Bayside (U16 Boys); Langley (U16 Girls); Ravens (U18 Boys); CW (U18 Girls) Claims Provincial Club Youth Titles
Four champions were crowned at an action-packed 2023 BC Rugby Age-Grade Club Finals event at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium on Sunday.
Taking place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation, the Age-Grade Crossover tournament made its return to the BC Rugby calendar for the first time since the global pandemic as Provincial Champions were declared across BC Rugby’s U16 and U18 Girls and Boys Divisions.
Bayside RFC and Langley Rugby Club stole the show in the U16 Boys and U16 Girls Leagues respectively, while Castaway Wanderers RFC scooped up the U18 Girls gold medals and UBCOB Ravens were declared U18 Boys Champions. Teams received medals and lifted new Age-Grade Crossover Finals trophies, presented by Rugby Canada National Team Player Sara Kalijuvee, Rugby Canada National U20 Women’s Coach Maria Gallo, BC Rugby CEO David Newson and BC Rugby Director Theresa Weeks.
The atmosphere was electric at Vancouver’s Thunderbird Stadium as teams and Coaches braved the elements, battling it out in front of a loud and proud crowd.
BC Rugby streamed all four Finals from the day’s event and will upload them to YouTube this coming week, along with a full 2023 Age-Grade Finals photo gallery – keep your eyes peeled on our social media channels. Below is a recap of each U16 and U18 Final.
Meanwhile, Capilano RFC won the U14 Boys Regional Championship with a 57-31 triumph over Abbotsford RFC, while the Abbotsford RFC U14 Girls won their Regional Final 38-33 in a close game against United RFC.
All photos courtesy of BOLD Photos by Shelly
U16 Boys Final: Bayside Sharks 26-5 Castaway Wanderers
Bayside Sharks RFC was crowned 2023 BC Rugby Age-Grade Club U16 Boys Champions following a strong win over Castaway Wanderers RFC.
Bayside blasted out of the blocks with a try inside the first minute following a quick break on the right side, which was expertly converted by the kicker for the extras. Castaway hit back with a try of their own, but it was the South Surrey side that ended the first half strongly with two well-taken tries and another classy conversion to move into a 19-5 lead at the break.
Despite some strong Castaway defence in the second half, the Sharks again took advantage of a quickly taken penalty to further extend their lead to 26-5 and see out the game for an impressive victory.
U16 Girls Final: Langley Rugby Club 26-12 James Bay AA
Langley Rugby Club and James Bay AA played out a classic as Langley lifted the U16 Girls Championship with a 26-12 triumph.
Following a disallowed try in the first few minutes, Langley opened the scoring and added the extras before facing a long period of James Bay pressure. The constant attacks paid off for the Bays, who hit back with a try before half-time to reduce the deficit to 7-5 in Langley’s favor.
Langley raced clear early in the second half with two swift tries, including one under the posts, to extend the lead to 19-5 before the Island side hit back with a spirited try and conversion to bring the game within one score.
Both sides exchanged blows towards the end of the topsy-turvy second half, but Langley crossed over in the final stages to seal the Championship in style.
U18 Girls Final: Castaway Wanderers RFC 34-5 Abbotsford RFC
Castaway Wanderers RFC raced to an emphatic 2023 BC Rugby Age-Grade U18 Girls Championship win with a 34-5 win over Abbotsford RFC.
The Oak Bay side was incredibly well-drilled throughout and put their opponents to the sword in the opening stages with three excellent tries inside the first 20 minutes, leading 17-0 at the interval.
A fourth try followed after the restart after some smart play from the Castaway lineout forced an Abbotsford error and, with the extras added, the Island side moved 24-0 clear, before adding a fifth try shortly after.
Abbotsford hit back with a well-worked try off the back of some exceptional running Rugby, but Castaway saw out the rest of the game to claim a famous victory.
U18 Boys Final: UBCOB Ravens 19-14 Castaway Wanderers RFC
UBCOB Ravens battled to a 2023 BC Rugby Age-Grade Finals U18 Boys Championship following an intense 19-14 win against Castaway Wanderers RFC.
The Ravens drew first blood with a quick try from a scrum in the opening minutes of the game, scoring under the posts before the extras were added.
After successfully fielding some Castaway pressure, the Ravens doubled their lead with another neatly taken try with some sweeping build-up play across the pitch. However, Castaway hit back to reduce the deficit shortly before the break, with Ravens taking a 14-7 lead into halftime.
The Mainland team extended its lead to 19-7 immediately after the restart with smart play on the far side of the field, but Castaway clawed a try back – and converted – to make it a five-point game with just 15 minutes remaining.
With the crowd getting increasingly louder, both teams battled hard into the final stages as Castaway pushed for a try to take it into overtime. However, the Ravens’ defence were defiant as they clinched the Championship thanks to a vital turnover in the dying seconds.
