Club Day is a huge success

Many alumni and families participated in Club Day at Brockton--

The Rowers' mini sides played matches during the half-time intervals
of the senior mens' games.

Most of time, the Rowing Club hosts their guests at the VRC clubhouse on Coal Harbour. But that wasn't the case Sept. 22 when the club hosted their alumni, family and friends at the pitch as part of their home-opener festivities.

There was a bouncy castle for the kids, a BBQ, a beer garden, and mini-rugby games during the half-time intervals. The Rowers also posted four wins on the day.

"A big thank you to all the volunteers that helped make Club Day a huge success," said Matty James, one of the club organizers. "It was a great indication that the club has a strong future with the mini’s and age-grade, teams, along with the academy, and fielding 3 senior teams. It was great to see all the alumni out in support." He added that the next big events are the Halloween party and the Christmas party, which he encouraged everyone to attend.

Peter Muirhead, past president of VRC rugby, said the recent fire that destroyed the Oval's changing rooms brought the club together. "Everyone stepped up and helped out."

Muirhead noted a lot of people came to help with the clean up including Evergreen ruggers, members of the cricket pavilion, and Rowers' alumni. "The parks board has been very cooperative too."

This weekend:

The firsts and seconds travel to Kamloops for two matches at Rayleigh Rugby Park, while the thirds face Bayside at South Surrey Athletic Park. Both Kamloops and the Rowers are unbeaten in the first division and while Kamloops has a game in hand, the Rowers could take over sole possession of the top spot with a bonus point win.

Pictures from the day:

Super Twos continue their winning ways

Rowers split with James Bay in exhibition weekend
Photos: Malin Jordan

Scyler David-Dumas scores an opening try against Jame Bay's second
division squad in the Ferguson Cup Sept. 29 at Brockton Oval. The Rowers
won the match 44-10.

The Super twos retained the Ferguson Cup Sept. 29 with a win over the James Bay reserves, while James Bay’s premier side retained the Cox Cup after cruising to victory over the Rowers’ first team. In the third division, the Rowers lost a close match to Surrey.

The storied Cox and Ferguson Cups are challenge cups between the Rowing Club and James Bay. In competition for about 100 years, the Cox Cup is one of the oldest challenge trophies in North America. (The Little Brown Jug, first awarded in 1903, is the oldest rivalry trophy.)


1STS
It was a long day for the first team as they faced tough competition. James Bay opened the scoring with an early try and they never looked back. Adding one try after the other, the Bays were up 43-0 at halftime. Former Rower Noah Barker started at prop for James Bay and played very well against his former teammates.

Carlin Wilkin runs up against Andrew de Goede (7) and Connor Braid (10)
in the Cox Cup game at Brockton Oval. James Bay won the match 64-7.

The Rowers played a better second half, scoring a try and holding James Bay to 21 points. With the win, James Bay retains the Cox Cup. Final score: 64-7.

Henry Recinos runs in for the Rowers only try in this year's Cox Cup

2NDS
The second division played a strong, solid game against James Bay’s reserve squad and captured early momentum with some penetrating running.

Dillon Debono, in his first start at scrumhalf, handled the Rowers offensive pattern particularly well, feeding the ball to opportunistic runners at key intervals.

The second division squad packs down against James Bay Sept. 29.

The Rowers showed both fitness and poise as they beat the visitors 44-10 to retain the coveted Ferguson Cup. The exhibition match allowed the seconds some good competition before heading into the bye week.


3RDS
The third team lost a close match 21-19 to the Surrey Beavers despite being largely outplayed in the first frame.

The Thirsty Thirds clawed back some points in the second half after scoring two tries, but the squad was unable to convert both of them, ultimately falling short by two points.

-with files from Braden Maccke

James "Hollywood" Paladino races around a James Bay defender, in this
and the following two pictures, before touching the ball down for
a try (fourth picture).

Rowers sweep competition

All four teams run away with victories on Club Day
Photos: Malin Jordan

Duncan James chases down a kick in the in-goal area during the Rowers'
second division game against Langley Sept. 22. The seconds ran away
with the match 55-12.

