VICTORIA STOCKS BC BEARS

(ISN) — Victoria will provide nine of the 22 Canadian Direct Insurance British Columbia Bears players in the final match of the 2010 Canadian Rugby Championship season Saturday in Burlington, Ont.

They include captain Pat Riordan who is also from the Burnaby Lake Rugby Club, Cam Pierce, Sean Duke and Ryan Hamilton, UVIC Vikes RFC; Seamus Gay, Castaway Wanderers; Connor Braid, Mitch Gudgeon, Hugo Belanger and Sean White, James Bay Athletic Association.

After two losses the Bears will not have the opportunity to play for the National Championship.

However, a great deal of provincial pride will be on the line as British Columbia versus Ontario is a historic rivalry.

The young Cam Pierce of Vernon has showed well for the Bears this season and will start at the number 8 position. Seamus Gay will represent the Bears for the first time this CRC season and has been named as a starting flanker.

Another youngster and recent U20 international Adam Zaruba (Capilano RFC) is promoted from the reserves to claim the #4 jersey.

The 9 – 10 “Loma Connection” of Colin Brown and Eric Wilson will be at their creative best and provide sound leadership on the pitch along with Riordan.

Kick-off for the BC Bears versus Ontario Blues game  Saturday is set for 4:30 p.m. at Burlington Centaurs RFC in Ontario.

12 ISLANDERS WITH BC BEARS

The BC Bears have recruited 12 their 22-member squad from Vancouver Island to play in their first 2010 Canadian Rugby Championship fixture Saturday in Calgary against the Prairie Wolf Pack.

The CRC consists of The Rock (Atlantic Canada), the Prairie Wolf Pack, the Ontario Blues, and the 2009 Canadian Champions – the BC Bears.

Playing for the Canadian Direct Insurance British Columbia Bears are Cam Pierce, Sean Duke, Keaton Styles and Ryan Hamilton from the University of Victoria Vikes RFC; Ben Johnson, Tye de Goede, Sean White, Connor Braid, Hugo Belange, Dave Cameron, Mitch Gudgeon  and Callum Morrison  of the James Bay Athletic Association

EIGHT ISLANDERS IN BEARS VS KIWI MATCH

Eight Vancouver Islanders will be among the 23 BC Bears to take on the Royal New Zealand Navy side at 6 p.m. Friday at Klahanie Park in West Vancouver.  

Playing for the Bars will be Liam Murray, Cam Pierce, Casey Cavers and Jamie McKenzie, University of Victoria Vikes; Ben Johnson, Hugo Belanger and Dave Cameron, James Bay Athletic Association; and Seamus Gay, Castaway Wanderers RFC.    

Coach Mike James says this presents an excellent opportunity for individuals to earn their spot on the Bears team, which will take part in the 2010 Canadian Rugby Championship in August and September.

A representative side of the Royal New Zealand Navy (HMNZS Te Kaha) has sailed to Vancouver as part of the Canadian Navy’s Centennial.

HMNZS Te Kaha is one of two frigates serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
The name Te Kaha is Maori, meaning ‘fighting prowess’ or ‘strength’.

The Bears will look to counter the tourists’ prowess and strength when they kick off for an evening match.

8 ISLANDERS WITH BC Bears VS ENGLAND COUNTIES

(ISN)– Five players and three replacements from Vancouver Island will be on the BC Bears team for the game against RFU England Counties on Saturday in Vancouver.

BC Bears -  Starting XV versus RFU England Counties include:  Rob Down and Eric Lopatinsky, Velox RFC, Cam Pierce of the University of Victoria Vikes, Seamus Gay of the Castaway Wanderers RFC and  Callum Morrison, JBAA.

Replacements include Dave Cameron and Hugo Belanger, JBAA; and Jamie McKenzie, University of Victoria.

With the Churchill Cup and Sevens programs eliminating many players from selection, and with many Under 20 players involved in the National U20 Competition, the squad is a mixture of both youth and experience with Coach Mike James opting to give a number of players an opportunity to vie for places on the squad when it gets together in August for the CRC competition.

UBCOB Ravens lock Mike Burak will serve captain and is the lone International.

He is supported by five players who played for the Bears against Russia last season: Rhodri Hamner, Gay, Jake Hirst, Brock Nicholson and Taylor Dalziel are all named in the starting line-up.  

Dalziel, the UBC center, is one of five current or former Canada Under 20 players on the squad.

