Rowers hand Caps loss at Brockton

Thirds come from behind to sink cross-bridge rivals

By Braden Maccke
Photos: Malin Jordan

"Gentleman Jim" Corbit stretches for a try in the Rowers' 24-22 win over
the Capilanos March 30.

After suffering a road defeat March 16, the green, green grass of home has since been kind to the Rowing Club’s third division squad. The side has now notched two victories in a row on the Brockton paddock after defeating their arch-rivals, the Capilanos, March 30 by a score of 24-22.

MARCH 30

It was brilliantly sunny day in Stanley Park as the Lions Gate rivals kicked off their match.

The Thirsty Thirds had trouble getting their hands on the ball early, and the Caps took advantage, running hard at the VRC, attempting to wear down the defensive line with heavy centre-crashes.

Scyler Dumas and Rob McDonnell bring down a Caps' player in second
half action.

The strategy seemed to work, as the squad from the other side of the bridge were able to penetrate the D, jumping out to an early 12-0 lead. Undaunted, the thirds fought back, contesting well at the breakdowns, fixing some early turnover problems, and showing more game control. The Rowers’ backs also managed to plug the gaps in the centres, effectively retiring the Capilanos' crash strategy for the rest of the game.

Liam “Golden Pony” Carter, representing the VRC youth movement, used quick feet to produce several good long breaks from mid-field. On one elongated jaunt, the Golden Pony offloaded to “Gentleman Jim” Corbit inside the Caps’ 22-metre line. After brushing aside several Caps’ D-men, Gentleman Jim offloaded to Übermensch Patty O’Gorman for paydirt and the Rowers were on the board. 

Si D'Agrosa almost loses his head as three Caps finally bring
him to the turf at Brockton Oval March 30.

Le Rouge et Blanc struck for one more unconverted try before the half and the first frame ended 12-10 to the side from the North Shore.

The Rowing Club started the second frame wtih solid tackling and rucking, which prevented the Caps from getting out of their half for a full 10 minutes. During this onslaught, wily forward Malin Jordan forced a turnover in a tackle by manhandling the Caps’ helmeted 8-man and turning him toward his own teammates for a crucial turnover. The VRC then swung the ball wide and DJ James scored to take a 17-10 lead.

After some back and forth play, the Caps notched two quick, unconverted tries to take a 22-17 lead. For the next 20 minutes, the game was a seesaw battle of bone-crushing tackles, superb rucking, and controlled kicking.

With two minutes left, the Capilanos again knocked on the door at the Rowers’ goal line with their hard-crashing forwards, but super-sub James timed a defensive charge perfectly, as he intercepted a ball, running it back about 75 metres. A quick offload to Jorelle Alameda around the 15-metre line kept the drive alive. Alameda then evaded the Caps’ fullback and juked for eight metres until the fullback managed to finally stop him. Alameda then popped to a streaking Gentleman Jim, who smashed through two Caps as the young lock revealed his goal line hunger writ large. Finally corralled at the five by the Caps’ fullback, Gentleman Jim walked with the lanky 15 on his back, falling short at the one-metre line. But just when all hope was lost, Gentleman Jim stretched his six-foot-plus wingspan out and placed the ball over the tryline to tie the match at 22.

Rob McDonnell adds two points after the Rowers' final try
versus Caps March 30, giving his team the win.

Rob McDonnell then gave the Rowers the lead for good after slotting the two-point convert from 10 metres. The Rower’s held on and the match ended 24-22.

Tries: O’Gorman, Corbit, James, and Scylar Dumas.
Conversions:  McDonnell (2).

MARCH 23

It was a rough day at the Oval March 23 as the Rowing club dropped two out of three games to Abbotsford RFC. The thirds saved the day by overcoming Abby in the second half to grab the only victory.

3RDS

The Thirsty Thirds didn’t burst out of the gate in their match and found themselves behind after the first frame. But with some grit and determination, the lads stormed back in the second half to take the victory 22-10.

Second row Andy Donn said the battle was significant. “A great win coming from behind at the half, with heart, and great play from one to fifteen.” He added the come-from-behind double-u was a real crowd pleaser.

Travis Sheppard scored his first try in Red and White and shot the boot afterward in punishment.

DJ evades tacklers at Brockton Oval.

Scoring

Tries: Travis Sheppard, Simon Taylor II, Donn, O’Gorman,
Convert: Conor Walshe.