The Vancouver Rowing Club steamed to victory at home Sept. 22 as the club posted four wins and swept the competition for their 2012-2013 home opener. It was also "Club Day" at Brockton and many alumni and their families and friends showed up to support the club.

Starting with the U-19s, and ending with a strong victory in the firsts, the wins complemented an already successful alumni celebration.

UNDER 19
The U-19 squad gave everyone a boost early in the day when they ran over Abbotsford 52-12 in the opening match.

"I was very happy with the U-19 performance," said club coach Jeremy Sabell. "But we know we have many areas to improve on and this coming weekend will be a big test versus Bayside.”

Sabell noted there are roughly 30 athletes in the program and the battles for starting spots each week offer a healthy internal competition. “It will ultimately help the performance on the field.”

THIRD DIVISION
The Thirsty Thirds were looking for a reversal of fortune against the Kelowna Crows after suffering heavily during their opening match of the season versus the Scribes. Kelowna managed to start strong, scoring two tries to go ahead early. But the 3rds’ tackling, ball retention, and backline play in the first half proved the squad was out to play.

Irish Richie almost loses his head as he dives in for a try against the
Kelowna Crows Sept. 22.

As the first half wore on, the 3rds managed to claw back some points after flanker Andy Donn notched two beautiful tries from set play. Brendan Flanagan also touched one down between the posts after running through several Kelowna defenders. At the end of the first half the Rowers were down 22-19.

In the second half the 3rds picked up the pace – led by the spry and functionally agile Patty O’Gorman – and the tourists couldn’t seem to keep up, despite some fantastic speed on the wing. Stu Holland and Irish Richie repeatedly led the charge into Kelowna’s end as the Rowers posted 5 tries in the half to the Crows 1. Final score: 44-27.

“Two tries after two years away!” exclaimed the thirds’ player/coach Jamie Overgaard. He was elated that Donn, after suffering through a terrible knee injury, played so well on his post-injury debut. Overgaard also noted that Irish Richie’s two tries on debut in the second half offered a great boost to the squad at key moments.

Stu Holland dives for a try against the Kelowna Crows.

Overgaard chalked up the win to a perfect combination of “youth and enthusiasm and old age and treachery.”

“The thirds were a pleasant surprise and it afforded opportunity for quite a few U-19 players to get more game time surrounded my more experienced players,” added Sabell.

SECOND DIVISION
The Super Twos picked up where they left off last week as they stormed to another victory, this time over Langley 55-12.

Rob McDonnell throws Conrad Lehane a miss pass in early 2nd division
action against the Langely club.

“The second division put out a comprehensive performance and again some young guns combined with more experienced players to put together a match that was fun to watch,” said Sabell.

“Young gun” Dillon Debono scored a nice try in the pavilion end of the pitch that seemed to solidified the seconds’ momentum. Shortly after that, Alex Ackerley ran 30 metres through – and around – several Langley defenders to touch one down between the posts, sealing the win.

Alex Ackerley straight arms a Langley defender before cruising
30 metres for a try.

FIRST DIVISION
The Rowers firsts trotted out for the final match of the day against a much bigger Langley side, but the Rowers held their own early against some solid tackling and rucking.

Graham “Hammy” Keane opened the game with some stalwart runs and later Tom Winter put the Rowers up with 20-metre romp for five points. In the second half, the Rowers traded momentum swings with Langley, but managed to keep them off the scoreboard for most of the half. The Rowers added two late tries to pull away from what had been an otherwise close match. Final score: 31-15.

“The first division was underwhelming,” noted Sabell after the game. “To their credit, Langley fielded a big, hard-working side who threw themselves into us with great energy.”

Sabell added that his squad struggled to find their rhythm in the game. “Nevertheless, we prevailed. We'll have to step up our efforts more than a couple of notches this weekend, though, as we face James Bay in the historic Cox and Ferguson Cups.”

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29
This weekend all four squads play at Brockton Oval:
10:00 – U-19 XV versus Bayside
11:30 – 3rd XV versus Surrey
13:00 – 2nd XV versus James Bay
14:30 – 1st XV versus James Bay

Tom Winter rambles for a try in the first division game.

