Canada Rugby

Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings

M.M’s kicks off with a “hats off” to Doug Woolridge.  This erstwhile member of the FRF has inked an interim agreement with Clermont Auvergne in the Top XIV League and the Euro Champions Cup.  Dougie was one of Canada’s forwards who had a sterling RWC performance in this writer’s eyes,...


Coaching Conundrum from Club to Country

Coaching Conundrum from Club to Country

Since our last blog, NSMT’s coach, Kieran Crowley has handed in his ticket.  Following a recent review, Crowley’s contract was extended for another two years with the NSMT.  There has been much reported by rugby scribes across the country as well as rugby fans, in relation to the review and...


Wednesday's Ruck & Maul

Wednesday's Ruck & Maul

    The year in review to date has been quite successful for CW, with some outstanding Junior Boys results.  Our U14’s won the B.C. title; U16’s placed third and U18’s also won the crown. Our U18 girls played in a 2nd successive BC final vs a strong Abby team only losing 22-5. Our newly...


2016 Kicks Off

2016 Kicks Off

  And a Happy New Year to all ruggers and rugby fans, especially to the CW Family.  CW is pleased to hear of deserved Season Honors for our own, Spencer Robinson who has been announced by Rugby Canada as the NSMT Maple Leafs Sevens coach for their upcoming tour of Argentina and Chile. ...


Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings

COMMUNITY SERVICE:  Hats off to a group of CW volunteers that assisted with the Victoria Christmas Truck Parade and its tour through the Oak Bay village.  That’s the CW way folk and a Merry Christmas to you.     CW’s Dylan ‘Diesel’ Jones is once again having some major health issues and...


All's Not According to Hoyle

All's Not According to Hoyle

Posted in B.C. Rugby / Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / Fifteens / NSMT / NSWT / Sevens

The NSMT finished day #2 at Dubai with a pair of wins to pull out the Shield title and earn three points, finishing in 13th place.  The wins came over Portugal, 31 – 14 and a re-match victory over Japan, 19 – 17.  Coach Middleton has stated that he did not think the boys played to their...


BARNARD CUP PREVIEW

BARNARD CUP PREVIEW

Posted in B.C. Rugby / Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / Fifteens / Line-ups / NSMT / NSWT / Prems / Sevens / Victoria BC

A familiar scene from past games - surrounded by Vikes! CW heads to UVic for the second time this season and the third encounter with the undefeated Vikes, on Saturday.  The Cup takes place at Wallace Field at 1:00 p.m.  The Tricolours have announced their probable best available selection for...


Wednesday's Ruck & Maul

Wednesday's Ruck & Maul

MAPLE LEAF WOMEN’S XV The women lost a tight game to England yesterday, 29 – 37.  Canada led 17 – 15 at the half and pulled away to a 29 – 20 gap with not a lot of ticks on the clock.  One could not tell from the Twitter feed what might have happened but the team allowed seventeen points in...


CW's FIRST FEMALE CAP

CW's FIRST FEMALE CAP

Head coach John Tait has named his squad for the opening round of the 2015-16 HSBC Women’s Sevens Series to be held in Dubai Dec. 3-4. Jen Kish will captain the team while Megan Lukan and Caroline Crossley will both make their Sevens Series debuts for Canada. “The team has been...


Wednesday's Ruck & Maul on Thursday!

Wednesday's Ruck & Maul on Thursday!

Posted in Canada Rugby / Clinics / CW Rugby / Juniors / Minis / News / NSMT / Sevens / Victoria BC

Late with the blog...late with the reports! Very much after the fact, we bring you a report that CW U14 boys took a rather clinical "workshop" from a visiting Welsh team, Cyfarthfa High School, last Friday. From reports it seems rather challenging to fathom the age group parity but regardless,...


R-E-S-PE-C-T

R-E-S-PE-C-T

Posted in Canada Rugby / Club Dinner / Community / CW Rugby / NSMT / Sevens / Victoria BC

Where else but rugby?  This photo has been all-over but we show it, just in case you have not seen it.  There are very few other sports where two opponents have given their all in a crucial game and one, SBW, can console his opposite number, Jesse Kriel, after the NZ defeat of RSA last...


Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings

Posted in B.C. Rugby / Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / Juniors / News / NSMT / RWC / Victoria BC

U14 Boys:  CW welcomed JBAA to the VIRU Junior league yesterday in their first (ever?) age grade U14 match.  This is the Bays first attempt at this age level as far back as can be remembered and no doubt, in traditional James Bay fashion, will grow into a force to be reckoned with.  It is great...


Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings

Posted in Canada Rugby / News / RWC

Gutted! RUGBY WORLD CUP REFLECTIONS Much of the sheen was rubbed off The Show this past weekend when Scotland was denied a heroic victory of epic proportions over the Wallabies.  The issue of officiating, once again reared its ugly head but more of that later. Japan was the real highlight...


You Be The Judge

You Be The Judge

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / Juniors / News / NSMT / NSWT / Refereeing / RWC

Has rugby become “over-officiated”?  In days of yore it could be said that if a player “made as few errors as the ref”, he was doing okay.  Then came the AR, miked to the ref; then the TMO and now, the Citing Commissioners, to reduce officiating errors to virtually nil, so much so, that even the...


RWC and 'The Minnows'

RWC and 'The Minnows'

Posted in Canada Rugby / News / NSMT / RWC

Well, after looking at point differentials in the RWC, one notes that over 13 games there was an average of 40.6 in differential spread.  Announcers were regularly heard to applaud the IRB with the "narrowing of the gap" but really?  Rumour of quality salaries for coaches in Tier 2 countries...


A Painful Canadian Implosion

A Painful Canadian Implosion

Posted in Canada Rugby / NSMT / RWC

No doubt, all readers of this blog would have watched the Canada/Romania match and have their own opinion regarding the outcome, maybe even being able to propose reasons for it. The writer will leave it at that as the clichés and comments will be many. It is only fair to mention noted efforts....


Canada Vs Romania

Canada Vs Romania

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / NSMT / RWC

Well, the campaign comes to a close tomorrow for Canada and despite some excellent play against Italy, with a rather unlucky result and long stretches of what might arguably be deemed, best ever Canadian rugby, against France, the campaign will be judged solely on the outcome of this match. We...


Dream Team Week Two

Dream Team Week Two

Posted in Canada Rugby / NSMT / RWC

Congratulations to DTH (aka 'TAG') Van de Merwe announced today on the Week #2 RWC Dream Team. DTH's tally, initiated by a sparkling, lengthy run and a combo with Hearn, thence getting the pass returned Vs Italy was debatably, the try of the tourney to date....


Les Rouges Allez-ed Pretty Good

Les Rouges Allez-ed Pretty Good

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / News / NSMT / RWC

Although it probably was a foregone conclusion, the French victory was a mere touch of icing for this pundit after two weeks of meandering in Belgium and Normandy where I experienced the genuine honesty and respect of the French people for Canadians who fought in the two wars.  The French...


Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / Girls Rugby / Juniors / Minis / NSMT / Victoria BC

We start this week's article on the positive note especially on the verge of the start of the RWC (which will see high viewership from youth) and the kickoff for many club youth programs around the province.   As professional sport is always front and centre in our news in North America, we...


Tiedemann Performance Lauded "Outstanding"

Tiedemann Performance Lauded "Outstanding"

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / News / NSMT / Refereeing

Pictured here is Andrew Tiedemann scoring another try against his old club, UVic.  Tieds scored his first try for the Nats yesterday, after 33 caps.  His try was the lone Canadian tally in a 16 – 15 “upset” victory over higher ranked, Georgia.  Canada, ranked #18 got the better of Georgia,...


Thus Endeth the Drought

Thus Endeth the Drought

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / NSMT / RWC

Glasgow’s, Fraser Lyle, circa 2012/13 Well, it will be a happy group of bandits wending their way across the Atlantic today, nursing bumps and bruises but travelling first class, compliments RWC!  Although this writer did not get a download, with the original plan by RC going awry when the...


Cudmore Duly Honored

Cudmore Duly Honored

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / NSMT / RWC

This pundit likes the looks of the squad selected to do battle against Glasgow Warriors tomorrow.  It is the first time the coach has had an opportunity to look at some possible combinations for upcoming RWC matches. Highlights are DTH playing against his "old" club; Cudmore deservedly as...


The Wait's All Over

The Wait's All Over

Posted in Canada Rugby / RWC

The RWC team was posted yesterday with a stats breakdown by Province, we’ll take a look at posting by positions.  17 forwards, 14 backs, a pretty well-balanced collection.  CW commiserates with a most unlucky, Tay Paris, injured last weekend, probably opening the door for an, arguably lucky,...


Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings

Posted in Canada Rugby / CW Rugby / NSMT / Sevens

Professional Rugby Former Australian sevens coach Michael O’Connor, says coaches will be “knocking the door down” to take the team to the Rio Olympics following Geraint John’s shock resignation on Monday. It’s a setback for the Australian sevens program with less than three months before...