He is joined by McKenzie, Sevens returnee Connor Trainor and recent performers at the World Trophy in Russia – Kurtis Appeldorn and Adam Zaruba.

The Bears last game against Russia seems a distant memory but few will forget the impact of Vancouver Rowing Club’s Brock Nicholoson on the wing.

Nicholson will again be hoping to impress along with Pierce who made a big impression with the Provincial U18s in 2009 and had a great impact this season with the Canadian Direct Insurance League Provincial Champions, University of Victoria Vikes.

The North Shore will be represented well by both Zaruba and Brady Carpenter from Capilano, as well as Nicholson andBelanger, the James Bay flanker who learnt his trade at Windsor Secondary School.

Other players to watch will be former Blues scrum half Colin Brown and up-and-coming Velox lock Loatinski.

The team will practise together today at Klahanie and take on the Counties team that has won its opening two games of the Tour against the Rock and Blues on Saturday Afternoon.

At 1 p.m. there will be an U20 Men’s Vancouver Wave versus Vancouver Island Rising Tide fixture as a curtain raiser to the Bears game.

VIKES BEST IN BC, WIN ROUNSEFELL CUP

By Mike Tucker

The UVic Vikes men’s rugby team is 2010 Rounsefell Cup champions.

The Vikes earned the distinction of provincial champs by knocking off Meraloma 31-27 in Saturday’s title match at Wallace Field.

With 1,200 fans packing Wallace Field for the CDI BC Premier championship game, the Vikes failed to disappoint on home soil. Nate Hirayama accounted for 26 points and the Vikes toppled the defending champs, to win their first Rounsefell Cup since 2003.

 

 

“It was a fantastic win for the guys. I knew the team was good and they exceeded expectations,” said head coach Doug Tate. “After the first playoff win against Old Boys, I figured they could play against anyone and they showed it the last two weekends.”

Hirayama scored two tries, was 4-for-5 on penalty kicks, and made a pair of improbable converts from the far reaches of the field. His fourth penalty kick of the match, coming near the 50th minute, gave the Vikes their largest lead of the game at 31-13.

“Coming into the game we knew we had a good shot and we stuck to the game plan,” said Hirayama. “It shows the quality program that has been built over the year and hopefully this isn’t the last championship we win.”

Meraloma mounted some late pressure with a pair of tries, scored by Eric Wilson and Sam Jenkins, respectively. However, the Vikes defence bore down, and despite a Phil Mack try being waved off, held on for the win.

The Vikes miracle run to the final included playoff victories over the UBC-Old Boys and top-seeded James Bay, despite being depleted by injuries, national selections and summer work commitments. Classes at UVic had ended in early April, and exams were done by the end of the month.

“This has been one of the most resilient group of guys I’ve ever been with, said captain Dave Spicer. “We have some great young guys coming up and hopefully we can build off this and be in contention for the next couple of years.”

The Vikes have won the Rounsefell Cup three times, with victories also coming in 1971 and 2003. The Vikes also won Canadian University Championships the only two years the tournament was held in 1998 and 1999.

EPIC UPSET — VIKES OFF TO BC FINALS OVER JBAA

By Mike Tucker

(ISN) – The University of Victoria Vikes men’s rugby team has advanced to the BC Premier title match after downing top-seeded James Bay 36-32, in an upset for the ages at Macdonald Park.

The Vikes secured the semifinal win on Saturday with a run of 17 unanswered points in

the second half, which was capped off by a try from scrum half Phil Mack. Mack, formerly of the Bays, gave the Vikes their first lead of the game with just over 10 minutes remaining. UVic trailed 20-3 at one point in the opening frame.

“Of all the years I have coached, that was without question the gutsiest win,” said Vikes head coach Doug Tate. “It was unbelievable what we pulled off given the injuries and guys not being available. It was an amazing effort.”

The victory advances the short-staffed Vikes to next weekend’s Rounsfell Cup against Meralomas, which will be hosted at UVic’s Wallace Field on Saturday. It is the Vikes first appearance in the province’s title game since 2003.

Nathan Hirayama led the Vikes in scoring with three penalty kicks, three conversions and a drop goal. The drop goal, with about 10 minutes remaining, stood as the game’s winning points, and gave the Vikes just their second win at Macdonald Park in the past 12 tries.

“It doesn’t get any sweeter than this – winning at Macdonald Park, against James Bay as an underdog,” said Hirayama. “Even when we were down we still felt confident.”

