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:...
by Natalie Ramsay | Apr 25, 2022 | Game Reports, Women's News
The Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team hosted James Bay Athletic Association (JBAA) this past Saturday in the quarterfinals of the BCRU Division II League. In a very physical, fast-paced game, the Kickers fell 34-58. Karli MacFarlane (3), Danelle Campbell, Dara DeMarce and Neila Schaad scored tries for the Kickers with Jessica Leck adding two conversions. “JBAA scored in the first opening minutes, which resulted in feeling like our backs were against the wall right from the get-go. It took a bit before we were able to get into our groove. Our tackling needed to be better as we let some breakaway tries through, which you cannot do in a game this important,” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “Definitely not the result that we wanted, but still proud of the season we had. After a two-year hiatus from rugby, to be able to play rugby again is the absolute best feeling. Everyone improved from the first practice and we will continue to build upon this season. I am excited to see our team come September when the league starts up again.” The Comox Valley Kickers RFC run a Rugby Touch League during the off-season. Everyone welcomed. No experience needed. For more information, please visit...
by Natalie Ramsay | Apr 10, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
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...
by Natalie Ramsay | Apr 3, 2022 | Game Reports, Men's News, Women's News
Both Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Teams welcomed the Chilliwack Crusaders to Cumberland Village Park this past Saturday. The Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team beat Chilliwack, 102-0. Karli MacFarlane (6), Lauren Sargent (3), Natalie Nguyen (2), Maddie Yule, Chloë Speed and Béatrice Sylvain scored tries with 9 successful converts by Christina Green-Speck and 2 by Jessica Leck. “Our team played well today, with an increased focus on rucking and tackling as that was our main takeaway from our previous game. This is Chilliwack’s first season in the league and that inexperience led to the lopsided score,” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “This is a confidence booster leading up to our last game of the regular season when we travel to Nanaimo. We need a win to secure home field advantage during playoffs.” The Comox Valley Kickers Men’s team lost to Chilliwack, 7-48. Justin Thomson scored the lone try for the Kickers and Kyle Hall successfully made the convert. “It was a very tough and physical game that was close in the first half, but we had some tries called back due to penalties. That kind of undiscipline, along with Chilliwack’s well-execution of their mauls and offloads, lead to us not being able to stop their momentum,” said team captain Kyle Hall. Both the Comox Valley Kickers Men and Women travel to Nanaimo next week to face off against the Hornets at May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park. Both the women’s and men’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...
