BC Premier Week 1 and Coastal Cup Week 4 Results & Rosters: Vikes Edged by Ravens, Caps Fall to UBC, Westshore Draw with Burnaby, CW Defeat Lomas, Pride Dominate TWU
The BC Premier kicked off this weekend with four games, the Bays had a bye and the Pride were playing a Coastal Cup match. The theme of the season seems to be parity early on with an average of a 3 point difference over 4 matches in the BC Premier.
The Pride v TWU match also featured a fundraiser for the Thunder Indigenous youth program. Both teams were wearing jerseys designed by local Indigenous artists. The jerseys for the starting XV for both teams were auctioned off online with proceeds going to the Thunder program. The links are below.
Pacific Pride jerseys
TWU jerseys
Men Premier
UBCOB Ravens 27 v University Of Victoria 24 @ 14:30
Referee: CLINT LEMKUS AR1: Tyler Dawson AR2: Jeremy Duncan
Venue: Jericho Beach Park
We called a +8 win for the Ravens and it was +3, closer than we had expected from the defending champions. We’re not sure what to read into that for the rest of the season, a number of changes for the Ravens from last season, the Vikes with a couple of Coastal Cup games under their belt. The Vikes will be encouraged from that result going into their run towards the Canadian University Championships in November. Next week the Ravens host the Pacific Pride which should be a great game and the Vikes host Westshore.
PREGAME
The Ravens, defending champions, kick off their BC Premier campaign at home against UVic. The Vikes have had a few games under their belt in the Coastal Cup and will be focused on qualifying for the Canadian University Championships in November. Their return game against TWU is the big one on October 26th.
The Ravens have some new faces and some missing names as well. Tom Kaijaks their outstanding Welsh tighthead prop is missing from the roster, Nico Leonard who played for the Highlanders this summer isn’t showing in the match 23. There are some new faces Josh Thiel who played for the Bays last season is stepping in for Harjun Gill at inside centre. Iwan Shenton, a flanker/lock, from Wales has played for the Scarlets in the United Championship. Of course, the Carsons, we count three in the roster this week. Even coach Chris Taylor is suiting up in the hooker reserves.
The Vikes rotating their front row with Phoenix Moller and Nic Willey getting the start this weekend. The rest of the forwards remain the same from their last match against TWU. The halfbacks are changed with Reece Thompson getting the start at #9 and Angus Boyd-Porter rotating at #10 with Alex Gamage who moves to fullback this weekend. Morgan Di Nardo moves from wing to outside centre.
Ravens as defending champions will go in as favourites, they have the likes of Aaron McLelland coming off the bench to make an impact and they’re at home. Prediction: Ravens by 8.
Ravens (May 4th/Current)
1 Josh Tweed
2 Riku Konrad / Isaiah Harrison
3 Tom Kaijaks / Owen Kokan
4 Frank Carson / Donald Carson
5 Donald Carson / Iwan Shenton
6 Grant Crowell / Sean Beckett
7 David O’Donoghue
8 Joe Locke
9 Sam Walton-Sexton / Cole Keffer
10 Aaron McLelland / Santi Guadarrama
11 Nico Leonard / Mark Wandeto
12 Harjun Gill / Josh Thiel
13 Ethan Berry / Hamish Janes
14 Cole Keffer / Tsugunosuke Harai
15 Nicholas Blain / Noah Bain
16 Viaan Wolmarans / Chris Taylor
17 Lachie Gunson / Kaleb Whitelaw
18 Harrison Burgess / Frank Carson
19 James Carson / Hilyard Carson
20 Trevor Helgason / Marceau Bertin
21 Matthew Chan / Aaron McLelland
22 Jake Holmes / David Thompson
23 Augustine Lugoonzo / TBD
UVic (Sept 21st/current)
1 Liam Bolton
2 Jordy Auger / Phoenix Moller
3 Brighton Feldman / Nic Willey
4 Merlin M’Cloud / Alex Gordon
5 Brendan Kim
6 Muiredach Casey
7 Sully Curran
8 Adam Doane
9 Chris Gamage / Reece Thompson
10 Alex Gamage / Angus Boyd-Porter
11 Ethan Smith
12 Sion Griffiths
13 Lockart MacGregor / Morgan Di Nardo
14 Morgan Di Nardo / Josh Ketch
15 Matt Bennett / Alex Gamage
16 Phoenix Moller / Jordy Auger
17 Moe Steves
18 Nic Willey / Brighton Feldman
19 Dane Seibens
20 Alex Gordon / Josh Petrov
21 Josh Petrov / Chris Gamage
22 Reece Thompson / Merlin M’Cloud
23 Angus Boyd-Porter / Spencer Cotie
UBC RFC 12 v Capilano 7 @ 14:30
Referee: Nathaniel Hight AR1: David Smortchevsky AR2: Joel Van Meer
Venue: UBC- Gerald McGavin Centre
We got this one spot on with a +5 call for UBC. We thought it would be a higher overall scoreline so kudos to both defences in this match. Unusual to see UBC kept to 12 points in a match. Next week UBC host Burnaby and Caps visit CW.