Graham "Hammy" Keane bursts towards Langley's goal line.

The Rowers await a kick off.

Coach Sabell rallies his squad.

Weekend update with Matty James

Club Day set for tomorrow; alumni and families invited to the oval--

VRC member-at-large, Matty James.

Club Day at Brockton Oval is set for tomorrow and VRC member-at-large Matty James says it's going to be a great day.

James is encouraging all citizens of the VRC Nation to bring their family and friends down to Brockton Oval on Saturday "to support the club, to see the tremendous work the mini and age-grade coaches are doing, and to see the positive direction the club is going in."

The day kicks off at 10 a.m. with the U19's game and the third, second, and first grade teams all play afterward. (See below for a full schedule.)

Here's Matty's message from earlier this month:
Rowers Rugby would like to invite you to Club Day at Brockton Oval Saturday September 22nd. It’s a great opportunity to bring family & friends down to the famous Brockton Oval to enjoy a day of entertainment and to watch the future Rowers with the mini and age-grade sections providing entertainment with games during the half time of the first and second division games.

With lots of entertainment going on and off the field, there will be a bouncy castle to keep the children entertained and a licensed beer & wine garden for the adults to converse over old times or to welcome the new additions to the Rowers Family. Calabria meat’s will provide a Roast pig for the post match meals at the clubhouse and also for the BBQ at the field for everyone to enjoy.

We all hope you can make it out to Brockton Oval to show your support for the rugby club and lots of encouragement for the mini’s and age grade at the half time games, the club has been good to everyone over the years so let’s make CLUB DAY a tradition also a great introduction to the new members the proud history of the Rowers Rugby.

Saturday, Sept. 22
10:00 - U19s versus Abbotsford
12:00 - 3rd XV versus Kelowna
13:30 - 2nd XV versus Langley
14:10 - Half-time entertainment: Rowers mini rugby game
15:00 - 1st XV versus Langley
15:40 - Half-time entertainment: Rowers mini rugby game
16:30 - Post-match festivities at VRC clubhouse on Coal Harbour

Entertainment
Bouncy castle, face painting, music, beer garden

BBQ
Hot dogs, burgers, pig roast provided by Calabria Meats

"Everyone from the Rowers are looking forward to seeing our old and new members at Brockton," added James. "Wear red and white!"

VRC Nation: founded in 1886.

Images reveal fire damage

Here are some shots of the fire damage from Sept. 19--

Rowers open with two wins, loss; fire destroys part of change rooms

First squad overcomes adversity to claim victory—

Carlin Wilkin makes a pass during a game against Bayside in this
Ruck-Muck file photo from last year. Wilkin was a standout in the
recent 1st team victory over United Sept. 15, earning the coveted
Hammer Award. Michael Jordan (right) earned a red card 10 minutes
into the game, but the squad still managed a 34-20 win.

The Vancouver Rowing Club started the 2012-2013 season with two solid wins in the 1s and 2s, while suffering a solid defeat in the 3s. The first and seconds beat the United Rugby Club at United’s Hume Park ground Sept. 15, while the Scribes beat the thirds quite handily at Trout Lake Park.

3RDS
It was a tale of two halves for the Thirsty Thirds as they opened their season against the Scribes. After starting well and putting up some solid defence, it was clear, early, that it would be a long game for the less-fit Rowing Club.

As the first half wore on and the squads battled back and forth, the Scribes finally managed to punch through the Rowers defensive line. Scrambling for some long runs for tries, the Rowers were helpless in defence as they offered up missed tackle after missed tackle. The Rowers also struggled terribly with set play, gifting the ball (and on one occasion a try) to the Scribes off lineouts and scrums. The East Van club continued to pound the ball up the middle and hammered away at the Rowers forwards and, after a few more tries, the first half ended with the Rowers down 24-0.

The second half opened up the same way with some running play and stand up tackles. But the Rowers managed to hold their own. After shaking off some of the rust, the squad managed to sort out some lineouts and scrum play and also improved on their tackling.

