Awards night is upon us

Annual awards banquet to be held May 3--

VRC Nation

STANLEY PARK--The Vancouver Rowing Club’s annual rugby awards banquet is just around the corner. The May 3 event is open to better halves, unlike the Captains’ Dinner, and will feature music and dancing. There will also be a wine tasting beforehand. Prices are: dinner $25, dinner + wine tasting $40.

The Rowers have a long history of more than 100 years of rugby and along with that storied past comes some historic hardware.

Trophies to be handed out on awards night:
3rd Division MVP
2nd Division MVP
1st Division MVP
Frauenfelder Award for Sportsmanship
Nelles Stacy Award for Rookie of the year
Most Improved Player
Carl Moore Memorial for Junior MVP
Norman Jack Award for Club Man of the Year
Jock Strap Award for best club supporter
Biggest Award
White Ant Award

Get you tickets now by calling the club, 604-687-3400, or by visiting this webpage. The event is only 10 days away.

Jamie Overgaard and Kelly Eglisson are also looking for pictures for the club’s year-end slideshow presentation. Please contact them through the Thirsty Thirds' page, or the main page.

Here is last year’s slideshow video:

Rowers finish season in Victoria

Players can be proud of return to top-flight rugger—

By Braden Maccke

SAANICH--The Rowers travelled to Vancouver Island April 12 for their final games of the 2013-2014-premiership campaign. And while the squads didn’t record the results they’d hoped for, the players can still be proud of a successful return to premiership rugby.

FIRST DIVISION

The first division team took on the UVic Norsemen at Wallace field, losing by a score of 33-17. A much-improved performance at the set pieces, including steals of opposition scrums and lineouts, was not capitalized upon by the Rowers development side as often as it could have been. Tries from fly half Andrew Meakin and Ottawa Irish import-flanker Sam Seyler had the Rowers down by a score of 15-10 at the half.

The well-conditioned university team was able to keep up a relentless pace in the second stanza, frustrating and fatiguing the Rowing Club defense. A testy exchange between the referee and the visitors’ sideline preceded several questionable calls against the Rowers, seemingly sucking momentum out of the red and white.

Several quick and excellent tackles by second-row forward Brandon Richmond stood out as high points in defense. Seyler had an outstanding final game in Rowing Club colours, scoring two tries.

PREMIER DIVISION

In their final run of the year, the Rowers’ top side fell short of victory, but their never-say-die attitude proved they can undoubtedly run with the best.

The first half went well for the Rowing Club, as Darren Harris and Caleb Hansen scored converted tries to give the VRC a brief lead. Down by only a point at the half, the game seemed winnable and the half-time talk was full of optimism.

But an exceptionally fit, fast, and determined UVic side demanded perfection in defense and the Rowing Club fell short of the mark. The Club’s attack remained strong, with tries being added by Hansen (2) and fullback Romain Plantey. Both gents had blinders, turning out quick, strong, intelligent performances. As UVic pressed in the second half, it was too much for the VRC as they lost 51-26.

The Rowing Club’s return to the CDI Premiership ended with a 5-9 record that exceeded expectations. The players, club administration, and coaching staff learned a great deal as the season progressed. All are anxious to put it to work for the 2014-2015 campaign.

Coach Jeremy Sabell, though disheartened with the loss, remained optimistic in his post-game address. He expressed pride in the efforts his players brought to the pitch every Saturday and revealed his excitement for the next season.

PLAYOFFS

Premiership:
April 26
2:45 p.m. Capilano RFC (4th) @ Burnaby Lake Rugby Club (1st) (Burnaby Lake)
2:45 p.m. Castaway Wanderers RFC (3rd) @ James Bay AA (2nd) (MacDonald Park)
May 3
1st Division
1 p.m. James Bay AA (4th) @ Burnaby Lake Rugby Club (1st) (Burnaby Lake)
1 p.m. UVIC (3rd) @ Capilano RFC (2nd) (Klahanie Park)

MAY 3

6:30 p.m. – VRC Awards Banquet
Call the club office for tickets: (604) 687-3400.

MAY 10

Finals – TBD

VRC falls to Burnaby

Rowers lose on road; will play final matches of the season April 12--UPDATE!

Gareth "Sarah" Brown chugs down the pitch in the Rowers' first division
game versus Burnaby Lake April 5. The firsts lost the match 28-10. Photo
courtesy of Ron Hole Photography.

BURNABY--The Rowers travelled to Burnaby Lake for three games April 5, but all squads fell short of victory.

3RDS

The thirds were in tough against a middle-of-the-pack Burnaby side that played a fast-paced game. Ultimately the thirds came up short 36-5.

1STS

The first division team went into Saturday’s game against league-leading Burnaby Lake with an air of quiet determination. The understudies were faced with an opportunity to show the league and themselves they belonged on the same patch as the best. They wanted to show they were capable of better play than some of their recent outcomes would suggest.

The Rowers’ initial pressure was very good, as they defended well against a high-paced Burnaby attack. It took perfect execution for Burnaby to earn the first try on a speedy wide-pattern play. Rowing Club captain and fly-half Henry Recinos answered the bell and pulled his club even with an inventive use of space and speed inside his opponents’ 22-metre line. Recinos laid a try right between the posts and slotted the conversion. A later penalty kick from Recinos would put the Rowers ahead in a fantastic first half of Rugby.

After half time, poor scrummaging by the Rowers pack (who were out-weighed and out-worked by a well-drilled Lakers’ scrum) left the visitors at a marked disadvantage. This allowed Burnaby more ball possession than a team of their calibre reasonably needs.

