Island Blue Win First Match 62-7 Over Mainland Gold
A close 12-7 game at the half blew up into a 62-7 win for Island Blue as they added 50 points in the second half. Winger Jenna De Greeff notched 3 tries, Justine Blatt-Janmaat at scrum half kept the team on the front foot, Sierra Gillis (tight head), Emily Findlay (8), and Shaye Ogurek (flanker) all had strong games for the Blue forwards, in the backs Lara Wright at outside centre was a standout as was Emily Currey on the wing. Carissa Norsten was originally listed as outside centre for the Island team but didn’t suit up so Lara Wright moved from #12 to #13 and Hadley MacPherson moved from the reserves to starting #12.
The match was streamed by the BCRU using the Veo Ai system, there’s no commentary or zoom. Hopefully they’ll be able to improve the coverage for games 2 and 3 of the series. The next match is on the Island at UVic on May 31st.
Women’s Island Blue vs Mainland Gold Series Kicks Off at 1pm Today in Delta
The Island Blue vs Mainland Gold women’s series starts today at 1pm at John Oliver Park in Delta. It’s a post club season series to highlight the best players who want to be noticed by the national program. The series is endorsed by women’s national XVs coach, Kevin Rouet, which raises its profile.
The Mainland team has strong representation from the Premier champions, Vancouver Thunderbirds, who also won the national University title as UBC Thunderbirds. Other clubs represented on the Mainland team are Burnaby, Meraloma, Kamloops, Abbotsford, Capilano, United, Bayside, TWU.
The Island team is made up mostly of Westshore, who finished 2nd in the Premier, and CW who finished 3rd. There is also representation from Cowichan. There are a couple of unaffiliated players on the Island squad. Carissa Norsten, who no doubt would like to join her 7s teammates on the national XVs team, starts at outside centre. Maya Montiel, who plays for the Saracens in the UK, is reserve prop.
The BCRU have a live stream link published, you can check out the link here.
MAINLAND GOLDS
Head Coach: Demi Stamatakis – Capilano RFC
Assistant Coach: Matt Fraser – Vancouver Thunderbirds
1 Payton McNeil – Burnaby Lake RFC
2 Maddy Thran – Vancouver Thunderbirds
3 Elyce Thomas – Meraloma RFC
4 Rachel Smith – Vancouver Thunderbirds
5 Teya Ashworth – Vancouver Thunderbirds
6 Kalea Nokleby – Kamloops RFC
7 Chelsea Patterson – Abbotsford RFC
8 Ada Okonkwo – Burnaby Lake RFC
9 Alayna Scramstad – Burnaby Lake RFC
10 Emilie Brett – UVIC Vikes
11 Jaime Dickson – Vancouver Thunderbirds
12 Macie Kitt – Calgary Dinos
13 Tia Jordo – Vancouver Thunderbirds
14 Ava Van Santen – TWU Spartans/Burnaby Lake RFC
15 Savannah Bauder – Vancouver Thunderbirds
16 Sonja Foulds – Abbotsford RFC
17 Melissa Seselja – Bayside Sharks RFC
18 Tiana Coutts – Capilano RFC
19 Kianna Steel – United Rugby
20 Kim Sinow – Vancouver Thunderbirds
21 Angelina Alexander – Vancouver Thunderbirds
22 Sara Tehrani – Vancouver Thunderbirds
23 Makenna Gayger – Abbotsford RFC
24 Rachel Wood – TWU Spartans
25 Emily Wang – United Rugby/Vancouver Thunderbirds
26 Mary Sieker – Vancouver Thunderbirds
ISLAND BLUES
Head Coach: Brittany Waters – UVIC Vikes
Assistant Coach: Oliver Winser – VIRU Tide
1 Chanelle Edwards Challenger – Castaway Wanderers
2 Chloe Hill Huse – Castaway Wanderers
3 Sierra Gillis – Westshore RFC
4 Faith Tilley – Castaway Wanderers
5 Jesse Knaggs – Castaway Wanderers/Vancouver Thunderbirds
6 Regan Casey – Castaway Wanderers
7 Shaye Ogurek – Castaway Wanderers
8 Emily Findlay – Westshore RFC
9 Justine Blatt-Janmaat – Westshore RFC
10 Ella O’Regan – Castaway Wanderers
11 Jenna De Greeff – Westshore RFC
12 Larah Wright – Westshore RFC
13 Carissa Norsten – Non-Affiliated
14 Emily Currey – Castaway Wanderers
15 Lucie Romeo – Westshore RFC
16 Remee Brown – Castaway Wanderers
17 Josie Anzai – Castaway Wanderers
18 Maya Montiel – Non-Affiliated
19 Skye Koyote – Cowichan RFC
20 Oonagh Hynes – Westshore RFC
21 Emma Grootendorst – Westshore RFC
22 Courtney Sims – Westshore RFC
23 Gwynnie Fry – Castaway Wanderers
24 Bella Anderton-Teasdale – Castaway Wanderers
25 Hadley MacPherson – Westshore RFC
26 Taylor MacDonald – Castaway Wanderers
from BC Rugby
The 2025 BC Rugby Senior Women’s Blue vs. Gold Series kicks off this weekend – here is all you need to know about Game 1!
Game 1 takes place at John Oliver Park in Delta this Saturday, May 24, at 1:00pm PST.
Both Mainland-based games – Game 1 and Game 3 – will now take place at the home of Brit Lions RFC at John Oliver Park in Delta. Game 2 takes place at UVIC’s Wallace Field on May 31.
The full schedule is as follows:
GAME 1: John Oliver Park, Delta – 1:00pm PST
GAME 2: Wallace Field, UVIC, Victoria – 1:00pm PST
GAME 3: John Oliver Park, Delta – 1:00pm PST
BC Rugby will endeavour to livestream all matches. If we are unable to livestream matches, we will record the matches and release them on the BC Rugby YouTube Channel.
Game 1 will be livestreamed on our YouTube Channel – click here for access.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Working collaboratively with Rugby Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team Programming, BC Rugby is hosting a three-match Blue vs. Gold Series throughout May and June to showcase and prepare athletes with the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup taking place in England later this year.
The Series will see selected sides of the Island Blues and Mainland Golds battle it out across three games in Vancouver and Victoria. The Island Blues won the final tie-breaking match in 2024 to earn bragging rights and will aim to defend their title this year.
Demi Stamatakis (Capilano RFC) will lead the Mainland Gold team assisted by Matt Fraser (UBC), with Brittany Waters (UVIC Vikes) returning to lead the Island Blues alongside Assistant Coach Oliver Winser (VIRU Tide).