PREGAME
Always a great rivalry between these clubs. UBC with 3 games under their belt, only losing to the Pride but defeating UVic and TWU.
UBC have the McMullin brothers back as a centre combination, Payton Teneycke returns at tighthead. The only other change in the forwards is Liam Kinghorn replacing Sol Jacques at blindside flanker. Stephen Webb replaces Jacob Bourne as starting scrum-half. Alastair Marshall is missing from the roster this weekend.
The Caps have added a couple of high profile UBC alumni to their roster. Jacob Bossi moves over from CW to start at hooker and Izzak Kelly starts in the second row alongside Reid Davis. That’s a top level engine room right there. They’ve also added the Georgian flanker, Saba Shubitidze, who impressed with the Highlanders this summer. Sam Reimer has also moved over to the Caps and takes over from veteran Chris Robinson at scrum-half.
Caps will be disappointed with their last season when they didn’t make the playoffs but this looks like a fortified roster that could get the job done. UBC will be a tough first test, we’ll see how it goes but we’ll give the T-Birds the early nod based on last year’s results and the early start they’ve had. Prediction: UBC by 5.
UBC (Sept 21st/current)
1 Koen Buckingham
2 Emmett Allen
3 Graeme Francolini / Payton Teneycke
4 Caden Wilson
5 Joe McNulty
6 Sol Jacques / Liam Kinghorn
7 Sandon Gupta
8 Relmu Wilson-Valdes
9 Jacob Bourne / Stephen Webb
10 James Biss
11 Jared Andrews-Almack / Max McGavern
12 Demetri Patterson / Talon McMullin
13 Alastair Marshall / Takoda McMullin
14 Max McGavern / Niko Andrianos
15 Takoda McMullin / Ben Beauchamp
16 Kevin Griffiths / Tate Hartley
17 Tate Hartley / Graeme Francolini
18 Elijah McQueen / Jacob Blackwood
19 Charlie Clark
20 Stephen Webb / Elijah McQueen
21 Ben Beauchamp / Jacob Bourne
22 Niko Andrianos / Marco Mitchell
23 Liam James
Capilano (April 13th/current)
1 Ed Wallin
2 Ethan McCarthy / Jacob Bossi
3 Jesse Ryan / Arsalan Schaigan
4 Nick Pearce / Izzak Kelly
5 Cori Hamill (C) / Reid Davis
6 Ollie Winspear / Flynn Heyes
7 Reid Brookes / Saba Shubitidze
8 Glen McKinnon / Austin James
9 Chris Robinson / Sam Reimer
10 Mike Moloney
11 Bruce Jones / Cam Waddell
12 Sam Franklin / Bailey Bocock
13 Melani Nanai / Eligh Papin
14 Ethan Whiting / Jack Adams
15 Tenniel Cowen / Johnny Franklin
16 Jason de Freitas / Pete Ingoldsby
17 James Ritzema
18 Arsalan Schaigan / Jesse Ryan
19 Rich Merinsky / Riley Canning
20 Pete Ingoldsby / Nick Pearce
21 Jack Rainer / Charlie Huntingford
22 Casey Paddock / George Wallin
23 Mahyar Hosseini / TBD
Burnaby Lake 26 v Westshore 26 @ 14:30
Referee: Benjamin Lambrick
Venue: Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
We called Westshore by +4 and it was a draw. Ethan Turner apparently scoring a late try for Burnaby to claim the draw. Players of the match we’re told were Karl Hunger and Kimi Vunituraga for Burnaby and Mark Balaski and Brian Ndirangu for Westshore. Next week Westshore visit the Vikes while Burnaby travel to UBC.
PREGAME
This is a rematch of last year’s quarter-finals when Westshore upset the favoured home team to advance to the semis. Burnaby had won the earlier game played at Westshore by a narrow +3 mostly based on their forwards dominance and the play of Reid Watkins at #9.
There are a number of changes to both teams since that quarter-final match in April. Westshore are missing some of their speedy Kenyan 7s outside backs, including Jeff Oluoch, Nelson Oyoo and Johnstone Olindi. Also missing, the NZ tighthead, Kane Perrett and Tom Heuser who I thought was an under-rated openside flanker. They’ve added Zephyr Melnyk, former Pride player who spent a season in Wales, who is now slotting in at hooker instead of flanker, Thomas Isherwood at #10 and Mark Balaski at #15. Elias Hancock has also joined the squad at #8. He gave Burnaby fits when playing for the Pride in 2022 and scored a solo try against them from his #8 spot. It was that performance that likely caught the eye of the national 7s selectors, as it was shortly after he was moved to the national 7s squad.