 2NDS

It was a bad day for the Rowers Second division, who appeared unprepared for a tough, speedy, organized Abbotsford club, ending up on the wrong side of a lopsided 60-15 decision.

The Rowers started well, recovering the ball off their own kickoff and moving through several strong phases to set up flanker Jeff Craine with his first Rowers try in his first Rowers appearance. A failed conversion kept the score at 5-0. Shortly thereafter, the home squad gifted Abby three when they took a penalty on their own 22-metre line. Following a successful penalty attempt, the score was 5-3.

The second div’s tackling and defense was anemic at times and Abbotsford’s backline pounced on every opportunity on the Brockton pitch, finding the in-goal area more often than the Brockton faithful would have liked.

Captain Gareth Brown and centre back Nik Samija both scored unconverted tries in a losing effort. Final score: 60-15.

1STS

The Rowers top team didn’t fare much better than their understudies in their match versus Abbotsford's top side.

During the match both teams traded hard runs from forward pods early before the visitors finally put in an unconverted try to go ahead five-nil. Another try in the first half made it 12-nil, as the Rowers clearly missed the size and experience up front of second-row forward Phil Hosie.

Speedy fullback Kevin Gurniak added a tally in the second half, but the conversion failed, inching the final score line up to an underwhelming 28-5.

The loss bumps the Rowers’ first division team down to third in the Okanagan Spring Brewery League One behind Abbotsford RFC and the first place UBC Thunderbirds. The Rowers 2nds are also third behind UBC and Abbotsford, with Abbotsford in the top spot.

APRIL 6

All three squads face UBC at Wolfson Fields tomorrow. The first match kicks off at 11:30 a.m.

Jorelle Alameda carries the ball into contact at Brockton Oval.

Rowers drop games on road

VRC lose three away from Brockton

Photos: Malin Jordan

Jamie Overgaard breaks through two Burnaby tacklers before a third
manages to harness the flanker March 16.

After running away with three wins last week, the VRC dropped three road games March 16. With the losses, all three squads are now in tougher spots on the ladder and will need to notch some wins in the season's remaining six weeks if they want to make the playoffs.

3RD DIVISION

The Thirsty Thirds travelled to Winona Park March 16 to face the Burnaby Lake “B” team. Though the game was on and the field was booked, someone forgot to alert the kind-hearted folks at the Vancouver Parks Board. The usually-efficient city employees forgot to put up rugby posts for the tilt and the game went ahead sans uprights.

Both teams battled hard and the momentum pitched back and forth, with both sides retaining most of their ball at the breakdowns. It was a different story in the lineouts though, as Burnaby Lake reeled in all of their own lineouts and managed to hawk about 95 per cent of the Rower’s throw-ins.

Robin Mallinder was a veritable tour de muscle as the power forward charged for yards-after-yards-after-yards each time his mitts seized the rugby ball. Diarmuid Walsh also made some great breaks when he took the ball in hand, as did Rob McDonnell. Ben Jarvis was having a first-half blinder until he broke the triquetral carpal in his right hand after saying hello to a Burnaby prop. Spencer Latu also played a good game with some ramblin' and tramplin’ runs. Though near the end of the half, Burnaby seemed to be winning more ball battles than the Rowing Club.

Robin Mallinder breaks during action versus Burnaby Lake.

Burnaby managed to garner two tries in the first half, to the Rowers’ one, and Le Rouge et Blanc went into the halftime frame down 10 – 5.

Super sub Gareth Brown came on in the second frame and helped a Rowers’ surge that took the game back down into Burnaby’s end. The VRC was eventually rewarded with another rub of the in-goal green and the match was tied at 10. Later in the second half, Burnaby managed to break through and touch a try down in the corner, taking a 15-10 lead.

But the man of the match had to be Jamie "Sweet Pea" Overgaard, as his machine-like performance caused the Burnaby Lakers frustration at every turn. Overgaard beat ruggers from either team to every breakdown, secured continuous Rowing Club ball, and poached a fair share of opposition’s possession. Overgaard even streaked past three Burnaby players -- in a dash for an advantage-played pooch-kick by Si "Shimey" Taylor -- into the Burnaby in-goal for what would have been the game-tying try. Unfortunately, the ref blew the whistle for advantaged played. Burnaby then stopped the VRC on the next play and the match was over.

2ND DIVISION

An abbreviated Vancouver Rowing Club second division – featuring many new players in unfamiliar positions, and without their regular halfbacks – suffered a disappointing loss to Seattle RFCin the Emerald City.