Media release from BCRU
Schedule Announced for Youth Club Finals at UBC on Sunday – Streamed on BC Rugby VEO Account
The BC Rugby Youth Club Finals are taking place at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium this Sunday, December 3.
All Finals will be live-streamed by BC Rugby and available on the VEO app.
For more information on the 2023 Youth Club Finals, visit here.
2023 BC Rugby Youth Finals Schedule
The schedule for the 2023 BC Rugby Youth Club Finals is as follows (all times PST)
10:30am – U16 Boys Gold Final: Castaway Wanderers vs. Bayside A
12:00pm – U16 Girls Gold Final: Langley RFC vs. James Bay AA
1:30pm – U18 Girls Gold Final: Abbotsford RFC vs. Castaway Wanderers
3:00pm – U18 Boys Gold Final: Castaway Wanderers vs. UBCOB Ravens
Livestream Schedule
All games will be live-streamed and available on the VEO app.
Download the VEO App on Apple Store or Google Play
- Create free VEO Live Account
- Search “BC Rugby” and follow the profile
- Select which stream you wish to watch
Matches will be recorded and posted on the BC Rugby YouTube the following week.
Match Officials
U16 Boys Gold Final
Referee: Doug Thorpe
ARs: Britt Blackford, John Cameron
Tech Zone Manager: Sam Klein-Laufer
U16 Girls Gold Final
Referee: Carter Haddow
ARs: Shanda Assmus, Rachel Morrison
Tech Zone Manager: Sam Klein-Laufer
U18 Girls Gold Final
Referee: Justine Blatt-Janmaat
ARs: Britt Blackford, John Cameron
Tech Zone Manager: Shanda Assmus
U18 Boys Gold Final
Referee: Kristine Lovatt
ARs: Nat Hight, Phil Webster
Tech Zone Manager: Chris Assmus
Ravens vs CW to Battle for Boys U18 Provincial Club Title Next Weekend; Abbotsford v CW in Girls U18 Final
The four provincial youth club finals will go next Sunday at UBC. It will be Ravens v CW in the boys U18 final, and Bayside v CW in the boys U16 final. In the girls U16 it will be Langley vs James Bay and in girls U18 it will be Abbotsford vs CW.
U18 Boys
It looks like a UBCOB Ravens vs Castaway Wanderers final next weekend. The BCRU reported scores have CW defeating Salish Sea Warriors 26-20 to win the Island final and Ravens defeating Langley 49-3 on the Mainland.
U18 Girls
Abbotsford will represent the Mainland in the final, they defeated Langley 44-27. We haven’t seen the result yet from the CW v Comox match to determine the Island winner, we’ll update when that’s available. CW were the only undefeated team going into the Island final. UPDATE CW won the match 24-10.
U16 Boys
Bayside defeated Abbotsford 21-14 to claim the Mainland title, CW beat James Bay 45-5 to claim the Island title.
U16 Girls
Langley defeated Abbotsford 38-34 to win the Mainland title, James Bay claim the Island title with a 34-19 win over Cowichan.
Semi-Finals
U14 Girls Island
Teams: Comox Valley Rapids vs Cowichan RFC
Match Details: Cumberland Village Park, KO @ 11:00 am PST
U14 Girls Mainland
Teams: TBD (played on Sunday, December 3)
Match Details: TBD (played on Sunday, December 3)
U14 Boys Island
Teams: Castaway Wanderers vs Salish Sea Warriors
Match Details: Windsor Park, KO @ 11:00 am PST
U14 Boys Mainland
Teams: TBD (played on Sunday, December 3)
Match Details: TBD (played on Sunday, December 3)
U16 Girls Island
Teams: James Bay AA vs Cowichan RFC
Match Details: MacDonald Park, KO @ 12:15 pm PST
U16 Girls Mainland
Teams: Langley RFC vs Abbotsford RFC 1
Match Details: Crush Crescent, KO @ 12:15 pm PST
U16 Boys Island
Teams: Castaway Wanderers vs James Bay AA
Match Details: Windsor Park, KO @ 11:30 am PST
U16 Boys Mainland
Teams: Abbotsford RFC vs Bayside Sharks A
Match Details: Abbotsford Exhibition Park, KO @ 12:15 pm PST
U18 Girls Island
Teams: Castaway Wanderers vs Comox Valley Rapids
Match Details: Windsor Park, KO @ 12:45 pm PST
U18 Girls Mainland
Teams: Abbotsford RFC vs Langley RFC
Match Details: Exhibition Park, KO @ 1:30 pm PST
U18 Boys Island
Teams: Castaway Wanderers 1 vs Salish Sea Warriors
Match Details: Windsor Park, KO @ 2:00 pm PST
U18 Boys Mainland
Teams: UBCOB Ravens vs Langley RFC
Match Details: Jericho Beach Park, KO @ 1:30 pm PST
BC Youth Club Finals in 3 Weeks: A Look at the Top Teams
The BC Youth Club Finals are on December 3rd at Thunderbird Stadium at UBC. There will be four matches the U16 and U18 finals for both boys and girls. Last year it pitted the Island v Mainland champions in each category.