Burnaby have a big name signing in second row Karl Hunger. It will make for a formidable tight five with Bryce Worden at tighthead, one of the dominant scrummagers in the league. Reid Watkins is back but coming in as an impact sub in this match. There’s no sign of Lalit Bharadwaj in the roster, he was making a name for himself in the front row. Many of their top backs are returning Kimi Vunituraga, Hayden Mulgrew, David Dinbandhu, Ethan Turner and Brian Murphy.
I expect, as last year, the Burnaby scrum will have the advantage, their maul will be an effective attacking weapon inside the opponent’s 22. Westshore with the likes of Isherwood, Balaski and Hancock will be dangerous in open play. A lot may depend on the style of play that dominates the game, will it be penalties and knock-ons with many scrums and lineout opportunities or will it be a game with a lot of attacking opportunities out wide?
We’ll split the difference from last year a +3 for Burnaby and a +7 for Westshore. Prediction: Westshore +4.
Westshore (April 27th/Current)
1 Justin Tasse / Nathan Groenewold
2 Brian Waraba / Zephyr Melnyk
3 Kane Perrett / Simeon John
4 Matt Weir / Brian Ndirangu
5 Brian Ndirangu / Seth Recalma
6 Jade Billington / Brian Waraba
7 Tom Heuser / Jade Billington
8 Alvin Otieno / Elias Hancock
9 Grayson Perry
10 Malcolm Klaver / Thomas Isherwood
11 Braeden Bespalko / Alex Mentiply
12 Darian Morrison
13 Jeff Oluoch / Jimmy Wilson-Bishop
14 Nelson Oyoo / Payton Gibson
15 Johnstone Olindi / Mark Balaski
16 Matt Evans
17 Nathan Groenewold / Daragh Carroll
18 Daragh Carroll / Meshack Tunnechi
19 Brayden Gray / Reuben Davis
20 Mark Discombe / Matt Weir
21 Payton Gibson / Josh Nordstrom
22 Liam Clark
23 Alex Mentiply / Jake Brown
Burnaby (April 20th/current)
1 Luka Bradley
2 Cass Kocevar / James Kelly
3 Bryce Worden (c)
4 Cooper Johnston / Karl Hunger
5 Leo Chen / Andrew McIntyre
6 James Kelly / Todd Bullions
7 Jack Bolton / Jonah Fridfinnson
8 James Catterson / Dylan Horne
9 Ezequiel Rossetti
10 Ethan Turner / Brendon Mcaskie
11 Kimi Vunituraga / Brian Murphy
12 Neil MacLaine / Kimi Vunituraga
13 Scott Barr / Hayden Mulgrew
14 Hayden Mulgrew / Kyle Corrigan
15 Ethan Dromgool / Ethan Turner
16 Evan Turner / Dylan Vermette
17 Lalit Bharadwaj / Cass Kocevar
18 Iain Kennell-Webb
19 Dom Baptista / Nik Hildebrand
20 Jonah Fridfinnson / David Dinbandhu
21 Mohi Parata / Reid Watkins
22 Sam Williams / Woods Sharman
23 Brian Murphy / TBD
Castaway Wanderers 22 v Meraloma 17 @ 13:00
Referee: Saro Turner AR1: Pierre Iachetti AR2: Martin Thornton
Venue: Windsor Park
We knew this would be a tough one to call, we thought Lomas by +3 but it was CW +5, perhaps the Gradyn Bowd factor in play. Next week CW host Capilano and the Lomas visit James Bay.
PREGAME
The Meralomas were finalists in the BC Premier last season, just losing to the Ravens in the championship match. CW bowed out in the quarter-finals last season.
The Lomas have 7 forwards returning from last year’s championship final. They’re missing a couple of key outside backs in Dewi Williams and Louis Whelan but we see a new name in Rory McParland at fullback, a quick google search indicates Queens University, Belfast.
CW have Gradyn Bowd back for the fall at least, pre-MLR. They do well when he’s running the show. There’s a few names missing, Jacob Bossi moved to Capilano, Mike Finnemore and Nick Carson not showing yet. Ethan Hager is in the reserves, the last time we had him in the roster was spring 2023, before he went to the 7s program.
An early season encounter between teams that are generally evenly matched, it’s difficult to call a winner without form for this season. The Gradyn Bowd factor and the home crowd in CW favour but Lomas were finalists last year, a bit of a toss up but we’ll go with last year’s form. Prediction: Lomas by 3.