Sacha Floyd was sidelined in the first half by a painful knee injury and several of the flanker’s teammates rolled their ankles and twisted their knees on Magnusson Park’s “Magic Carpet.” The artificial turf is a veritable hospital zone, having also claimed a Rowing Club broken leg in the VRC’s 2012 Seattle bout. Floyd’s injury reduced the Rowers’ numbers to 14 and they were down to 13 at one point in the second half. Uncannily, the exact same situation occurred in 2012.

Rob McDonnell runs with the ball before breaking through two
would-be tacklers and gaining 25-metres.

The ball played sharply off the plastic surface. A twenty-minute period of heavy rain and hail (later described in the Rowers’ locker room as “biblical”) wetted the ball causing handling issues for both sides. Conspicuous in its absence in the artificial environment was traditional dirt, which can add some laudable texture to a rugby ball in wet conditions.

Seattle’s second division had tremendous size, which they used very well – especially at the breakdowns – providing almost no time for the VRC halfback to move the ball and begin a proper attack. They played a very disciplined and powerful game of rugby to best the Rowers by a final score of 48-26.

A novice referee made some curious decisions, did not seem to be concerned with the flow of the game, and seemed to always be in the way, stopping the game no fewer than two times to call obstruction on himself. The Rowers are looking forward to his development as an official.

1ST DIVISION

The Rowing Club’s top side came out of the gate with a strong game, keeping the score close in the first half. The Rowers’ quick young backs were able to move the ball with great speed on Magnusson’s plastic surface, which can be a fast pitch if there are no current manifestations of biblical plagues cascading down on its unrepentant sheen.

Though they never led in the match, the first division seemed to be controlling much of the game for the first half. In the second half, Seattle was able to solve the Rowers’ defense, breaking for several breakaway tries.

At a final score of 48-26, Seattle showed that they are a much better team at home, with a full complement of players, than they tend to be on the road.

A second division Seattle player informed the Ruck Muck after the game that a B.C. Rugby Union bylaw allows Seattle’s opponents to elect to play Seattle’s home games at the opponent’s pitch, to save the visiting team the travel. The tight-head prop also informed the Ruck Muck that the Rowers were the only club thus far who made the jaunt down I-5. He expressed gratitude on behalf of his club for allowing the SRFC their first true home game.

March 23

11:30 a.m. 3rds vs. Abbotsford RFC (Brockton Oval)
1:00 p.m. 2nds vs. Abbotsford RFC (Brockton Oval)
2:30 p.m. 1sts vs. Abbotsford RFC (Brockton Oval)

Seeing Red: Photos of the Day

Red cards colour Rowers' tilt with Richmond

Photos: Malin Jordan

Red Card 1: Joshua Schreiber flies into Richmond's inside centre early in the
first half. Notice the ball leaving the frame of the photo at the top edge.

Red Card 2: Kevin Gurniak gets dumped by Richmond's fullback late in the
second half after a 40-metre kick return.

The Rowing Club's first division clash with Richmond was tinted red March 9 when two players, one from each squad, were sent off. Joshua Schreiber received one (top) for a late hit, and Richmond's fullback received one for a dump tackle on Kevin Gurniak (bottom). See below for close-up shots. You be the judge. Were the reds warranted?

Schreiber.

Gurniak.

Max Buckle is up in arms over the Gurniak hit.

VRC speeds to success at the Oval

Rowers clash with Richmond RFC, take three wins at home

Photos: Malin Jordan

Caleb Hansen runs in a late second-half try, sealing a 37-30 win for the
Rowing Club over Richmond RFC March 9 at Brockton Oval.

After a one-month absence from Brockton Oval, the Vancouver Rowing Club battled their way to three hard-fought wins March 9.

The thirds began the day with a 43-10 win, the seconds won 62-7, and the firsts garnered a 37-30 bonus-point win. With the victories, the club captured the inaugural Canada Line Cup.

3RDS

The Thirsty Thirds (2-1) opened their match on the back foot after gifting an early three to Richmond in the first few minutes of play. But the Rowers managed to turn the momentum in their favour as the forward pack offered some solid rambling from open play. Spencer Latu and Robin Mallinder led the way and the rest of the forwards rucked well, retaining possession on their own ball and turning over some of Richmond’s ball at key points in the first half.

Tugboat goes for a run after sidestepping a would-be Richmond tackler in
third division play. 

It didn’t take long for the Rowers to break through the Richmond line, scoring successive tries at the mid-way point of the frame to go up 12-3. A seesaw battle continued with some intense tackling and sustained pressure from both sides.

