Bang For The Buck!

What a deal for you if you are planning tomorrow to take in a plethora of men’s talent in action at Klahanie Field to celebrate the 125^TH birthday of the B.C.R.U. Kick off will be at 4:00 p.m. Prices; Parking = $5; Youth 12 & under = $10 and adults = $20. Let’s hope such generous pricing for this match swells the Klahanie stand and standing room. This match will showcase the talent available to select squads for upcoming tests against Japan, Scotland and the U.S. Down the road - World Cup 2015. Enough for the promo.

The cause is to celebrate the marvellous achievement of B.C. rugby. We quote (courtesy of B.C.R.U.); “The match will launch the 125th Anniversary celebrations of the British Columbia Rugby Union, founded in New Westminster in 1889. Made up of over 7,600 members, the BCRU now includes players of all demographics including mini rugby for girls and boys, youth competitions, Over-40’s and senior men’s and women’s participants. Known as ‘BC Rugby’, the Provincial Sport Organization was recognized by Rugby Canada as the 2013 Provincial Union of the Year.

The purpose of Saturday’s match is two-fold; along with recognizing BC’s milestone year, Canadian national team coaches will also be using the fixture to select their roster for the June 7th Pacific Nations Cup opener in Burnaby. The Test match will feature Canada against Japan at Swangard Stadium.

“It’s of massive importance to our selection. It will be our only opportunity before a World Cup year to get all our players on the same field,” said Canadian senior men’s national team head coach Kieran Crowley. “It will be great to see our overseas players playing against domestic-based players. The camp leading into it is a chance to work with the guys and at the end of that, we will be able to see guys in the same position as one another.”

The match will also kick off a nine-game summer schedule for the BC Bears, the province’s senior men’s representative program. As part of the 125th Anniversary, the BC Bears will travel to South America for matches against Buenos Aires (July 16) and Uruguay (July 19). The Bears will then return to home soil to compete in the Canadian Rugby Championship as they look to lift their first MacTier Cup since 2009.

The BC men’s provincial team has a storied history, one that has seen them defeat international sides including Australia (11-8, 1958) and the famed British Lions (8-3, 1966). BC has also recorded victories over Test sides Japan (38-7, 1986 & 46-10, 1989), Scotland (22-13, 1985) and Russia (38-16, 2009).

“I’m a bit of a traditionalist in rugby and 125 years is a great number to get to,” added Crowley. “When you get to these milestones I think you’ve got to acknowledge them and pay tribute to the people that have got you there and show that you’re also going to carry on the legacy.”

Now for the juicy piece – the teams!

Roster for BC Invitational Team:

1.Andrew Tiedemann – (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB
2.Aaron Carpenter – (Cornish Pirates RFC) Brantford, ON
3.Jake Ilnicki – (Castaway Wanderers/BC Bears) Williams Lake, BC
4.Jamie Cudmore – (ASM Clermont Auvergne) Squamish, BC
5.Tyler Hotson – (London Scottish RFC) Vancouver, BC
6.Kyle Gilmour – (Saint Albert RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saint Albert, AB
7.John Moonlight – (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON
8.Adam Kleeberger – (Castaway Wanderers/BC Bears) White Rock, BC
9.Phil Mack – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
10.Connor Braid – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
11.Jeff Hassler – (Ospreys/Prairie Wolf Pack) Okotoks, AB
12.Nick Blevins – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
13.Conor Trainor – (UBCOB Ravens/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
14.Sean Duke – (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
15.Pat Kay – (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Duncan, BC

16. Anthony Luca – (Burnaby Lake RC/BC Bears) Pitt Meadows, BC
17. Micha Govorchin – (Burnaby Lake RC/BC Bears) North Delta, BC
18. Callum Morrison – (UBCOC Ravens/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
19. Admir Cejvanovic – (Burnaby Lake RC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
20. Sean White – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
21. Mike Fuailefau – (Castaway Wanderers/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
22. Nathan Hirayama – (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Richmond, BC
23. Justin Douglas – (Abbotsford RFC) Abbotsford, BC

Coach: Mike Shelley
Assistant Coach: Kenny Goodland

Roster for Canada Selects:

1. Hubert Buydens – (Manawatu Turbos/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
2. Ray Barkwill – (Niagara Wasps RFC/Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON
3. Jason Marshall – (Atlantique Stade Rochelais) Vancouver, BC
4. Brett Beukeboom – (Plymouth Albion) Lindsay, ON
5. Jon Phelan – (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Montreal, QC
6. Jebb Sinclair – (London Irish/Atlantic Rock) Fredericton, NB
7. Nanyak Dala – (Castaway Wanderers/Saskatoon Wild Oats) Saskatoon, SK
8. Tyler Ardron – (Ospreys/Ontario Blues) Lakefield, ON
9. Gordon McRorie – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
10. Liam Underwood – (Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON
11. Phil Mackenzie – (Sale Sharks) Oakville, ON
12. Patrick Parfrey – (Swilers RFC/Atlantic Rock) St. Johns, NL
13. Ciaran Hearn – (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay South, NL
14. Taylor Paris – (SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne) Barrie, ON
15. James Pritchard – (Bedford Blues) Parkes, NSW, Australia

16. Garret Garbe – (UBCOC Ravens) Vancouver, BC
17. Beniot Pifferio – (St Anne de Bellevue/Burnaby Lake RFC) Montreal, QC
18. Scott Mackay – (Burnaby Lake RC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
19. Cam Pierce – (Kelowna Crows RFC) Cold Stream, BC
20. Sawyer Herron – (UVIC Vikes/Ontario Blues) Oakville, ON
21. James Pitblado – (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
22. Mike Scholz – (Castaway Wanderers/Ontario Blues) Oakville, ON
23.Duncan Maguire – (St. Albert Rugby Club/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB

Coach: Ben Herring
Assistant Coach: Scott Hansen

Kudos to the selectors, adding a number of deserved performers from the CDI competition, Burnaby boys in particular, although we cannot fathom the omission of Dolesau and also for any Tricolour fan, plenty of current players and old boys on show. It will be good to compare a player such as Sinclair when he plied his trade at Windsor and has since travelled from the U.K. to South Africa, earning his living. Best of luck to all. No matter what, it looks like " really big shoe!"

FOOTNOTE; Boy's High School AAA Final - Shawnigan Lake Vs. St. George's.  The Vancouver team trouced the Barbs in semi-final action, so Oak Bay plays for third spot.