The Rowers also successfully defended a yellow card (earned by Travis Sheppard after he entered the side of ruck) and managed to hold the Scribes to only seven points in the half. Final score: 31-0.

2NDS
The Super Twos opened the season with a gusty 30-19 win over United. The hard fought win was secured after a few U19’s took the field late, bolstering the ranks and provided some energy to finish off the win.

“The seconds played a hard game, mostly in the pack,” noted front-row Braden Maccke. “We staged an important goal-line stand in the second half, eventually forcing a turnover that we kicked away.”

1STS
The first division squad was forced to overcome some early adversity in their win as the squad played one man short for 70 minutes after Michael Jordan earned a red card ten minutes into the match.

“I’m extremely proud of the efforts today,” said head coach Jeremy Sabell. He described the play of the first team as “heroic.”

Despite playing short, the Rowers played with heart and intensity, claiming a 34-20 victory over last year’s Province League 1 provincial champs.

Steve Craig set the pace by running in two tries while Carlin “Chuck" Wilkin laid down thunderous hits in the second half. Wilkin’s grit earned the lad from Deep Cove the coveted Hammer. (The Hammer is awarded to the player on the 1st div squad who delivers the hardest hit.) Captain Justin Wong also pounded out a gritty performance, playing through an intense shoulder injury to hold the game together for the top side.

Sabell noted the First XV never gave up for the last 70 minutes of the match. After the game the coach told his squads to build on the momentum of the two wins in preparation for the Langley Club Sept. 22.

FIRE AT BROCKTON OVAL & WEEKEND MATCHES
The First and Seconds face Langley at Brockton Oval this weekend while the Thirds face Kelowna. Saturday is also Club Day at the Oval and the Rowers are encouraging all players and alumni to bring their families and friends down for the day.

Club Day is still on despite the recent fire at the Brockton Oval changing rooms and grandstand. Though some events may be altered, there is still a host of activities planned for everyone.

Watch this space for more photos of the fire damage.

Changing rooms - viewed from the pitch.

Changing rooms - viewed from the pathway.

Rowers achieve success on Vancouver Island

New season begins this weekend

Caleb Hansen runs past Velox's Allen Hall in exhibition play Sept. 8 on
Vancouver Island. Photo Credit: ©Judy Teasdale Photography.

After a successful day in Victoria Sept. 8, the Vancouver Rowing Club is looking to start strong this weekend as the club heads into the first round of play in the Okanagan Spring Brewery League for the 2012-2013 regular season.

On Sept. 8, the Rowers competed in Victoria against the Velox Club in an exhibition round of three games. The Rowers played well, implementing some new formations off set play and experimenting with new players rotating into various positions.

In the matches, the U-19s dominated their game, coming away with a 48-10 win; the second team played a gutsy match, overcoming a strong Velox side 34-31; and the first team lost by a wide margin, 34-3.

Despite the lopsided score line in the last match of the day, team coach Jeremy Sabell said the weekend was a huge success as many young players punched above their weight and gained invaluable experience running in the higher grades.

This weekend all three squads are away to open the season as the thirds face the Scribes at Trout Lake and the firsts and seconds play the United Rugby Club at Hume Park in New Westminster.

For more photos from the exhibition match, see Judy Teasdale Photography.

Fight Night 4 punches its way to major success

Sixteen fighters brawl at the Greek Hall--

Ian "Jaimo" Jameson battles Ben "The Babymaker" Walker in the Main Event
at the VRC's Fight Night Four. Jaimo won the bout on a split decision.

Billed as "The Brawl at the Greek Hall," the amateur fighters battling it out in Fight Night 4 certainly lived up to the hype. Sixteen pugilists fought with pride, displaying skill and courage June 2, as they stepped into the ring to support their clubs.

Co-hosted by the Vancouver Rowing Club and the UBC Old Boys, more than 350 people attended Vancouver rugby's night at the fights at the Hellenic Community Centre on Arbutus.

"The evening was a huge success," said Braden Maccke, the event's promoter. "We had eight great fights." He added that most matches were close, even though five bouts had unanimous decisions, noting the boxers, "left it all in the ring."