Dave Moonlight gave James Bay a comfortable lead in the first half, with the former Vike going over three times in the span of eight minutes. The last of his three scores put the Bays out in front 20-3 with 10 minutes left in the half.

Vikes tries came courtesy of Nick Lubbe, Pat Riordan and Phil Mack.

Meralomas won the other semifinal 29-9 over Capilano, and will defend their BC Premier title against the Vikes. Meralomas won the Rousnfell Cup in 2009, and earlier this year held UVic without a try the only time this season in a 22-9 romp at Jericho Park.

The Vikes only Rounsfell Cup victory came in 2003, with a UVic victory over James Bay at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium.

IT’S VIKES VS JBAA BAYS FOR ISLAND DOMINANCE

By Andrew Smith

(ISN) — Only one Vancouver Island club will advance to the B.C. Premier League finals, and on Saturday the no. 4 UVic Vikes men’s rugby team will have to beat James Bay to punch their ticket to the dance.

SEMIFINALS INFORMATION
Sat. May 8 vs. James Bay (MacDonald Park) – 2:45p.m.

SCOUTING THE VIKES (8-3) (PLAYOFFS 1-0)
Last weekend’s quarterfinal win over the UBC Old Boys ended a seven year absence from the final four. And although they may be inexperienced in the playoffs, the Vikes are the only team to have solved James Bay this season.

The triumvirate of David Spicer, Pat Riordan and Nathan Hirayama marked their return to Premier League play last Saturday scoring a combined 30 points in the Vikes’ 38-19 victory.

Shouldering the squad’s kicking responsibilities, Hirayama notched three conversions and three penalties to record a game-high 15 points.

SCOUTING JAMES BAY (10-1)
Unlike their youthful rivals, the Bays are well tested in the postseason play. In pursuit of their fourth Rounsfell Cup in five years, James Bay led the league in offence (42.7 p/g) and defence (11.3 p/g) this season.

Matching the firepower the Vikes boast up front, the Bays work at the breakdown has seen them dominate CDI competition and prior to their recent loss, the Bays outscored their four previous opponents by 285 points.

The Blue Crush boasts a perfect record at home and with Dave Moonlight, Jeff Williams and Jason Marshall in their arsenal, the Bays grit will clash with the Vikes’ expansive style of play.

HEAD TO HEAD
Earlier this season the Vikes notched 38 points against their Island rivals, the most points James Bay has conceded in 23 matches. For the students, the upset marked their first CDI Premier League win over James Bay since April of 2006.

VIKES RETIRE UBC OLD BOYS FROM PLAYOFFS

 

 

By Andrew Smith

(ISN) — For the first time since 2003, the UVic Vikes men’s rugby team advanced past the opening round of the B.C. Premier League playoffs downing the UBCOB Ravens 38-19 Saturday.

Just a week after dropping the regular season’s final game 24-20 to the Ravens at Wallace Field, it was the Vikes who were in top form during the re-match running in four tries and kicking 18 points by the final whistle.

 

After a month-long layoff from injury, Canadian international Nathan Hirayama made his presence felt opening the scoring with a penalty kick before contributing a game-high 15 points.

 

The Ravens responded through their rucking and it was forward Tom McKeen who gave the Old Boys their only lead of the game with a well-deserved try ten minutes later.

UVic hooker Pat Riordan ran in the Vikes’ first try in the 19th minute and Hirayama converted for the 10-7 lead. For the remainder of the half it was one-way traffic as David Spicer barreled through four tacklers for another try. Hiryama’s conversion and penalty combined with a cheeky drop goal by Phil Mack had the Vikes up 23-7 at the break.

The second half was much of the same story as Pat Riordan recorded the brace and Sean Duke burned three tacklers down the wing for the Vikes final score. The Ravens pulled back two late tries but waited too long to stage their comeback.

“Last week we didn’t but the nail in the coffin,” Riordan said. “We were down in their end quite a bit and we didn’t really make them pay. But today every time we got down in their end we came away with at least three points.”

The no. 4 Vikes now head across town to face off against no.1 James Bay AA in next Saturday’s semifinal.

When the two sides met back on April 17, the Vikes handed the Vancouver Island champs their only loss of the season, downing their bitter rivals 38-25.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45pm on May 8th at MacDonald Park.

