Kamloops Match Reports by William Shaw: Senior Women and Men Kick Off Season With Wins
The Kamloops Rugby Club Senior Women and Men kicked off their season this past weekend at Exhibition Park in Kamloops. There was moody skies to start the morning, but the clouds burnt off and provided a sunny and warm day for watching and playing rugby, which was welcomed by the many KRC Alumni out in support of the Senior Squads on Alumni Day.
The KRC Division 1 Women kicked off the Saturday double header, hosting the UBC Thunderbirds. The Birds travelled a bit light and were supported throughout the day by Raiders in an effort to keep the game productive and competitive for both sides. UBC had moments of brilliance and showed their athletic ability on the pitch, however the more experienced and cohesive Raiders maintain control of play and dominance of ball possession. The Raiders had many new players making their KRC Senior Women debut, Lena-Marie Streek made the transition from KRC Junior Rugby to play her first game for the Senior Raiders. While Michelle Hoesktra, Tian Wiens, Iliza Sargent, Ava Morris, Eva Fuller, Hanna Philip, KK Toering, Maggie Beaudoin and Amarah Mahal all made their debut for the KRC Senior Women.
Kelsey Harpman opened the scoring for the Raiders, and once the Raiders started to find holes in the UBC defence, they found many. Saturday saw 11 different Raiders scoring trys, with Michelle, Tian, Maggie and KK scoring a try on their debut. We want to again thank UBC for making the trip and helping get the women on both sides of the ball a 15-a-side game of rugby.
Forward of the Match – Thea Flundra
Back of the Match – Kelsey Harpman
Hardest Worker – Amarah Mahal
The Raiders now look forward to travelling to South Surrey Athletic Park for a repeat of last years Semi-Final against the Bayside Sharks.
Following the women’s game, and prior to the kickoff of the Mens Division 2 game, a moment of silence was held for Stefan Vracarevic (Kelowna Crows Player) and Gavin Conn (previous KRC Raider) who had recently passed.
The Men played host to the visiting Brit Lions. Brit Lions were light in a few positions and were also supported by the Raiders during the game. This gave them some additional player support, while also giving additional playing time for new bodies out with the KRC this season, thanks to the visitors for this opportunity. This game marked the return to the field for Erik Rissanen after season ending surgery in the fall of 2025, a welcomed addition back to the strong Raider forward park. Rory Burch and Henry Vincenzi also made their KRC debuts, Rory is a welcomed addition to the club and Henry has made his was up through the ranks of the Raiders Junior Program.
The dry playing conditions, created an opportunity for fast flowing rugby. The men picked up were the ladies had left off and found gaps in the visitors defensive line and found them frequently. With try’s aplenty for the forwards and backs, Charlie Kinloch had a busy day, as he added 9 converts for the Raiders from the tee. The Raiders won the game 81-19 pushing them to second place in the Mens Division 2, they will host Richmond next weekend at Exhibition Park, 12:45pm kickoff.
Forward of the Match – Erik Rissanen
Back of the Match – Austin Comeault
Raider of the Day – Oisin Reynolds
The player of the week for the KRC as sponsored by Red Tomato Pies Kamloops was Austin Comeault, congratulations Austin!
After the delayed start to the season for the Raiders, players, coaches and fans were thankful for both teams making the trip to Kamloops for their respective games this past weekend!
One in, All in