The future of rugby looks bright following the U16 Western Canada Rugby Championships in Kelowna.
The boys BC Blue team was untouchable throughout the competition at the Parkinson Recreation Centre, winning all six games and scoring 291 points in the process.
Their toughest match was a 31-17 win on Saturday against a feisty Alberta White side.
In a rematch of the two teams on Sunday, the Alberta side led for much of the first half but the hardworking and skilled approach of BC secured a 38-15 victory.
The BC Blue side included eight athletes from the BC Interior: Carlin Bordin-Slavens (Naramata), Storm Buck (Kelowna), Koen Buckingham (Summerland), Anders Fahlgren (Kelowna), Finn Hussey (Kelowna), Daniel Kilian (Penticton), Colby Miletto (Kelowna)and Reimu Nelson-Valdes (Nelson).
The BC Gold U16 side, which included Kelowna native Connor Laing, was 2-4 on the weekend but competitive in most of its matches. Three close losses to Alberta sides could have easily gone the other way, with a little bit of luck.
BC also entered a U15 men’s team into the U16 tournament. Although outsized in every match, the gritty and fit U15s won three, lost two, and tied one.
The U15 side included nine Okanagan athletes, the majority of them products of the CORD Academy: Sully Curran (Kelowna), Cruz Fisher (Kelowna), Cameron Halverson (Kelowna), Sol Jacques (Penticton), Lewis Jenkins (Kelowna), Jacob Jobst (Kelowna), Tanner Milligan (Kelowna), Declan Monaghan (Kelowna) and Alan Woodhouse (Penticton)
On the momen’s side, BC’s U16 and U15 teams were head-and-shoulders above the two teams from Alberta. Combined, the B.C. women’s teams scored 315 points against their opponents. The Okanagan was represented on the U15 side by Aja Good from Lake Country.
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