 

 

Scoring Summary:
Half time: UVic Vikes 23, UBCOB Ravens 7
Final: UVic Vikes 38, UBCOB Ravens 19

UVic Vikes Scoring
Tries: Pat Riordan x2, David Spicer, Sean Duke
Conversions: Nathan Hirayama x3
Penalties: Nathan Hirayama x3
Drop Goals: Phil Mack

VIKES VS UBC-O SATURDAY

By Andrew Smith

(ISN) — Fresh off a 38-25 victory over the reigning Vancouver Island champs James Bay AA, the UVic Vikes men’s rugby team will look to close out the Premier League regular season with a win over Ceili’s Cup holders UBC-OB Ravens.

GAME INFORMATION
Sat. April 24 vs. UBCOB Ravens (Wallace Field) – 2:45p.m.

SCOUTING THE VIKES (8-2)
An undermanned Vikes squad punched their ticket to the postseason last Saturday and snapped James Bay’s 17 game win-streak. Undefeated against Vancouver Island competition and boasting a perfect record at home, the Vikes will look to wrap up the regular season with their third straight victory.

A win for UVic and a loss for no. 3 Capilano could see the students tie up third place, but regardless of Saturday’s results, the Vikes will host a quarterfinal matchup.

The forwards have been ruthless at the breakdown this season and after last weekend’s physical matchup against the Bays, the pack will welcome the return of junior national team players Brett Beukeboom, Liam Murray and Casey Cavers. All three of the Vikes top try scorers Phil Mack, Keaton Styles and Nick Lubbe will also be available for selection.

SCOUTING THE RAVENS (6-4)
It’s been a turbulent run for the reigning mainland champs as they venture to the Island riding a four game win-streak. Their fourth-ranked defence has held opponents to 19.8 p/g but the Ravens have been unable to beat any teams above them in the standings. A win against the no. 4 Vikes could send them to the postseason but a loss combined with a win for no. 7 Bayside could squeeze the Old Boys out of the playoffs.

HEAD TO HEAD
A converted try was all that separated the Vikes and Ravens last season when the students escaped Jericho Park with a narrow 22-15 victory. The Vikes have not lost to their mainland rivals at home in their past three meetings with their most recent defeat at the hands of UBC Old Boys back in 2007.

VIKES ROLL OVER JBAA IN BATTLE OF ISLAND TITANS

By Andrew Smith

(ISN) — In a rematch of the 2009 Vancouver Island championship game, the UVic Vikes men’s rugby team defied their no. 4 seeding on Saturday afternoon, edging the previously undefeated no. 1 James Bay Athletic Association 38-25.

Former Bays’ scrum half Phil Mack led the Vikes’ assault contributing a try and several line breaks to see the students run in six tries. The Vikes had lost four straight matches against the Bays heading into Saturday’s contest and the win snapped James Bay’s 17 game undefeated streak.

UVic hooker Pat Riordan ran in the first try before Mack undressed his marker with a chip kick, diving on the ball for a 12-8 lead. Riordan broke through for the third try to see the Vikes head into the break with a 19-8 lead.

The Blue Crush came roaring back with three tries of their own through Eric Forsythe, Dave Ramsay and Spencer Dalziel. But well-supported runs by a younger and craftier Vikes line put second row Robert DeJong over to record a brace.

“They are the rival team and they were undefeated all year,” DeJong said after the match. “Everyone was coming with speed and hitting hard and that’s what got us the tries.”

The Bays were not without opportunities and despite several chances, including a five-on-two down the wing, their comeback came up short.

Phil Mack put on the finishing touch breaking through an exhausted Bays’ line to give the Vikes solid field position before Vikes’ flanker Ryan Hamilton dashed under the uprights for the final try. Ben Grant kicked his fourth and final conversion to upset the top-ranked team in the British Columbia Premier League.

“Every game that we win is obviously sweet but with that being my old club it gives us a little bit more bragging rights heading into the postseason,” Mack said.

The win sees the Vikes move to 8-2 with their final match of the regular season against the UBCOB Ravens. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45pm at Wallace Field on Saturday, April 24.  

Scoring Summary:
First Half: UVic 19, James Bay 8
Final: UVic 38, James Bay 25

UVic Vikes Scoring
Tries: Robert DeJong x2, Pat Riordan x2, Phil Mack, Ryan Hamilton
Conversions: Ben Grant x4

JB Scoring
Tries: Hugo Belanger, Eric Forsythe, Dave Ramsay, Spencer Dalziel
Conversions: Jeff Williams
Penalties: Jeff Williams

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