The Cowichan Piggies tried to be good hosts during a Third Division rugby match against Castaway Wanderers, but there was only so much they could do.
Castaways showed up at Piggy Park with just 14 or 15 players, and injuries started to cut into that number almost immediately, so the Piggies reduced their lineup as well.
“We matched their numbers,” Cowichan head coach Andrew Wright said. “It was a classic Third Division game. We were very youthful, and they were a mix of young and more experienced.”
Accommodating as they were, the Piggies weren’t going to lie down and let their guests run all over them, and Cowichan ended up prevailing 52-0.
“It was a fun game to try some things,” Wright commented. “And get back into the rhythm of the game plan.”
Since they last took the field, the Piggies have added gym sessions at Brentwood College School under the supervision of club member and trainer Dave Cowie to their training regimen. They will put their new fitness commitment to the test again this Saturday when they host Langley’s First Division side.
“Hopefully the outcome is better than the Bayside game we played in the fall,” Wright said, recalling his team’s second-half fade in their last meeting against a Mainland side.
The Piggies will play at 1 p.m., immediately following the First Division women’s match between Cowichan and Comox at 11:30 a.m.
In other news, the Cowichan Rugby Football Club recently purchased a new bus that was auctioned off by School District 79, and is looking for sponsorship or donations to help offset the cost. For more information about sponsorship, contact CRFC president Angie Gudmundseth through the club website at www.cowichanrugby.ca