Coastal Cup and Men’s University UBC Crush TWU; and in Women’s University UVic Pummel Calgary
Two blowouts this weekend with UBC crushing TWU 76-0 to start their Coastal Cup and men’s University Championship qualification on a strong note and the UVic women continue their unbeaten run in the women’s University Championship qualification with a 74-10 pummeling of the University of Calgary Dinos. The UBC game video is archived below, we’ll post photos of the UVic match later today. There’s also match reports posted below courtesy of Thunderbirds and Vikes media.
We’re back with rugby on the west coast, the BC Premier kicks off next weekend so this weekend is a taste of things to come with the Coastal Cup starting and the men’s and women’s university qualifications for the national championships. There’s already been some game cancellations in the lower divisions due to air quality, those were matches to be hosted in Kamloops, Kelowna and Squamish. The full BCRU match fixtures page is here.
The Coastal Cup and the men’s and women’s University Championship qualification rounds continue this weekend. The Coastal Cup starts this weekend with TWU at UBC, the match also counts towards qualification for the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC) where the 3 BC universities, UBC, UVic and TWU will be vying for 2 spots at the nationals in November in Montreal.
The Coastal Cup is a competition between the 3 university sides plus the Pacific Pride. The Pride have won the trophy the past few years. It’s a single round competition with the first match between the teams counting towards the title.
The men’s university qualification is a double round, home and away, series between the 3 BC universities. Last year UBC and UVic went on to represent BC but TWU just narrowly missed qualification as they split the matches with UVic but had one less bonus point in losses to UBC. From what we understand, this year they’ve changed the rules a bit, no bonus points, the first tie breaker is wins versus the other team, then aggregate between the tied teams, then tries between tied teams, then, if still tied, points differential in the competition. If those rules were applied last year then TWU would have progressed instead of UVic, so this will be an interesting season. UBC go in as favourites, they were 4-0 last year, both UVic and TWU were 1-3.
2024 BC University Qualification Results
UBC 61 – TWU 18
UBC 44 – UVic 33 (UVic 1 point)
UVic 40 – TWU 36 (UVic 5 points, TWU 2 points)
UBC 66 – TWU 35 (TWU 1 point)
UBC 26 – UVic 21 (UVic 1 point)
TWU 34 – UVic 27 (TWU 5 points, UVic 2 points)
The women’s university championship, sanctioned by USport (unlike the men’s competition), have a CanWest association that includes BC and Alberta teams in one pool. Two teams from UBC, UVic, Calgary, Alberta, Lethbridge will advance to the nationals. Last year UBC won the national title and UVic came 2nd so those teams go in as favourites in the CanWest rankings. UVic upset UBC last weekend to kick off the season and this weekend UVic hosts Calgary.
UBC 76 v Trinity Western University 0 @14:30
Referee: Chris Assmus AR1: Phil Webster AR2: Trevor Honey
Venue: UBC- Gerald McGavin Centre
The addition of Cody Nhanala looks like it will boost an already strong UBC team. He, along with Talon McMullin, were the dominant players for UBC. Relmu Wilson-Valdes moved from #8 last year to second row this year and had a strong game. UBC also had some speed outside with Demetri Patterson and Niko Andrianos getting their names mentioned quite often. UBC open their Premier season next weekend at Burnaby. TWU have a bye week to prepare for the Pride on September 20th in a Coastal Cup match. Match report from UBC posted below.
from UBC Thunderbirds
It was a practically perfect start to the season for the UBC Thunderbirds, as they dismantled a young Trinity Western Spartans side 76-0 in the home opener at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre on Saturday.
The match was also the opening game of the Coastal Cup, a three-team tournament between the Thunderbirds, Spartans and Victoria Vikes, with each team playing a home-and-home to determine the winner.
Seven different T-Birds scored tries in the one-sided win, with Demetri Patterson accounting for four of them, while Max McGavern had a hat trick, despite coming off of the bench as a substitute.
“I think what we saw today is the result of all of the work that the guys put in during the off-season,” said UBC head coach Didier Banse.
“There were a lot of standouts today, and people will often look at who scored the tries, but they forget about the work that goes in before the try.
“I thought Cody Nhanala was amazing, he took some big, strong carries, made some huge tackles, and was very strong around the breakdown, I counted three steals from him alone. Among the backs, Ben Martin had a really good game. He played a full 80 minutes and was super steady the entire time.”