Near the end of the half, Travis Sheppard picked the ball and smashed through would-be tacklers carrying it to opposition's tryline. On a subsequent ruck, the Rowers’ pack punched through another try. Connor Walsh added the convert and the Rowers were up by 16 points at the half-time whistle.

But it was a tale of two halves as a tight first frame gave way in the second to some wide-open running rugby by the Rowers. The thirds started their second half with good momentum, running back the opening kickoff for a try. Chris Gayden led the way with some long runs, scoring two tries in the process.

Chris Gayden runs in for a try against Richmond.

Although the score was lopsided, Richmond fought hard and played well. They were rewarded for their efforts late in the game when they crossed the line for a consolation try. Final score: 43-10.

Scoring Summary
Tries: Gayden (2), Nick Coles, Mallinder, Franco Scodeller, Malin Jordan, Nikola Samija. Conversions: Walsh (4).

2NDS

The VRC Second Division (10-1) executed a convincing victory at home against their Richmond RFC counterparts, as they furthered their undefeated second half in the Okanagan Spring Brewery League 2.

The Rowers came out of the locker room ready for a tough Richmond side, scoring early and never looking back on their way to a 62-7 bonus-point win.

Richie Thompson breaks a tackle outside the 22-metre line. He finished
his short sprint by touching the ball down between the posts.

The seconds executed well from set pieces, and from re-starts, breaking down a formidable Richmond defense with a high paced-pattern. Scrum half Duncan James did a good job spreading the ball around, and showed very good ball awareness on his way to a two-try performance.

Utility forward Gareth Brown, coming off a three-try game two weeks ago in Langley, was instrumental recovering the ball from restarts. He also finished the day with two tries in a performance abbreviated by the coaching staff, presumably to save him for precious minutes in the first division.

Irish fullback Rob McDonnell converted five Rowers tries on the afternoon, and scored two tries of his own. Also crossing the line for a rub of the green on a busy afternoon were fly half Richie Thompson, centre-back Scyler Dumas, and designated-Frenchman Jon Mergui.

The second div defence played well all game, holding Richmond and their pack-dominated crash-ball game to only seven points.

Dan Smith stretches for a lineout ball in first half
action versus Richmond.

Scoring Summary
Tries: Brown (2), James (2), McDonnell (2), Thompson, Dillon Debono, Dumas, Mergui. Conversions: McDonnell (5), Thompson.

1STS

With playoff implications on the line, Coach Jeremy Sabell impressed upon the first division squad the importance of their tilt with the Richmond RFC. A win would garner the Rowers a second place tie with Abbotsford, whereas a loss would leave the squad spinning their wheels, as Richmond would catch them in the standings, moving both squads into a tie for third. (Only the top three Mainland Division teams make the playoffs.)

Nolan Laderoute dives in for a try in the first division match up.

Knowing this, the Rowers came out of the gates hard, opening the scoring early with a converted try. Soon after, the firsts gave a penalty away inside their 22-metre line. Richmond replied with a penalty goal, bringing the score to 7-3.

Both teams played a tight match through the first half. The Rowers had to double-up their defensive cover play after the 20th minute when standout-rookie-flanker Josh Schreiber was lost to a red card for a late hit. In spite of being short a player, the Rowers’ Nolan Laderoute, Caleb Hansen and Karl Mudzamba managed to punch over tries and the squad went into the half-time break up 24-8.

In the second half Richmond continued to run hard at the Rowers and move the ball well. They too played some stingy defense and the squad from the Fraser River delta slowly clawed themselves back into the match.

Michael Jordan prepares to crash into two Richmond tacklers.

As hard running play from both sides opened up the game, both teams took advantage of each other’s fatigue, sending quicker players for trots through disorganized defenses.

Near the end of the half, when the game was still in doubt, fullback Kevin Gurniak fielded a deep Richmond kick inside his own 22-metre line. Using his characteristic speed to find space, he buzzed up the East side of the field for a 40-metre return before becoming the victim of a Richmond dump tackle that earned that player the game’s second red card. With both squads at 14 men, the swinging battle settled for the last few minutes and the Rowing Club (8-3) brought the bonus-point victory home. Final score: 37-30.

Caleb Hansen was a notable standout and earned the coveted Hammer Award for the biggest hit of the day. Hansen augmented his defensive play with a three-try performance. Karl Mudzamba and young hooker Nolan Laderoute rounded out the try chart, while halfback Henry Recinos hit three of five conversion attempts and added two penalty goals.