Maccke also co-organized FN4 with Marcus Schaper-Kotter, the Rowers' treasurer. Maccke said Schaper-Kotter worked many tireless hours setting up the event and that FN4 wouldn't have been successful otherwise. "He's the reason we made money," he said.

Model Christine Mercedes strolls through the ring
during the main event to announce the last round
of boxing for the night.

Maccke also thanked FN4's sponsors. "I can't say enough about - the Manchester Pub, Labbatt's, RUCKwear, Gainline Africa - but especially our title sponsor: Sugarrays boxing gym. Sugarrays made the night by supplying all the fighters with all new gear, they took care of wrapping every boxer's fists, and they made us look like a professional event." He added the crew that set up and tore down the squared circle also deserved a few pats on the back.

"Congrats to Marcus and Braden for putting on a great Fight Night," remarked Rowers' head coach Jeremy Sabell. "Well done to all the fighters! Thanks very much for the entertainment. Getting in the ring is harder than it looks and it doesn't look easy, so well done all of you."

Most of the matches were close fights and three of the contests ended in split decisions, including the main event.

Winners and losers
Here is a breakdown of the results:

Fight 1 – Jamie Ruel defeated Henry Recinos part way through the third round when the referee stopped the fight.

Fight 2 – Dillon "Weasel" Debono defeated Maverick "Shootin" Seed by a unanimous decision.

Fight 3 – Liam "Young Buck" Hunter beat Tom "The Iceman" Winter by a unanimous decision.

Fight 4 – Connor "High Tower" Dunne beat Colin "Jon C" Robinson by a unanimous decision.

Fight 5 – Jamal Perez defeated Nick Labelle in a split decision.

Fight 6 – Zack Myers defeated Dan Sutton by a split decision.

Fight 7 – Joey Alexis beat Nick Waggott in a unanimous decision.

Main Event – Ian "The Orange Bastard" Jamieson defeated Ben "The Babymaker" Walker in a split decision.

Dan Sutton just misses Zack Meyers' head with a right-cross in fight
number 6. Myers won the bout amid some controversy.

The Under-card
In the first split decision of the night, Jamal Perez and Nick Labelle showed their mettle as they boxed each other into a very close match. Their battle was a "pick 'em" bout as the fight could've gone either way.

After the contest, Carlin "Chuck" Wilkin, one of the Fight Night 4 judges, said, "I gave two out of three rounds to Perez. He won the second half of the third round - that gave him the bout."

There were two "hiccups" over the course of the night in an otherwise flawless affair, one major and one minor, as the ring announcer misread the results after two of the fights.

The major hiccup occurred after the sixth fight when the announcer gave the victory to Dan Sutton in a blunder that reverberated in bewilderment throughout the Hellenic Centre. The mic-man announced Sutton had won on a split decision when, in fact, the judges awarded the double-u to Myers.

"The Sutton-Myers cock-up was pretty embarrassing," admitted Maccke. "Chalk it up to a miscommunication between the judges, the referee, and the announcer."

After Sutton and Myers exited the squared circle, the announcer called the boxers back so he could reverse the decision, as Myers narrowly defeated Sutton in another "pick 'em" bout. Myers gladly climbed back in the ring to get his arm raised, and to pose for a victory shot with professional model Christine Mercedes.

Minutes after the misread, Chuck Wilkin again clarified, "The announcer read the results card wrong. That's all. The judges did not make a mistake."

Main Event
The main event promised to be intense as both Jamieson and Walker -  a couple of tough, sinewy brawlers - looked like natural-born fighters as they strode out to the ring to do battle in the sweet science. After Jamieson marched out, led by a piper, the excitement hit a crescendo for the last fight of the evening.

In round one, Jamieson burst out of his corner and attacked Walker with a flurry of jabs and hooks. Jamieson continued to bounce around throughout the opening round, throwing head and body shots as Walker held on. Near the end of the round, Walker clawed back a few points by landing some solid punches of his own.

It was Walker's turn to shine in round two as he started strong and put together some combinations of his own. Walker's punching persistence gave him a big wave of momentum in the round and he looked great going into the third.

