not only the team work, fitness and confidence grown by playing, but by the community and support that rugby is uniquely known for.” Please check out her biography and the other champions here:...