The T-Birds were on the attack early and seemed poised to score less than five minutes into the match. A methodical drive let to a strong push under the uprights for UBC, but the ‘Birds could not touch the ball down, with the Spartans holding firm.
The Trinity Western defence was soon tested again, as the blue and gold opened up the field only two minutes later with slick passing to swing the ball to the left side of the pitch, eventually finding left wing Patterson in space. The fourth-year showed off his foot speed by dashing down the sideline, past the outstretched arms of several Spartans, and in for the opening score.
The game then settled into a stalemate for a solid 15 minutes, before a great drop kick by Talon McMullin went for a 50:22, giving the T-Birds a lineout just in front of the TWU try zone. UBC Captain Relmu Wilson-Valdez punched in the second score soon after.
In the 28th minute, it was a great individual effort by Liam Kinghorn that led to the next T-Birds’ try. He burst through the Spartans’ defence and went on a solo run for about a third of the pitch, dragging a Trinity Western player with him as he touched the ball down between the uprights.
The ‘Birds struck again seven minutes later. UBC executed a perfect lineout in the right corner of the Spartans’ end, with the ball being dropped into the hands of flanker Aidan Sutherland. He put his head down and leaned into the back of a full-team push into the try zone for a textbook tally.
Just before the half, UBC added to its lead. A scrum in the same right corner near the Spartans try zone was pulled out cleanly by the blue and gold, with a quick pass finding fly-half James Biss, who then made a deft touch pass to a streaking Niko Andrianos. The fourth-year wing never broke stride as he made one cut before exploiting a seam in the Spartans’ line to dash in, nearly untouched, for another UBC score. McMullin booted through his fourth consecutive successful convert to make it 33-0 for the home side at the half.
The second half began with more of the same from the T-Birds, even with several reserves taking the pitch for UBC for the final 40 minutes. Two minutes in, disruptive eight man Nhanala burrowed his way in for the ‘Birds’ sixth try, also becoming the team’s sixth different try scorer.
Patterson would go on to add three more tries and Max McGavern, a second-half substitute, had three tries himself, as the blue and gold pulled away.
Even after going down a man due to a red card in the 73rd minute, the Spartans kept battling. They had their best scoring opportunity of the second half with just minutes to go, gaining excellent field position behind an inspired run from Josh Olafson. However, the visitors were ultimately unable to score, as the ‘Birds closed out the shutout victory.
“We’re back to the drawing board now, next week is a new week,” commented Banse, refusing to rest on his laurels. “Now we have to get ready to face Burnaby, a big men’s team, and that’s going to be a significant challenge for us. We’ll take it one game at a time.”
That next match for UBC is their first in the Premier League this season, as they will head east to take on the aforementioned Burnaby Lake Rugby Club on Saturday, September 13th at 2:30 p.m. (PT). The Spartans take to the pitch again on Saturday, September 20th when they host Pacific Pride at 2:30 p.m. (PT) at Yorkson Community Park in Langley.
PREGAME
From what we see, UBC have 3 new players this year in the match roster, Aidan Sutherland an Australian openside flanker, Cody Nhanala the former national 7s team and Pacific Pride player, and Ethan McCarthy who played for Capilano last season. TWU have 5 players that we didn’t see last fall, Dallin Westerlund who played BC U19 and toured with Dog River Howlers to Germany, Bernard Bjorndal BC U18, Caleb Whitton from Bayside originally from Australia, John Paterson from Calgary Hornets and Beckham Dickie from Surrey.
Based on last year’s results and returning players UBC would go in as favourites. Prediction: UBC by +8.
The match video archive is linked below.