The BCRU have put out a call for volunteers on the day, that story is here.
If we take a look at the standings 3 weeks out this is the picture. There are almost no games this weekend, Remembrance Weekend. The only exception we see on the BCRU fixtures page is Boys U18 Pool B with Bayside hosting a Kelowna/Kamloops team and Surrey hosting Langley, those games are on Sunday the 12th at 1:30pm.
Mainland Boys U18 Pool A
Perennial U18 Boys powerhouse, the Ravens, as expected are top of the table at 4-0. United are in 2nd with a 3-1 record, their only loss was to the Ravens. There’s one week of pool play left before the Mainland final Pool A v Pool B. It’s looking like Ravens will represent Mainland Pool A, they face 3rd place Capilano next weekend.
Mainland Boys U18 Pool B
Langley are leading here at 3-0 with two rounds left before the winner takes on Pool A winner. Tied for 2nd/3rd with 2-1 records are Bayside and Kelowna/Kamloops, with Bayside having the better points differential. The results this weekend may set up a final Langley v Bayside on the 19th to determine Pool B winners. The Pool A v Pool B match is on the 26th.
Island Boys U18
CW are top of the table with a perfect 4-0 record, they’ve already clinched the #1 spot in the Island table. They’ll play the 2nd ranked team on the 26th to determine the Island winner. Vying for 2nd are Cowichan and Salish (Shawnigan) and they face off on the 19th.
Mainland Girls U18
Abbotsford top the table at 4-0, Langley are 2nd at 3-1. It looks like Abbotsford will go through to represent the mainland if they win their match next weekend against the 2-2 Bayside team. Abbotsford won the the head to head against Langley in a close 31-27 result.
Island Girls U18
It looks like a 2 team race between CW and Comox (CV Rapids), both are at 3-0 and meet next weekend. They’ll likely meet again on the 26th in #1 v #2 playoff to represent the Island.
Mainland Boys U16 Pool A
Bayside top the table at 4-0, Ravens are 2nd at 3-1 with Bayside winning the head to head 10-5. A Bayside win next weekend against the 2-2 Meraloma would see them claim the Pool A title. The Mainland Pool A v Pool B match is on the 26th.
Mainland Boys U16 Pool B
Abbotsford top the table at 4-0, with Langley 2nd at 3-1. Abbotsford won the head to head convincingly 31-0. Abbotsford face the 2-2 Capilano next weekend and a win will ensure their claim on the Pool B title.
Island Boys U16
CW are the class of the field with a 4-0 record, they’ve clinched the #1 seed and will face #2 on the 26th in the Island playoff. There are 3 teams in second place with 8 points, James Bay, Cowichan and Comox (CV Rapids).
Mainland Girls U16
Langley top the table at 4-0, Abbotsford are 2nd at 3-1. The #1 v #2 to represent the Mainland takes place on the 26th. Next weekend Abbotsford hosts 2-2 Bayside and Langley visit the Abbotsford 2nd team.
Island Girls U16
James Bay are cruising along at 4-0 in this division, with Cowichan in 2nd at 3-1. The #1 v #2 match takes place on the 26th to represent the Island. Next weekend James Bay visits Campbell River and Cowichan visits Westshore.
Reader’s comment: Hey guys, your Nov 10 your article about the BC Youth Club Finals has some incorrect information. In the U16 Boys Pool A, Bayside already holds first place regardless of the outcomes this Sunday. They have the head to head over both UBC and Capilano. In the U16 pool Abbotsford has top place sewn up as well as they hold the tie breaker over Langley. If this was just poetic licence for hype then my apologies. Cheers, Geordie
Congratulations to all of the youth teams to make it to the BC Finals.
I would like to know is why BC Rugby thought that it was a good idea to host the premiere youth rugby Championship in the province on/in a football stadium? On top of the visual confusion the multiple yardage lines made to the athletes and fans alike. The organizers didn’t centre the two fields around each others. The result was that the football fields sidelines weren’t centred inside the rugby field (one side of the field had the football line 5′ feet from the rugby sideline where as on the other side of the field is was about 25′ feet). Include the 2 change rooms provided still had UBC athlete paraphernalia in them, which had to be set aside so the kids could have bench space.
Curious on what ever happened to using Brocken Oval for such games? it’s a stadium, a grass field, a rugby specific field and one of the best locations for a game in the country. If BC Rugby was trying to look like a fringe sport it succeeded. I guess its too much to ask to play the BC championship on a rugby specific field?