Rugby players with ties to the Cowichan Valley have helped provincial teams to success at elite sevens tournaments in the U.S. and Canada in recent weeks.
BC Rugby sent eight teams — two of girls and six of boys — to the Las Vegas Invitational in late February and early March, with a number of players from local clubs and schools in the mix.
The B.C. U16 girls teams included Cowichan Rugby Football Club junior members Jaxon Baker, Matisse Ward and Macy Wiebe, as well as Shawnigan Lake School student Gerry Atkins.
The B.C. Gold team made it all the way to the U16 girls division final, where they were edged by a team from California, while the B.C. Blue team reached the plate final and ultimately placed sixth in their division.
Also from the CRFC, Tom Morrissey and Ryan Smith suited up for the B.C. U16 boys team that finished fifth in their division, while Joel Cook and Abdullah Hammawa played for the B.C. U18 boys side that placed 11th in the High School Elite Divsion.
More local players were in action this past weekend at the U18 Champions Cup held in conjunction with the 2019 HSBC Canada Sevens tournament at BC Place. Shawnigan players Sammi Lillywhite and Gracie McAllister helped B.C. to the girls final, where they lost a closely contested final against the Rugby Canada Development Academy team 14-0.
Shawnigan’s Ciaran Breen scored two tries in the boys final as the B.C. team, which also included Shawnigan’s Brenner Kelava and Brentwood College School’s Callum Blake-Currier, beat the Prairie Wolfpack 43-5.