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Comox Kickers - Junior Development Golf Tournament
[ed. view the golf tournament poster here in .jpg format.]
from Mike Magee
posted June 5 2009
History: The Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Club has played rugby, on an intermittent basis, in the Comox Valley since 1889. In that year, one hundred and twenty years ago, along with four other unions, a Kickers representative acted as one of the founding fathers of the British Columbia Rugby Union.
The Club:
The club is currently experiencing a growth spurt that this year saw the establishment of a very successful Under-16 team - that narrowly lost in the Island Final - and a Senior team that lost in the Provincial Final. Next season we hope to increase the Junior program to include U15 and possibly a U19 program. Along with this a Women's team is possible.
Event:
The goal of the event is to raise funds to assist in the growth and development of the club's junior program. With monies raised going to equipment, coaching and referee development.
Golf Cross, our plan this year with the Club's Junior program Sponsor, IG Investors Group, is to host an 18 hole Tournament which will include 2 holes of Golf Cross http://www.golfcross.com Our plan is to increase it each year, eventually hosting an 18 hole Golf Cross Tournament.
Conclusion:
The Comox Valley Kickers wish to invite you to take in the Comox Valley area this summer and help develop the sport of Rugby to the next generation of athletes, showing them Rugby is a sport that lasts a lifetime.
Colin Chappell
Dir of Rugby, Comox Valley Kickers RFC.
Hornets sting Kickers in close Island 1st division match
by Mike Magee
posted Oct 29 2006
The Comox Valley Kickers had a much improved effort on Saturday against the
Nanaimo Hornets. Bolsterd by some recent grads of Vanier the Kickers were
very much in the game with the score 7-7 at halftime and 14-14 with about 15
mins left.
A too many men in the lineout call which was debatable gave the Hornets a
free kick about 22m out. While Comox made the mistake of trying to get an
explanation on why the ref counted the hooker in the 5m channel the Hornets
lead a quick attack and scored the winning try, final score 26-14. Great play by Nanaimo.
Honourable mention to the Kickers #2 Ron Recino, #10 Matt Davidson, #6 Nick
Irwin, and #8 Lance Stewardson. For Nanaimo we thought their second rows
played solid and impact player #8 Tony Lewis bolstered their second half
attack.
The Kickers are preparing for the Norseman next week who are currently at
the top of the league as the season winds down.
Thanks to the Hornets for an exciting match and being gracious hosts.
Kickers drop decision to CW in Island Div 1 action
by Mike Magee
posted Oct 3 2006
The Comox Valley Kickers Rugby club travelled the long trip down Island
on the weekend to face the mighty CW in some Div 1 action at Velox.
After fielding a full side the week before the Kickers entered the
match a man short at 14. CW was very accomodating in lending us a great
player with a great attitude. Thanks to CW and Kit for that, it was much
appreciated. Again many appologies for not being in better shape (our club
was fightling a little flu bug).
CW proved to be too big and too powerfull for the Kickers on the day,
although despite being down the whole match we gave it what we had. The
Kickers managed 2 tallies coming through our blindside flanker Eli Cummins
and our loosehead prop Johnny "Chicken" Mac. Man of the match as chosen by
CW was our #10 Jeff Benitol.
Again thanks to Velox for the use of the facilites, and to CW for being
such gracious host. Not enough can be said about both clubs.
The Kickers will try to recover before the our next match where we will
face the Nanaimo Hornets. These clubs have had some great matches over the
years and I am sure this will be no different.
Comox Valley Kickers shear Blacksheep 75-8 in Island Div 1
by Mike Magee
posted Sept 24 2006
The Comox Valley Kickers had a great start to their first year in Div 1. disposing of the Port Alberni Blacksheep 75-8 on the weekend.
The Blacksheep traveled up island to the Valley with a younger squad minus some of the key players from last year and put forth a valiant effort. In the dying minutes of the game managed to recognize a weaker first year substitution and they attacked accordingly.
The Kickers enjoyed spreading the points around with their new hooker from England putting up 3 tries, a center scoring a pair and a fullback with a try and 5 conversions. Pretty much the rest of the first XV managed to tally some points as well.
This year the Kickers have managed to secure some of the recent high school standouts. With no major Colleges or Universities in the Comox Valley we have always struggled to keep any of the kids that have graduated from our local high schools.