“This past weekend was a great one for the whole club,” noted Sabell. He said the club battled their way to three solid wins and played some very positive rugby, despite facing the adversity in the first division match after Schreiber’s early exit. “It was a good step forward, and now we need to take the next step -- Seattle in Seattle is a big challenge.”

Scoring Summary
Tries: Hansen (3), Laderoute, Mudzamba. Conversions: Recinos (3). Penalty goals: Recinos (2).

See tomorrow’s Ruck Muck for a comparison of the two red cards in the match.

March 16

11:30 a.m. 3rds @ Burnaby “B” (Rupert Park)
1:00 p.m. 2nds @ Seattle RFC (Warren G. Magnuson Park)
2:30 p.m. 1sts @ Seattle RFC (Warren G. Magnuson Park)

Henry Recinos makes a break late in the second half.

Gareth Brown runs in one of his two tries.

Rob McDonnell in second div action.

Jamie Overgaard and Jason Martel in 3rd div action.

Dave Hall in second div action.

Ben Jarvis makes a tackle in 3rd div action.

Rowers at home this weekend

All squads play at Brockton

After a rainout at Brockton Oval last week, the Vancouver Rowing Club faces Richmond at home this weekend in all three divisions.

Game times for Saturday, March 9

11:30 – 3rd XV vs. Richmond
13:00 – 2nd XV vs. Richmond
14:30 – 1st XV vs. Richmond

February 23

Two weeks ago, the firsts and seconds won, while the thirds lost.
Firsts downed Langley: 34-7
Seconds beat Langley: 32-10
Thirds fell to Chilliwack: 25-17. Scoring tries for the thirds were: Nikola Samija, Jorelle Almeda, & Simon Taylor.

Thirds open with victory

VRC picks up road win on the mountain--

By Braden Maccke

Andy Donn (left) discusses game strategy with Diarmuid Walsh during a 3rd
division game last year. The Thirsty Thirds open the spring season with a
convincing 41-10 win over SFU Feb. 16. Photo: Malin Jordan

The VRC’s third division squad built on their big exhibition win over Richmond earlier this month and dominated the SFU Clansmen Feb. 16. The thirsty thirds posted a 41-10 win on the opening weekend of the third division’s spring season.

The Rowers controlled the game almost from the opening kickoff. The thirds showed promising resilence on the road after facing some early adversity. The side offered a good mix of experienced veterans bolstered by the sprightly youth and enthusiasm from some of the clubs newest players.

The Rowers ball control was the key to the game. The Rowing Club coaches had emphasized to their charges the importance of proper handling in contact and strong rucking with ball retention. Liam Carter, a young P.E.I. import, scored three tries to earn man of the match honours.

Coaches Kelly Egilsson, Simon Taylor, and player-coach Jamie Overgaard agreed this year’s thirds squad is shaping up to be a well-rounded team.

February 23

1:00 p.m. – 3RD XV @ Chilliwack
1:00 p.m. – 2ND XV @ Langley
2:30 p.m. – 1ST XV @ Langley

Rowers split to open second half

VRC wins one and loses one to UBC--

By Braden Maccke--

Alex Ackerley takes a penalty kick against UBC in the "Mud Bowl" game
in 2009. The Rowers defeated UBC in seconds last week, but lost in the
first division match up. The teams meet again April 6 at Wolfson Fields.

The Rowers opened up the second half of the their 2012-2013 campaign with a win and a loss Feb. 9 as they battled UBC, one of the top clubs in the table.

2ND DIVISION

The Rowing Club 2nd division opened the second half of the season against a very young, fit, and well-drilled UBC squad. Despite a lack of size and experience, UBC compensated well with an abundance of speed, and work ethic.

The Thunderbirds opened strong, steadily beating the Rowing Club defense towards their own goal line. Against the play, Rowers’ captain and scrum half Duncan James shot out of the defensive line to intercept a UBC pass and run it back for a try. Fly half Richie Thompson converted the marker to put the home side ahead by seven.

Undaunted, the young university squad was able to bash away at the VRC’s goal line until they finally put one in. The conversion failed, bringing the score to 7-5.

The Rowers showed effective control of the ball and the game for a time, resulting in hooker Aaron “Sushi” Collard scoring on a 5-yard run from a forward pod to put the home side up 12-5. The defense, however, was unable to contain UBC’s wide-open game of high-paced kick-and-chase rugby, allowing a converted try to even the score 12-12 at the half.