As round three began, the fight was either pugilists' to win. Trading blows to the body and head, both fighters battled hard and danced around the ring, despite the intense beating each boxer was taking at the fists of the other. Toward the middle of the final round, Jamieson seemed to get a second wind and returned to the attack. Forcing walker to play defence, Jamieson out-punched The Babymaker in the final seconds, ultimately garnering the split decision win.

The main event also suffered a minor hiccup when the announcer misread the judges' score cards again. This time the announcer declared Jamieson a unanimous victor.  However, the three judges scored the bout: 29-28, 29-28, 28-29.

Fight Night 5

Fight Night 5 is now in the early planning stages and Maccke says a few bouts are already shaping up, including one with connections to FN4. "We're negotiating at least one rematch for Fight Night 5, but I won't say anything until it's all confirmed." Maccke added the timeline on confirmation for the rematch would take a few months.

Watch this space for that rematch information and other FN5 related news in the coming months.

Here are some more shots from the Main Event.

Walker wears the orange shorts with black trim, while Jaimo wears the
All Black rugby shorts.

Round 2.

Round 2.

Round 2.

Round 3.

VRC Fight Night 4: The Battle on Arbutus

Amateur boxers to punch it out this weekend--

J-Wo dances in Fight Night 2.

The fourth incarnation of the Vancouver Rowing Club's Fight Night hits Vancouver on Saturday. Hosted by the rugby section, the wildly successful event offers many bouts this year.

Fight Night 4 (FN4) will see 16 pugilists get in the ring June 2 at the Hellenic Community Centre in Vancouver.

Each year the evening produces some great entertainment and FN4 promises to live up to the success of those previous events.

"The night will be amazing," noted event promoter Braden Maccke. "This is, without a doubt, the best fight card at any Rowers' Fight Night to date."

Maccke's is promoting the event through his outfit Sportsdesk Promotions. "We've lined up eight strong fights, including the long-awaited Jaimo versus Ben Walker clash. You won't want to miss this one."

According the Maccke, the main event is likely to be the highlight of the night. The same match was cancelled from the card at FN3 after work commitments prevented Walker from scrapping last year. Now both pugilists are sharpening their skills for Saturday.

"I think it'll be a great fight!" exclaimed Maccke. "Walker's tough as hell, and fit, but can you really imagine Jaimo losing?"

He said the under-card promises to be exciting too. (Bout order is subject to change.) This year's line-up is billed as:

A ring girl from 2010. Braden Maccke says this
year's ring girls are professional models.

1. Henry Recinos vs. Jamie Ruel
2. Nick Waggott vs. Joey Alexis
3. Maverick "Shootin" Seed vs. Dylan "Weasel" DeBono
4. Connor "High Tower" Dunne vs. Colin "Jon C" Robinson
5. Dan Sutton vs. Zac Myers
6. Jamal Perez vs. Nic Labelle
7. Liam "Young Buck" Hunter vs. Tom "The Iceman" Winter
8. Ian "The Orange Bastard" Jameson vs. Ben "The Babymaker" Walker


Maccke cautioned fans of the sweet-science against waiting to buy walk-up tickets on Saturday night. "The event is almost sold out and there'll be no guarantee anyone will be able to buy tickets at the door."

He noted that tickets are available through the Rowing Club website. To buy tickets, visit this webpage.

Maccke also said the ring girls this year are professional models.

FN4 is being presented by the Vancouver Rowing Club Rugby Section in association with the UBC Old Boy Ravens.

Ian "Jaimo" Jameson's arm is raised in victory after FN2. Jaimo takes
on Ben "The Babymaker" Walker in a much anticipated bout June 2.

Tickets are $50 for ringside seats, $35 for second tier seats, and $20 for general admission.

The Hellenic Community Centre is located at 4500 Arbutus Street in Vancouver. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the fights start at 8 p.m. For some great video from FN3 see this YouTube feed.

WE WIN!

Rowers fight out victory in 1st div; seconds lose heart-breaker in OT

The Rowers win the Okanagan Spring Brewery League One
championship game 36-24 over Bayside.

