More than 60 rugby players from the Cowichan Valley took part in the Provincial Regional Championships in Vancouver last weekend, including several who brought home bronze medals in the U18 girls division.
The players, representing the Cowichan Rugby Football Club and nearly a dozen area schools, were members of the North Vancouver Island Tsunami, which fielded teams in the U14, U16 and U18 girls divisions. They were among nearly 1,000 players from across the province who gathered at UBC’s Gerald McGavin Rugby Centre for the three-day event.
The Tsunami U18 girls team placed third in their division, with significant representation from the Cowichan Valley. Local players included (Frances Kelsey Secondary/CRFC), Mikayla Brennan-McCann (Shawnigan Lake School/CRFC), Daelyn Coomber (Cowichan Secondary), Kaitlyn Crichton (CSS/CRFC), Deanna Cvitanovich (CSS/CRFC), Mia Eagar (Rugby Canada Development Academy/CRFC), Maria Guadarrama (Shawnigan), Skye Koyote (Queen Margaret’s School/CRFC), Gracie McAllister (Shawnigan), Maxine O’Leary (CSS/CRFC), Isabelle Oestreich (Shawnigan), Lauren Spink (Shawnigan), Kiara Stecko (Shawnigan) and Chloe Storie-Soth (Shawnigan/CRFC).
The U18 boys team included Aidan Kirkham (Ladysmith Secondary/CRFC), Braeden Nash (CSS/CRFC), Dylan Taylor (CSS/CRFC), Griffin Diaczuk (CSS), Jonathan Walker (CSS), Joseph Hyde (Claremont Secondary/CRFC), Justin Mariner (CSS), Logan Kits (CSS), Mackenzie Justason (Wellington Secondary/CRFC), Malcolm Shields (Shawnigan), Nick Joe (Ladysmith/CRFC), Aydan Crawford-Starter (CSS) and Franz Cherubim (CSS).
The Tsunami U16 girls squad featured Naia Armstrong (CSS), Gerry Atkins (Shawnigan), Jaxon Baker (CSS/CRFC), Sophia Beech (CSS/CRFC), Emma Bruce (CSS/CRFC), Emily Findlay (Shawnigan), Erin McNutt (Kelsey/CRFC), Gia Neuman (Kelsey/CRFC), Anna Palmer (Shawnigan/CRFC), Charlie Roberts (Queen of Angels/CRFC), Matisse Ward (CSS/CRFC) and Macy Wiebe (CSS/CRFC).
Suiting up for the U16 boys were Blaze Wilson (CSS/CRFC), Harry Seymour (CSS), Micheal Davies (Ladysmith/CRFC), Jaxson Jones (Quamichan School), Clayton Bergstrom (CSS), Cullen Plester (CSS), Oliver Clarke (Q of A/CRFC) and Tremayne Gray-Thorne (CSS).
The Tsunami U14 girls team included Reeya Bhullar (Quam), Hannah Tait (Shawnigan), Bella Anderson-Teasdale (Alex Aitken Elementary/CRFC), Emma McNutt (Kelsey/CRFC), Jessa Coomber (Quam), Lily Clarke (Q of A/CRFC), Loryn Roberts (Q of A/CRFC), Maggie Edwards (Quam), Sasha McQueen (Quam), Sydney Greenwood (Chemainus/CRFC), Sydney Anderson (Quam), Georgia Bond (Q of A/CRFC) and Sofia Atkins (Shawnigan).
The U14 boys side included Zachary Simon (Q of A/CRFC), Travis Cowan (Bench Elementary/CRFC), Grady Berg (Discovery Elementary/CRFC), Hayden Keayes (Quam/CRFC) and Rory Brennan-McCann (Q of A/CRFC).