There is however some great talent playing in Victoria that has come out of the Valley/Vanier High School with the likes of Jake Osborne, Tyson Degoode, Jake Degoode, Konrad Nikkel, Darryl Hall, Evan Machin, Andrew Hopkins, Scott Harden, and Matt Davidson.
This being our first official year team in the first division, the Kickers hope to field a competitive team for entire year. Our club membership looks as good as it ever has and we are hoping to build on the 2nd place finish at the Independent Club Provincials last year.
Good luck to all the teams this year and we look forward to some great matches with you all.
KICKERS WIN FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP IN QUARTER CENTURY
by Ian Kennedy
posted April 25 2005
A dramatic last-minute try by fullback Ben Creek earned the Comox Valley Kickers its first North Vancouver Island Third Division title in a quarter century on Sunday in Cowichan. On the losing side of a 15-10 score-line with ten minutes to go the Comox Kickers pulled off the historic upset by never conceding defeat. What made the victory even more impressive is the fact that the Kickers did it without having a coach and that their opponents, the Cowichan Piggies, had held the title for the past six years and had not lost any game on their Herd Road field in the past eight years.
Time and again it looked as though the experienced Piggies would prevail until Creek took matters into his own hands. Creek had come on in a substitute role after fullback Dillon De Gagne had gone off injured early in the second-half and he entered the back line at pace thirty-five metres from the Cowichan line, after the Kicker forwards had made a promising rush up field. First, he beat one man, then he sold an outrageous dummy pretending to pass to his wing, only to cut back inside to thwart the cover defense, beat the fullback and score under the posts tying the game. Paul Berg had no trouble converting from in front to give the Kickers the 17-15 victory, and the Championship.
All season long the Kickers and the Piggies have been the best Third Divison teams in the North Island, sharing wins apiece to set up the do-or-die final. The experience and size of the Cowichan pack gave it the edge in the tough forward battle, with both scrums asking and giving no quarter all game long. Though outweighed, the Kickers pack stuck to its task providing its more agile backs with ball, which they used effectively all day long.
After Cowichan took an early lead on scrum-half John Battie’s try at the five-minute mark, Kicker captain, outside-center Chris Ostertag finished off a fine team try at the sixteen-minute mark after the visitors moved the ball wide from a quick-tap penalty to see the big center crash over in the corner: 5-5.
The tough physical battle, which often flared into open confrontation and kept referee Sam Langridge on his toes, continued for the rest of the first half until in the last minute of the half. Then, Kicker inside- center Joel Grimolfsen, who played very solidly throughout, burst thought the opposition defense charging over the Cowichan line from close in. Kickers: 10-5 at the half.
Cowichan enjoyed a prolonged spell camped on the Kickers line at the beginning of the second stanza, but a rock solid defense prevented a home side score as both sides exerted immense energy and commitment to the challenge. Cowichan eventually received its reward when Ian Teufel found an opening to score at the seventy-minute mark. Ian Murray converted from in front giving the Piggies a 12-10 lead, which five minutes later Murray added a penalty, to set up the dramatic last-minute theatrics.
“Everyone on the team has worked very hard all season long for this victory,” said Kicker captain Chris Ostertag after the game. “ We knew it would be a tough game here today, but we never conceded defeat and kept coming back at them right to the end. I’m very proud of all of the team. Everyone played their part.”
Though all of the Kickers rose to the occasion, lock Nathan Stoddard, hooker Sam Prain and prop Guthrie Le Fevre, in the forwards, deserve special praise for making the hard yards and sticking to the task. Joel Grimolfsen, captain Chris Ostertag and fullback Dillon De Gagne livened up the back play.
“ I hadn’t played rugby from twenty-years,” informed 37 year-old try-scorer Ben Creek after the match. “ I used to play in Victoria but took up the game again this year when I moved to the Valley. This is a good team. We’ve had a great season and I’m just lucky, and happy, to have been able to score the game-winner.”
With the Island Championship won, the Kickers will travel to Nanaimo on May 8 weekend to play in the Provincial Championships against the eight top Third Division teams in B.C., and where they will likely meet the Cowichan Piggies seeking revenge.
The Kickers would like to acknowledge its sponsors: Dockers Market, Pelegos Ventures and Mike Finneron for their continued support. Visit www. kickersrugby.ca
Kicker's flanker Tony Forth charges the Cowichan line with Guthrie Le Fevre in support
photo by Ian Kennedy
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