UBC
1 Jacob BLACKWOOD
2 Emmett ALLAN
3 Graeme FRANCOLINI
4 Relmu WILSON-VALDES (C)
5 Joe MCNULTY
6 Liam KINGHORN
7 Aidan SUTHERLAND *
8 Cody NHANALA *
9 Ben MARTIN
10 James BISS
11 Demetri PATTERSON
12 Talon MCMULLIN
13 Alastair MARSHALL
14 Niko ANDRIANOS
15 Ben BEAUCHAMP
16 Josh du TOIT
17 Ethan McCARTHY *
18 Charlie CLARK
19 Callum ARNESEN
20 Max Birtley
21 Caleb SEUMANUTAFA
22 Liam JAMES
23 Max MCGAVERN
TWU
1 Dominik Krajsek
2 Jose Maria Galacia
3 Tim Zimmer
4 Dallin Westerlund *
5 Josh Halladay
6 Caleb Whitton *
7 Caleb van Til
8 Bernard Bjorndal *
9 Brady Howlett
10 Matt Willemse
11 Connor Gibbons
12 Fynn Murphy
13 Genaro Gandolfo
14 Connor Bernardin
15 Jan Lourens
16 Joe Goroza
17
18 Ben Graci
19 David Wegert
20 John Paterson *
21 Wes Willemse
22 Jacob Goroza
23 Beckham Dickie *
University Of Victoria 74 v University of Calgary 10 @ 13:00
Referee: Juan Pablo Rey AR1: David Hale AR2: Sam Klein-Laufer
Venue: U Of Victoria- Wallace Field
It was all UVic in this match and we’ll post some photos later, below is the write-up by the Vikes media.
from UVic Vikes
The University of Victoria women’s rugby team claimed its sixth-straight Jenny Vincent Memorial Game title with a 74-10 victory over the University of Calgary, Sept. 6 at Wallace Field.
Vikes jump out to 19-0 lead
- An early scrum for the Vikes near the goal line saw Emily Findlay get the ball and dive over the line for the first try of the day and 5-0 Vikes lead.
- Five minutes later, another Vikes scrum saw the ball move to Maggie Mackinnon, who found a gap and ran it in for the try. Adding another two points with her first convert of the day, Mackinnon put the Vikes ahead 12-0.
- A penalty try for the Vikes in the 26th minute brought their lead to 19-0.
Mackinnon, Norsten add tries to end the first half
- Though a penalty goal was scored by Calgary in the 33rd minute, Maggie Mackinnon was quick to respond for the Vikes, scoring a try in the 35th minute to bring the Vikes’ lead back to 24-3.
- Carissa Norsten broke away down the right side of the field in the final seconds of the half to score her lone try of the contest. Adding a convert from Mackinnon, the Vikes carried a 31-3 lead into the halftime break.
Vikes dominate second half to seal win
- Piper Walsh and Remee Brown opened the second-half scoring, recording the try and convert, respectively, for the 38-3 Vikes lead in the 45th minute.
- The Vikes saw tries from ShonDreya Smardon, Olivia Newsome, and Larah Wright, along with two converts from Brown, to take a 57-3 before Calgary saw their first try of the day.
- After a 66th minute try and convert by the Dinos, Newsome scored less than three minutes later in response for the Vikes, bringing the score to 62-10 in favour of the Vikes.
- Elle Douglas and Ivy Poetker closed out the Vikes’ scoring with tries in the 77th and 80th minutes, respetively. Along with a convert by Brown, the Vikes sealed the win by a score of 74-10.
- The win marks the Vikes’ sixth-straight against the Dinos in the annual Jenny Vincent Memorial Game.
- Seven Vikes recorded their first tries of the season in the win: Piper Walsh, Emily Findlay, Larah Wright, Maggie Mackinnon, Olivia Newsome, Carissa Norsten, and Elle Douglas, while Remee Brown added her first points of the season with four converts for eight points.
- Ivy Poetker and ShonDreya Smardon each recorded their second tries of the year in the win.
- The Vikes move to 2-0 on the year with the win, while Calgary falls to 0-2.
The Vikes head to the University of Lethbridge Saturday, Sept. 13 for a 7 p.m. MT matchup. Catch the action on Canada West TV presented by BioSteel.
PREGAME
UVic should be favourites in this one. Calgary lost to Alberta last week and were last in the coach’s preseason poll. Prediction: Vikes by 15.
UVic
1 Soleil Brooks
2 Chloe Hill Huse
3 Sierra Gillis [c]
4 Faith Tilley
5 Piper Walsh
6 Ivy Poetker
7 Shaye Ogurek
8 Emily Findlay
9 Justine Blatt Janmaat
10 Ella O’Regan [c]
11 Larah Wright
12 Maggie MacKinnon
13 Vanessa Chiappetta
14 Olivia Newsome
15 Carissa Norsten
16 Kira Smed
17 Emma Grootendorst
18 Remee Brown
19 Marina Skakun
20 Samara Sadden
21 Ruby Lastiwka
22 Emilie Sinclair*
23 Elle Douglas
24 ShonDreya Smardon
25 Charlotte Hilton