Burnaby Lake Girls Beat Japanese National Women's Team

It was an evening of jubilation on the Shores of Burnaby Lake last night as the current BC Women's Rugby Champs took on the Japanese National Women's Team and won in the last minute by ONE POINT!!!
What an end to a beautiful hard fought game.

Team captain and current National Women #10 Anna Schnell scored the first points with a penalty but was quickly countered with two quick tries and a convert by the Japanese Ladies to go up 12 - 3.




The smaller Japan girls(at least they looked small) were very quick to the breakdowns and strong in the scrums, winning at least 5 tightheads and numerous steals in rucks and mauls. Fans of Burnaby Lake on the sidelines were quickly losing their fingernails as they struggled to come to grips with the number of lead changes and the way their ladies were being womanhandled by the ladies from the Land of the Rising Sun. It does not usually happen to these girls.


Second half started well for the locals after a quick chat by the coaching staff, and guest player Emily Young from our neighbors in Kamploops suddenly found the ball in her hands and sprinted around her opponent for an uncoverted try. I couldn't keep up with who scored when as there were about three lead changes during the game - only that Burnaby was down by six with about a minute left....Yikes!!
Emily came through again as she again found herself with the ball and again ran around her opponent to score. Everyone on both sides waited anxiously for the convert and when Ms Schnell slotted it through between the uprights and the final whistle was blown, the local ladies and their fans jumped with joy and the visitors hung their heads in disappointment. But this was anybody's game right to the final second!! Japan, ranked 13th in the World vowed to do better on Saturday against BC, Burnaby Lake, ranked nowhere in the world, jumped to 12th.........I think.


Most of these ladies will probably never play against a National side again so this win makes it very memorable for them.

KAUKAUWA!!

Burnaby Lake Women Tests Strength & Talent Against Japanese National Team

The BC Womens Premier Provincial Champion, Burnaby Lake Rugby Club, will play the Japan National Women's Rugby Team Wednesday afternoon at the Burnaby Lake Fields. Preparation has been going well and Monday night they were helped at practice with a srimmage against their own Third Division Men's Team. It was a full on Rugby game, Men against Women and the Women's Captain, Anna Schnell, was heard later commenting to her troops that it was the best practice they've had so far. It was interesting to watch as Assitant Coaches, Emma Hadfield and Ian Trevor ran them through different phases. Scrums in particular, were fun to watch as Tighthead prop Alice held her own against Jeremy Jarvis, a veteran on the Burnaby Lake Men's squad.
Lineout jumps produced mixed results, which would mean a closer attention needs to be paid to in this area.
The girls are pumped!! The squad includes some former and current National and Provincial reps, and for some of these girls, this is an opportunity not to be missed, as it is probably the only time they will ever get to play against a National Team. It will be an exciting afternoon indeed for all involved and those of us on the Management side are just as pumped as those who will be on the field playing in the Blue & White Color of BURNABY LAKE RUGBY
KAUKAUWA!!!!!

BURNABY LAKE WOMEN OPENS SEASON WITH WIN AMID CHANGES

The new season has brought about a multitude of change at Burnaby Lake. With Mike James in charge of the BC Bears, the coaching staff at Burnaby Lake has shifted to more of an overall club focus.

Change is never easy, and on Saturday the Burnaby Lake Premier Women’s team took a big step towards getting the changes behind them. To paraphrase the head coach of the Burnaby Lake Premier Women's team, Walt Brandl, what we did or didn't do in the build up doesn't matter, what matters is what we do now.

Burnaby-Bayside games are always competitive affairs, regardless of the result, as there is a wealth of respect on both sides of the pitch and sidelines. While the result on the day (40 - 3 for Burnaby) may seem lopsided, Bayside had their opportunities, and as always battled to the final whistle.

The first 20 minutes saw the two teams feeling each other out with the field position and possession shifting back and forth, and Bayside in the lead from a penalty kick. Further effective kicking from the Bayside fly half kept Burnaby hemmed back at times, until the back 3 made some adjustments. Once those adjustments were made, some effective counter attacking through Devon Luca, Daamo Skelton and newcomer Maggie Pitts helped Burnaby get itself out of trouble.

As the game grew, the Burnaby pack, lead ably by Kim Donaldson and Laura Harmse, began to assert itself in the set pieces and at the breakdown creating the platform Lauren Tagg would need to ensure that captain Anna Schnell would receive the ball she needed to engineer the attacking process. Tries for the day were tallied by Anna Schnell with two, Mel Miyazaki also with two, Daamo Skelton and Erin Jang tallying one each. A total of six tries with Captain Schnell converting 5 of them to add to her contribution on the Scoreboard.
Next up for Burnaby is Japan on Wednesday Sept 23rd at the Club. This will be an exciting moment for the women, and for some players, a once in a lifetime opportunity to play against a National team.