Meraloma (May 4th/Current)
1 Geoff Brooks
2 Gil Cann-Vaana
3 Conor O’Flaherty / Tom Webb
4 Giovanni Guizetti / Brian Hayden
5 Finton O’Sullivan / Giovanni Guizetti
6 Corne Ludick
7 Evan Galvin / Ethan Jaques
8 Jalan Farris
9 Peter Hurst / Paddy Kirwan
10 Trent Ormsby / Luc Thompson
11 Keith Graham
12 Doug Fraser
13 Manuel Bustinduy / Jad Hamade
14 Dewi Williams / Jordan Wilson Ross
15 Louis Whelan / Rory McParland
16 Scott Bowers / Cian Cunningham
17 Tom Webb / Scott Bowers
18 Conor Turley / Mark Rickard
19 John Willis / Noah Glanville
20 Brian Hayden / Eliot Ogbemudia
21 James Frankenberger
22 Conrad Kutia / Kenny Saito
23 James McTurk / Ben Shaw
CW (April 20th/current)
1 Gavin Kratz
2 Jacob Bossi / Antonio Corbin
3 Denver Fatt
4 Tom Davidson / Conor McKenzie
5 Nick Carson / John Humphries
6 Steve Pyke / Gord Kehoe
7 Jack Wallace / Steve Pyke
8 Ollie Nott
9 Zech Pilgrim
10 Andrew Easson / Gradyn Bowd
11 James Mitchell / Rio Apt
12 Sion Griffiths / Matt Sutherland
13 Shane Rikley-Krindle / Jordan Tait
14 Jordan Ng / Hugh Mager
15 Gareth Sandner / Theo Thardiff
16 Jace Peters / Jack Wallace
17 Kyle Hohert / Jace Peters
18 Mike Finnemore / Nat Dring
19 Ayo Ogunlabe / Damien Grelier
20 John Humphries / Dafydd Thomas
21 Conor McKenzie / Will Daniel
22 Mike Fuailefau / Ethan Hager
23 Brandon Schellenberger / Gabriel Smith
Coastal Cup
Pacific Pride 55 v Trinity Western University 10 @ 15:00
Referee: Cole Pedrick AR1: Andrew Owen AR2: Al Humphries
Venue: James Bay AA- MacDonald Park
We knew this would be a one sided match, we conservatively called +12 for the Pride but it was +45. The Pride visit the Ravens next week while the Coastal Cup resumes October 12th with TWU taking on UBC.
PREGAME
The Pride will be clear favourites, undefeated so far in the Coastal Cup. They have four players from the Canada PNC camp in the starting XV, Tyler Matchem, James Stockwood, Jesse Kilgour and Rhys James. TWU will be more focused on getting their combinations right for the rematch with UVic for the University Championship qualifications. Prediction: Pride by 12.
Both teams will be wearing Indigenous artist designed jerseys which will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the Thunder Indigenous rugby program. The links to bid on the starting XV jerseys on both teams are below.
Pacific Pride (Sept 21st/current)
1 Sam Miller / Justin Tasse
2 Neil Trainor
3 Conor Williams / Tyler Matchem
4 Ben James / Jaden John
5 Josh Halladay / James Stockwood
6 Evan Logan / Braden Bruce
7 Taine Clague
8 Braden Bruce / Charles Taimani
9 Mitch Buie / Jesse Kilgour
10 Tiarnan Neville
11 Liam Poulton
12 Noah Flesch
13 Liam Turnbull / Kyle Tremblay
14 Kyle Tremblay / James Thiel
15 Rhys James
16 Theo Espagnol / Cole Harris
17 Justin Tasse / Sam Miller
18 Tyler Matchem / Greg McDowell
19 James Stockwood / Josh Halladay
20 Jaiden John / Noah Kyneston
21 Jesse Kilgour / Mitchell Buie
22 James Thiel / Andrew Cooper
23 Ty Driscoll / Jean-Louis Descoutte
TWU (Sept 21st/current)
1 Ethan Jurgeneit / Ben Graci
2 Riku Konrad
3 Joe Goroza / Grayson Hardie
4 Josh Olafsen
5 Martin Zubiri / Dominik Krajsek
6 Caleb van Til
7 Genaro Gandolfo
8 Tim Zimmer / Ty Dayton
9 Brady Howlett
10 Matt Willemse
11 Connor Gibbons
12 Collin Lagat / Ken Paul
13 Josiah Levale
14 Lynden Duggan / Beckham Dickie
15 Jan Lourens
16 Seth Klassen / Jose Maria Glacia
17 Ben Graci / Kyle Morfitt
18 Grayson Hardie / Joe Goroza
19 Dominik Krajsek / Martin Zubiri
20 Ty Dayton / Tim Zimmer
21 Wes Willemse
22 Ken Paul / Collin Lagat
23 Connor Bernardin