Burnaby finished the day with 28 points to the Rowers’ 10, taking a hard fought victory on their home patch. Though the pack will no doubt need work on their scrum in the coming week, one bright spot came from the line out, as hooker Aaron “Sushi” Collard was reunited with the dynamic jumper Maverick “The Stilt” Seed. Their crisp throws and catches were reminiscent of the Rowers' OK Spring League finalist team of 2012.

The 1st div will look to finish the season on a high note next weekend away to UVic.

Click here for match photos from Burnaby Lake.

PREMIERS

Despite failing to score any points, the Rowers' top side can be said to have given a fair run to league-leading Burnaby Lake last weekend. Bounces did not go the Rowers way and standout-fullback Kevin Gurniak was taken out with a concussion before he could be of significant service to the red and white. Winger Caleb Hansen had several strong line breaks, but the team was unable to capitalize.

Coach Jeremy Sabell impressed upon his team after the game that they could hold their heads high despite a lop-sided 29-0 score line. He continues to believe the Rowers have the talent to be competitive in the B.C. premiership and he feels that focusing on the fine-tuning of individual weaknesses will be the missing piece that yields better results.

Indeed, there does not appear to be any glaring holes in the Rowers game, effort and talent being abundant. It has been observed the Rowers seem short on an ability to fight through hard luck and make the most of brief opportunities. As both problems improve only through game-day experience, there is good reason to believe this keen-to-play side will improve yet.

This week the Rowers face UVic at Wallace Field in Victoria. UVic is coming off a narrow 29-24 loss to the Ravens. If the Rowers can down the home side, they will finish their first season back in the premiership at 6-8 and in a very respectable sixth place.

Click here for match photos from Burnaby Lake.

UPDATE -- APRIL 12 - last matches of the 2013-2014 season.

1 p.m. 3rds vs. Kats (Brockton Oval) The third division match has been cancelled.

1 p.m. 1sts @ UVic Norsemen (Wallace Field)

2:45 p.m. Premiers @ UVic Vikes (Wallace Field)

MAY 3

VRC Awards Banquet

Click here for tickets, or call: 604-687-3400604-687-3400.

MAY 31

Fight Night VI

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VRC drops matches to James Bay, Scribes

Rowers lose at home; visit Burnaby Lake April 5

Photos: Malin Jordan

Sam Seyler fights through a tackle March 29 against James Bay. Despite his team's best efforts,
the Rowers' first division side lost the match 30-17.

The Rowers faced the Scribes and James Bay March 29 as all three divisions took the pitch at Brockton Oval. Despite the teams turning out solid, hard-fought performances, all three squads came up short of victories.

3RDS

The Thirsty Thirds played a hard-nosed game against the Scribes, but lost 29-27. Prop-forward Hugo Bizzle played an outstanding first half as he stormed for metre after metre every time he touched the ball. Maverick Seed, Andy Donn, and Jamie Overgaard ran out blinders too, rucking like madmen to retain Rowing Club ball in every breakdown. Brian Andrews was sharp on his throw-ins and scrummaging.

In the backs, the two Steves, Gregorig and MacGillivray, produced clean ball for the backs and the likes of Yooji Cummings, Evan Hughes, Franco Scodeller, Nick Coles and Mike Santoro took those deliveries past the gain line on almost every carry.

Coach Kelly Egilsson was proud of the team after the game and thanked the squad for playing with a lot of heart.

1STS

The Rowing Club’s first division side also put up an outstanding performance. Despite the losing score line of 30-17, the squad was always in the game and had a chance to bring home the win. Forward Jon Mergui scored a great try when he raced down the pitch, out-pacing several defenders, before crashing over the line for the score. With the loss, James Bay wins the Ferguson Cup.

PREMIERS

The premier side lost to visiting James Bay 52-30, but the final score belies a much-closer game. The Rowing Club played well for most of the match kept the score close until the end.

Kevin “The Knack” Gurniak opened the scoring with a lighting-like kick-and-chase as he catapulted his frame down the field and pounced on the ball in the end zone for five points. The first half was a closely contested battle for the entire half. Just before the half-time bell, the Rowers took an unfortunate yellow card and James Bay converted that error into a quick seven points. At the half the score was 24-17 to James Bay.

As the second half opened, James Bay made the Rowers’ yellow card hurt even more when the Victoria squad quickly added another tally, pushing the score to 31-17. The Rowers battled for the rest of the half, but ultimately couldn’t answer James Bay’s later tallies. With the loss, James Bay retains the storied Cox Cup.

APRIL 5

All three squads play at Burnaby Lake April 5.
11:30 a.m. 3rds @ Burnaby (Burnaby Lake)
1 p.m. 1sts @ Burnaby (Burnaby Lake)
2:45 p.m. Premiers @ Burnaby (Burnaby Lake

Match Photos from the first division game

David Andersen's tackle dislodges the ball from the James Bay prop.

Lineout, first half.

Martin Eriksson breaks a tackle.

Jon Mergui dives across the line for a try in the first half.

Nik Samija fights off a James Bay tacker.

Sam Seyler breaks for the tryline.

Try!

Match photos from the premiership game

Kevin Gurniak opens the scoring in the premiership game.

Romain Plantey breaks, moments before scoring a try.

Darren Harris kicks for the conversion after the Plantey tally.

Caleb Hansen takes the ball into contact.

George Richmond stretches for the tryline.

Try?

Confirmed!

Gurniak to Hansen.

A late try by the Rowers.

 

EXTRAS

Dennis Barnett.

Sam Seyler.

1st Division.

Romain Plantey.

Connor Leduc is tackled in the air after reeling in a kick.