The Vancouver Rowing Club are provincial champions.

Despite some early adversity in the 1st division championship game May 5 at Klahanie Park, the Rowers successfully mounted a second-half comeback to emerge victorious in the Okanagan Spring Brewery League One provincial championship final, downing the Bayside Sharks 36-24.

The Rowing Club 2nd division team also fought a hard battle with Bayside in the Okanagan Spring Brewery League Two final, but ultimately came up short in overtime, losing 41-24.

2nds
In the first championship final of the day for the Rowing Club, the Super-Twos played an evenly matched, seesaw type of game, with the Sharks. They traded leads and tied three times during the game: 7-7, 17-17, and 24-24. Nothing was resolved after 80 minutes and the teams took the 24-all score into extra time.

The Super-Twos get a team photo after their extra-time loss to Bayside
in the 2nd div provincial title game, 41-24.

In the extra frame, the Sharks managed to capitalize on some VRC errors and ran in three tries, ending the Rowers’ hope for victory. Bayside outscored the Rowers 17-0 in extra time. Final score: 41-24.

VRC try scorers: Lucas Clark, Karl Mudzamba, and Simon D’Agrosa (2).


1sts
In a pre-match message to the team, head coach Jeremy Sabell encouraged his players to put in the “biggest, 80-minute effort” of their lives. “Don’t wait for anyone else to stand up and be the one,” he wrote. “Make it start with you.” Taking his advice, the team started strong and played well in the opening quarter of the game.

Before kick-off.

The Rowers scored very early in the match when Duncan James intercepted a Bayside pass, touching it down under the posts. Bayside replied about 10 minutes later and the match was even, 7-7.

But the Rowers then faced some adversity when two key players were injured. “Matt James and Doug Crowe were both knocked out of the game with injuries,” Sabell said. “I think our young guys lost a bit of self belief.”

That’s when young Henry Recinos stepped in and played fly-half, covering Crowe’s position, and covering for James’ kicking duties. Sabell was confident Recinos could “stand up” and play and Recinos rose to the challenge. “Henry took us home,” Sabell added.

The teams continued to trade blows. Graham Keane punched one over for the Rowers and Bayside answered right back. After the injuries though, Bayside seemed to capture the momentum. They added a try and a penalty to take a 17-12 lead into the half-time break.

Michael Jordan runs into two Bayside tacklers early
early in the game.

Bayside extended their lead early in the second half with a converted try to go up 24-12.

But then the Rowers began mounting a comeback. Steve Craig ran in a try to close the gap to seven points. Then Recinos tied the game, scoring in the corner and converting his own try. Next up, the forwards too control when front-row Noah Barker pounded one in. Late in the game, the Rowers were up by seven, 31-24.

It was still anyone’s game until Craig connected with Karl Mudzamba around the Bayside 22. The play developed after some tight forward play near centre when Craig took a pass and zig-zagged down the pitch past three Bayside defenders.

“As soon as we got the ball wide, I knew we were going to have a chance,” Craig said. “The support was great.”

Steve Craig on one his many rambles during the match.

After Craig raced down the field, he found Mudzamba streaking near him in support. “Steve beat three guys and set me up through the gap. All I had to do was catch the ball and finish.” said Madzumba. “He gave me the ball, I scored, and we sealed the game.”

Clawing their way back from a 12-point deficit, the Rowers scored 24 unanswered points to put an exclamation mark on their victory.

Karl Mudzamba races down the pitch.

Pat Kearney, head coach for Bayside, said the match was full of dramatic ups and downs. “You have to give credit to Jeremy Sabell and the Rowers because their bench was better than our bench. Their speed was better than our speed and so was their decision making.”

Noah Barker scores a try.

Sabell added that the first and second team squads were a pleasure to coach this year. “Your efforts on the field, in both games, were the most inspiring I have ever seen in 25 years of playing and coaching rugby.”

VRC try scorers: Duncan James, Noah barker, Graham Keane, Steve Craig, Henry Recinos, and Karl Mudzamba.
--with files from Braden Maccke.

 All photos, except close-up picture of the Cup, by Attilio Mastrota.