Duncan James ran a tight offense in the second half, making good use of the forward pack to move the ball for short yardage, and then going wide to Thompson and the backs for longer runs. James scored another try to give the Rowers the lead again at 17-12. James continued to effectively manage UBC’s pressure game and was able to set up Thompson for a line-drive drop goal in the dying minutes of the match. Final score Rowers 20 - UBC 12.

With the win the Rowers (8-1) pull to within three points of first place Abbotsford (8-1).

1ST DIVISION

The Rowing Club’s top side drew first blood against an excellent selection of UBC’s best with an early converted try. But UBC didn’t take long to respond, drawing even shortly after.

The students quickly exposed holes in the Rowers’ defense and exploited them to run the score up to a comfortable 27-14 margin by halftime.

Undaunted, the Rowing Club 1st division dug deep in the second half, fixing the holes in the defense and making good use of the speed in their back line. Fullback Kevin Gurniak tore up the sideline with two of his characteristic 20-plus metre streaks into open space, while winger Brock Nicholson, and substitute-centre Karl Mudzamba, used their quickness and toughness to break tackles, gaining many yards in open space.

More Rowers crossed the line for tries in the afternoon, including second-row-captain Phil Hosie, flanker Josh Scheiner, flanker Ben Keith, and Nicholson. Centre-back Caleb Hansen dove into the corner of the in-goal area with the ball in an animated imitation of Chris Ashton. He was slow to get up, but the try counted.

The comeback attempt fell short, though, as the Rowers were down 42-29 at full-time whistle. Each team earned a bonus point.

Head Coach Jeremy Sabell, though disappointed with the loss, was impressed with his top team’s resilience. The Rowing Club will face the T-Birds again April 6 at UBC’s Wolfson fields in what will no doubt be a test of how much the team can improve relative to UBC between now and then.

With the loss the Rowers (6-3) fall to third place behind Abbotsford (7-2).

FEB. 16

Tomorrow the VRC thirds play SFU on Burnaby Mountain, while the 1sts and 2nds have a bye.

Games On!

Rowers kick off spring campaign this weekend at Brockton Oval--

Henry Recinos beats two tacklers as he dives in for a try against
Seattle RFC. Photo: M. Jordan

Brockton will be busy in 2013 as the Rowing Club plays at the Oval five times in eight match ups.

The second half of the 2012-2013 season opens this weekend when the VRC hosts the UBC Thunderbirds Feb. 9. The first match of the day kicks off at 1:00 p.m.

Here’s a look at the complete spring schedule:

Feb. 9

Bye: 3rds
1:00 p.m. 2nds vs. UBC (Brockton Oval)
2:30 p.m. 1sts vs. UBC (Brockton Oval)

Feb. 16

Bye: 1sts & 2nds
1:00 p.m. 3rds @ SFU (Burnaby Mountain)
TBA: Dunbar Cup (U20) – Vancouver vs. Fraser Valley (Brockton Oval)
TBA: McKechnie Cup (Senior Men) – Vancouver vs. Fraser Valley (Brockton Oval)

Feb. 23

1:00 p.m. 3rds @ Chilliwack (Yarrow Sports Field)
1:00 p.m. 2nds @ Langley RFC (Crush Crescent)
2:30 p.m. 1sts @ Langley RFC (Crush Crescent)

March 2

11:30 a.m. 3rds vs. Capilano “B” (Brockton Oval)
1:00 p.m. 2nds vs. United Rugby Club (Brockton Oval -- Postponed until April 27)
2:30 p.m. 1sts vs. United Rugby Club (Brockton Oval-- Postponed until April 27)

March 9

11:30 a.m. 3rds vs. Richmond RFC (Brockton Oval)
1:00 p.m. 2nds vs. Richmond RFC (Brockton Oval)
2:30 p.m. 1sts vs. Richmond RFC (Brockton Oval)

March 16

11:30 a.m. 3rds @ Burnaby “B” (Burnaby Lake Sports Complex)
1:00 p.m. 2nds @ Seattle RFC (Warren G. Magnuson Park)
2:30 p.m. 1sts @ Seattle RFC (Warren G. Magnuson Park)

March 23

11:30 a.m. 3rds vs. Abbotsford RFC (Brockton Oval)
1:00 p.m. 2nds vs. Abbotsford RFC (Brockton Oval)
2:30 p.m. 1sts vs. Abbotsford RFC (Brockton Oval)

March 30

No games scheduled: make-up weekend.