Posted with contribution from Coach Ian Trevor

The Abby Sevens is Here

Greetings from the Shores of Burnaby Lake.
One more sleep and we will be converging on the grounds of Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford, for the innaugural International Sevens Tournament. This will be the first time International Teams will lock horns with Domestic Clubs to see who has more snort. Kenya, Canada and the West Indies are the International Sides playing in this tournament and will be up against top domestic Clubs such as hosts Abbotsford, Bayside and Burnaby Lake Lighthouse. There are teams from our neighbors down south here as well as we all try and win the coveted almighty buck on offer.
But more importantly, it is a chance to play against some big names in sevens rugby.
Burnaby Lake has been quietly preparing for this under the tutelage of duo-international Senirusi(Bruce) Rauqe, their Captain. Things were clicking well during their last run on Thursday; Friday afternoon was a chance to meet up for a game of 'touch' rugby with their neighbors, the Pacific Islanders, who will be playing at the Domestic Tournament.
There is really nothing more to say at this point except to wake up in the morning and stroll over to Rotary Stadium for a day full of Sevens Rugby

!!K A U K A U W A!!

The Kenyans Are Coming

Mark this date on your Rugby Calendar..........July 25th!!!
Tell the girlfriend/wife you're helping your Boss move and it will take all day
Tell the boyfriend/husband you need to go comfort an old girlfriend who's feeling down - and won't be back till Sunday morning.
Tell the Boss you're sick, but because you've run out of sick days, you're calling in Dead.
But if all the abovementioned humanoids play or like Rugby....then drag their carcasses over to Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford for a day full of exciting Sevens Rugby!!! Just say "You're coming with me so let's go"


The occasion is the first ever International Sevens Tournament involving both International Teams and Domestic Clubs. Teams from Kenya, West Indies, Canada Select, the Pacific Islanders are just some of the teams with speed to burn and talent to showcase. The Kenyans alone should be worth the price of two tickets.
Of course the main target on the local scene lately has been our beloved BURNABY LAKE LIGHTHOUSE!!....THEY SHOULD BE WORTH FOUR TICKETS!!
They have only won the two tournaments they've entered - Rowers and SFU Sevens.


The President of the Abbotsford International sevens had watched two games at SFU and was so impressed with the boys' play he has called to confirm that we will be playing on the International Tournament instead of the Domestic version.
What this means is we will be running against the long-legged Kenyans who, after watching some of the World series sevens tournaments they've played in, I'm sure run faster than gazelles. No worries, we have coyotes in Burnaby that can catch them!!At least a couple of them have legs longer than the Kenyans.


The Team is preparing well. Captain Bruce Rauqe has been running them hard. Focus this week has been on fitness and next week they will go through ball handling and the different phases of the game. Some of the boys are tied up with work but have promised to do fitness work on their own.
Manager has been encouraging those that grace the shores of the lake on Tuesdays and Thursdays to join in on their practice so he can pick the best Twelve for the tournament. It is a biggie and we need the best coyotes available to catch the gazelles of Kenya and the Canadian Wild Geese and whatever birds, critters animals - either with four or two legs - and bring the spoils to the shores of Burnaby Lake!!
So, if your Partner or Boss likes Rugby bring them along. If they don't, use the excuses mentioned above.



July 25th is to be marked on the Calendar and excuses need to be divised and planned now!!

KAUKAUWA!!!

We will We will ROCK YOU!!!...............

