Monday's Musings

Lockie Hits the Ton

Teammate, 'Jacko' Carson, who has played with Lockie for yonks, offers congratulations on 100 points for Canada.

The NSMT Sevens had a great Day #1 at Capetown last weekend.  With victories over NZ, 19 – 7, and last week’s winners, Samoa, 33 – 7 before succumbing to Australia, 7 – 26, the boys qualified for the quarterfinals. Day #2 saw them open the quarterfinals against the eventual winner, Argentina, and losing 33 - 0 to a team which has been top-two in the two tournaments held to date. Los Pumas has shown a major improvement so far this year. The men then faced France with missing faces, Berna, Richard and Thiel, yet they closed out with a solid 33 – 17 victory. CW “grads”, Carson and Kratz had a liberal sprinkling of tallies in the five games.

The format of the series this year for placings #5 to #8 is different. According to the new SVNS website, “The winners of the quarterfinals will take their place in the semi-finals, while the two ‘best’ losers will play-off for fifth place and the other two for seventh place” – it looks like they’re determining ‘best’ by their standings in the series. So even though NZ and South Africa lost their Cup quarter-final they were slotted into the 5th place final, and Canada and France were slotted into the 7th place final. It doesn’t seem fair, but it cuts down on the number of games. (Credit, BCRugby News.) This was a good tournament for the men.  The outcomes throughout showed again, just how close the teams are at this level.

The NSWT went 14 – 21 to NZ, 40 – 0 against RSA and 17 – 19 against eventual finalists, France, on Day #1. Despite their 1 – 2 record, their points differential placed them in the quarterfinals. Day #2 saw a 0 – 2 record, losing 0 – 41 to NZ and a tough 17 – 19 narrow loss to Fiji, 17 – 19. The later game had the ladies play one short in the critical, final stages. Both teams will now return home and re-group over Christmas before flying back south to Perth for the late-January tournament and then back to Vancouver for the next leg in February, (get your “club” tickets HERE.)

My writings last week pointed to the value and success of placing an emphasis on “grass roots” rugby. The successes at Capetown offer support to this thesis. This was an obvious omission from the recently announced Strategic Plan, in my opinion. Whilst with the plan, I note the intent to “expand financial capacity by growing and diversifying revenues”, with no real mention as to how this is planned. Clubs know the importance of this for their very existence!  More than lip service needs to occur. It is more than a new slogan, just do it!

I conclude today’s Musings by sharing to this end, that CW is happy to announce the recent confirmation of Platinum Level sponsor, Phillips Brewery, commencing a relationship that Matt Phillips assured will be very much around into the future. A relationship that was cemented when senior Captains, Mike Finnemore & Josie Anzai (pictured with Matt), arranged for several of the players to come down to the Phillips Tasting room for a few pints!

REMINDER – IMBIBE RESPONSIBLY. DON’T DRINK & DRIVE

ONE CLUB