April 6

11:30 a.m. 3rds @ UBC (Wolfson Fields)
1:00 p.m. 2nds @ UBC (Wolfson Fields)
2:30 p.m. 1sts @ UBC (Wolfson Fields)

April 13

Bye: 1sts & 2nds
1:00 p.m. 3rds @ Ridge Meadows (Thomas Haney Secondary School)

April 20

11:30 a.m. 3rds vs. Surrey Beavers AA (Brockton Oval)
1:00 p.m. 2nds vs. Surrey Beavers AA (Brockton Oval)
2:30 p.m. 1sts vs. Surrey Beavers AA (Brockton Oval)

April 27

Third division  "B" quarterfinals:
6 @ 1
5 @ 2
4 @ 3

1:00 p.m. 2nds vs.  United Rugby Club (Brockton Oval)

2:30 p.m. 1sts vs.  United Rugby Club (Brockton Oval)

May 4

First division semifinals:
Mainland 3 @ Mainland 1
Mainland 2 @ Island 1

Second division semifinals:
Mainland 4 @ Mainland 1
Mainland 3 @ Mainland 2

Third division "B" semifinals:
Seed 3 @ Seed 1
Seed 2 @ Island 2

May 11

First division: Provincial Final - winner offered promotion.
Second division: Provincial Final.
Third division "B": Provincial Final.

News from the VRC

Rowers' Round-up

By Kelly Egilsson
As the second half is set to kick off next month, there are many things happening with the club.

 

Registration

Players MUST be registered before playing (Rugby BC/Canada insurance, ref fees, field fees, etc.).
http://vancouverrowingclub.ca/Rugby-(1)/Join-Us.aspx

VRC Thirsty Thirds Poker Tournament

Make sure to get your 2nd Annual Thirsty Thirds Poker Tournament tickets for this Saturday, Feb. 2nd, suitably held at the Labatt Beer Institute!

Contact Justin Parlato or Jamie Overgaard for tickets. https://www.facebook.com/events/148881178596729/

Oh Captain, My Captain

From Matty James:
Mark your calendars! March 2 is the annual Captains' Dinner. This year, the second annual Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Norman Jack.

For the new guys, this is a male only event with the infamous rookie gravy chugging. We are putting the final details together so watch the Rowers' Facebook page for more information.

We have three home games that day -- 3rds vs Caps, 1sts & 2nds vs United. It's also a great opportunity to thank Norman Jack for all the effort he has put into the club for over 50 years!

We sell out every year. It's a wonderful chance to introduce yourself to our past captains and alumni that made it possible for us to continue to enjoy the Rowers' traditions and the best club house in the world.

Show your support for this event -- it's not one to be missed.

VRC Players Represent

From Jeremy Sabell:
A BIG congratulations goes out to all the Rowing Club Academy grads who played prominent roles on both sides of the ball Jan.26 as Vancouver U20 downed Vancouver Island U20 34-27 at Westhills Stadium in Victoria in round one of the Dunbar Cup. (Vancouver's next game is Feb. 16 against the Fraser Valley at Brockton Oval.)

Ryan Chapman, Sean Hickson, Scyler Dumas, Ben Keith, Isaac Kaay, Connor Hamilton, Alex Mascott, Kirk Bonnis, James Pitblado, Zach Zachary Sourisseau, and two products of our high school program at Vancouver College: Charlie Thorpe and Reid Tucker all played well. Kaay, Hickson, and Thorpe all had tries in a close game.

At any given time one third of the players on the pitch were from the VRC.

Henry Recinos was with the men's team as well -- so a huge day for our club all the way around.

In addition to the above-mentioned fifteens players, U17 Rower, Carter Illing, is heading to Las Vegas on the B.C. U17 sevens squad.

Rowers topple Kamloops

Firsts find redemption

Photos: Malin Jordan

Carlin Wilkin dives over the tryline in the Rowers' 33-18 victory over
Kamloops Dec. 1. 

Winning has a way of taking the sting out of a previous loss. Back in October the Rowers’ first division squad was a first-place, undefeated side, when they suffered a heart-breaking defeat to Kamloops. (The Rowers gave up a last-minute try in the losing effort.) But redemption is sweet and the VRC's top side tasted it Dec. 1 at Brockton Oval when they downed Kamloops in the rematch.


The Super Twos also toppled Kamloops, but their rematch was much closer than the thumping the seconds laid on Kamloops back in October.

