After a very cold and snowy February, the rugby season resumed this past Saturday with the Comox Valley Kickers Women’s team travelling to the mainland to face off against the Brit Lions, who are based out of Delta.
Travelling with only thirteen women, the Kickers knew that it would take a Herculean effort to win shorthanded, but they were up to the task.
The Kickers started off strong, scoring first and then never let up. With high intensity throughout the game, the team utilized their strength and speed to score. The forward pack crashed the ball with ferocious intent and gained the hard yards, which allowed the back line to shine by running some great plays. Outside Centre Daris Tendler lead the efforts with four tries with Inside Centre Carlie Beaulieu and Scrumhalf Natalie Nguyen each scoring once. Flyhalf Paula Simpson added two tries and four conversions. The final score was 48 – 17.
“We are coming back from a one-month hiatus due to the weather and I was unsure of what the team was going to look like. It was disappointing that we could not field a whole side, but I was so very proud of the ladies who made the trip. Everyone played with tremendous heart and conviction in our ability to win.” said Kickers Captain Natalie Nguyen.
“Due to the fact that we were playing short, we were very strategic in our game plan. Our forwards had great set pieces and contested every scrum and lineout, stealing possession on a few! Our backs had great chemistry and ran some good lines. As a team, we were quick to set up our defensive line, which did not allow the other team to gain any momentum. Overall, we played a great rugby game.”
All BCRU teams have a bye this weekend to attend the HSBC Canada Sevens tournament held in Vancouver. It is one of ten international stops on the Sevens circuit and has Canada facing off against Samoa, Fiji and Kenya in their pool.
Both the Comox Valley Women’s and Men’s teams are still recruiting players for the season. No experience needed. For more information, please check out our website at comoxvalleyrugby.ca or email cvkickers@gmail.com.