1STS

Steve MacGillivary makes a tackle in the first half.

The firsts opened the scoring about five minutes in when Kevin Gurniak chased a Matty James cover-kick from the Rowers’ 40-metre line. Gurniak raced neck-and-neck with three Kamloops defenders until the ball trickled near Kamloops’ tryline. Then Gurniak ignited his afterburners, rocketed past the defenders, and touched the ball down for the Rowers’ first try of the day, 7-0.

A Rower makes a tackle in the first half.

“James and Gurniak combined early with some kick and chase wizardry – Gurniak picking up the grounded ball on the fly without losing a single km/h,” noted head coach Jeremy Sabel.

But despite the lightning start, Kamloops bounced right back, posting a penalty goal and an unconverted try for a quick 8-7 lead. It was short-lived though, as Carlin Wilkin speared a Kamloops pass soon after, trotting 30 metres for an easy try, 14-8.

“Carlin, who was massive all day in the midfield, intercepted that pass under pressure and went under the sticks,” Sabel said.

From there the Rowers controlled the flow of play even as Kamloops retained some good ball and stole the momentum at times.

Sabell explained that one of the try scorers, Nolan Laderoute, was an 18-year old Rowers’ Rugby Academy grad. “He stepped gingerly through would-be tacklers to score on debut.”

Sabell said the whole squad contributed to the win with a huge defensive effort, adding that notable standouts were: Wilkin, George Richmond, Matt Cox, Gurniak, James, and Laderoute. Final score: 33-18.

With the victory, the 1sts (6-2) leapfrog Kamloops (6-3) to take sole possession of third place. Tries: George Richmond, Carlin Wilkin, Kevin Gurniak, Matty James, and Nolan Laderoute.

2NDS

Jordan Armstrong falls short of the tryline, by about an inch, late in the
second half.

Sacha Floyd carries the ball toward the Kamloops line late
in the second half.

The second division team played a much-tougher Kamloops side than they faced Oct. 13 at Rayleigh Rugby Park. That win, a runaway at 75-25, was the exact opposite of the nail-biter played out at the Oval.

After scoring an early try to jump out 5-0, both sides battled without giving or taking much ground for most of the rest of the first half. With five minutes left in the opening frame, Kamloops managed to snatch a try to tie the game 5-5. But the Rowers’ stormed right back on the ensuing kickoff, scoring a converted try to go up 12-5 as the half-time whistle blew.

Despite some great attacking running from both sides, the score remained 12-5 for almost the entire second half. Most of it was played in the Kamloops end, as the squad from the interior camped out on their own tryline for a 25-minute goalline stand.

As the Rowers pressed for points, they continued to take penalties, lose the ball in contact, and suffer multiple, self-inflicted knock-ons. This kept Kamloops in the game. After missing an attempt for three points on a rare Kamloops penalty, “Irish” Ritchie Thompson soon made up for his “wide-left.”

“It was a brilliant drop-goal dagger that sealed the win,” noted Sabel, adding that Thompson’s last-minute three knocked the fight out of Kamloops. “It was a hard-fought slugfest that was slowed by the weather and defensive determination from Kamloops.”

The Super Twos' front row gets ready to pack down in the second half.

Forward Sacha Floyd played a blinder in the second frame, running from anywhere and everywhere with the ball, breaking tackles, making the gain-line, and retaining ball in contact. In the backs, Jordan Armstrong also played well, making the Kamloops defenders miss more often than they could tackle him. Final score 15-5.

Special mentions go to Justin “Special P” Parlato for some lengthy power rambles with the ball and to Dillon DeBono for great work around the rucks. The squad climbs to 7-1 with the win.

FIRST HALF REFLECTIONS

Sabell said the club could be pleased with their performance and standings after the first half of the season closed.

“When you consider that at any given time, since early September, we have had no fewer than 15 players and as many as 20 from our top two divisions out with injury, the boys have done extremely well to maintain cohesion and gel as a group with lots of character.”

He added that a good core of players returned from last season, but that they have been bolstered by plenty of new faces in the squad.

“It’s been great to see how quickly the guys have come together as a team. The challenge now is to get healthier, stronger, and fitter over the break so that we can step up our performance several more notches in the second half.”

The VRC’s next matches take place Feb. 9 when the 1sts and 2nds host UBC at the Oval.

Irish Ritchie's drop goal seals the win for the Rowers.

Gareth Brown pops the ball back inside during 1st division play.

Rob McDonnell passes the ball off in the first half of 2nd division play.