The weekend has come and gone, I hope that nobody has lost a few days of their lives, what with all the weddings and partying in Kamloops!!! At least somebody was having fun. Out here on the coast, we were up at Burnaby Mountain having a picnic - with some Sevens Rugby thrown in for good measure. It was the 27th Annual SFU Sevens Tournament, and what a day it was. Lots of solid Rugby hits, nailbiting moments and just sheer jubilation as the Burnaby Lake Lighthouse Sevens Team was crowned champion for the second time in as many tournaments. YES!!!
The day started with a win over arch-rival Youngbucks, followed by a nailbiting nervous game against the Brit-Lions. I think the boys underestimated the Brit-Lions and for a while there were some very tense and anxious looks on the faces of their strong fanbase watching from the sidelines. In the end, it was another win to the Lighthouse. The boys, for some reason, were playing immediately after the ladies from Seattle who called themselves the MUDHENS. They also decided to set up camp right next to the Lighthouse Tent and as soon as they finished their game, they would come by and said to the boys "we won, now it's your turn". By some luck of the draw, the schedule was like this until the final game. We played right after them - a good omen I think - so it was agreed that if we're lucky enough to be invited to next years SFU sevens again, we will set up camp right next to each other again.
After the game against Scribes, which was marred by very very poor refereeing, we found out that we will be playing against the Brit-Lions again in the semis. They were dispatched a lot quicker this time on our way to the finals- and another meeting with the Youngbucks, who took care of the LOMAS in the other semi.
After some words of encouragement from the MUDHENS, who had just won their finals, the boys took the fileld for the last time.
Midway through the first half, the Youngbucks were leading 15 - 0. Not a very good way to start the final but a look of calmness and quiet determination can be seen on the Captain's face as he jumped unassisted to steal a lineout and trotted upfield like a pony possesed before unloading to Asesela Vunituraga who ran through a couple of Youngbucks Jonah Lomu Style. After receiving the RED Card from the same referee at the Rowers Sevens, Sela was on his best behaviour up at the mountain. He took his aggresive style to the opposition by hitting them hard in tackles. At least one player from all the teams they played was given the HIT. It was crunching and loud, the loudest of which was the hit on one of the youngbucks backline boys. There was a chorous of awwwe from the sideline all the way to the beer garden as if they had been hit themselves. Poor guy was driven back at least five metres. Sela quickly got up and drove the other guy that got the ball out of touch!! It was a thing of beauty!!
Halftime score was 15-12 and after some longstriding runs from captain Bruce Rauqe, who ran like he was being chased all day by a woman in a long hat riding a broom, the final score came in our favour 22-12. Bruce scored 8 tries as he led the boys in Black & White to the final victory. They are now 2-0 in the tournaments they've entered so far. Not bad for a bunch of guys put together through the love of the game and are now having so much fun running around on the shores of Burnaby Lake!!

Next up is Abbotsford.

KAUKAUWA!!!

Burnaby Mountain Beckons

Well, two more sleeps and we will be heading up the hill to Burnaby Mountain for the SFU RFC International Sevens. Can't wait!!!
After a two week layoff, it is time to put the boots back on, say goodbye to the girlfriend for a few hours and go do what rugby boys do on a Saturday - play some rugby. Sevens rugby!!
Practice was tight on Tuesday for the BLRC Lighthouse Team, but it came together on Thursday on the final run before kick-off. They're blooding in a few new faces as some of the suspected criminals from the previous week are attending the wedding of Katie Wells and the short Ausie with torn/worn runners - in Kamloops!! Congratulations you two!!
A total of 23 teams are taking part this year, and it should be fun checking out the opposition during pool play - whether your team is on the Premier, Social or women's division
That's right, we have women on this one showing off their moves and tackles.
Premier Mens should provide some hard competitive games as the Young Bucks would like to dethrone Burnaby Lake after their loss in the Rowers Sevens. Brit Lions have some Fijian boys on their squad so match No.21, at 12.20pm should provide some hard tackles and lots of flair. They'll be pitting their talents and experience against the boys in Barbarian Colors from Burnaby Lake.
Meralomas and the Scribblers should not be taken lightly either, they could be the darkhorses of this one. Meralomas have produced some exciting wins in the past!! As always in sevens, one mistake can take you out of the game completely, as Burnaby Lake displayed so well in the Rowers Final against Lionheart Selects. Being crowned champions in that tournament has put a big BULLS EYE on their foreheads as they are now the team to beat. But they have been preparing well so Bring It ON!!

KAUKAUWA!!

Burnaby Lake Rugby Storms Williams Lake

A warning to Mothers and Fathers in Williams Lake.
Lock your sons and daughters in the house this weekend!!!
Williams Lake will be maulled and rucked by the pink-kitted Rugby boys and gals of Burnaby Lake as they plan on winning a buckle on this trip. Apparently, this ten-a-side tournament will be the action of the weekend and I hear that teams are coming from Alberta as well just to see the boys in pink!! They have decided to go in as Hawaiian Hula Boys, complete with frangipani flowers burned sublimatedly on their jerseys with wierd id's on their backs just to give the refs a headache. Some rookies, I'm told, will be wearing snockles/goggles throughout the day, even when playing. I know a couple of girls will be running around in nothing but their Fijian 'Sulus'. This should be interesting.
There is really not much to write about right now because the itinerary, schedules and activities of the weekend is being kept on a 'need to understand' basis for now.
We hope to share them with you when they return next week - hopefully with everything still attached. AND a buckle!!
In any case, mothers hide your sons and daughters!!!

SFU Sevens On The Horizon

After the exitement of the Vancouver Rowing Club Sevens, I need a fix!!!
The BLRC Lighthouse Sevens Team took it easy the last few days to recover and let the body heal after our first tournament and win in the series. Practice starts again on Thursday in preparation for the next one - SFU Sevens.
I'm told there are 22 teams so far, so this should be a good test for us.
Some of our teammates will be attending a wedding that weekend so it gives the rest of us an opportunity to prove we can play this game too. Those that did not play much last week will be gunning for playing time on this one. Also, a few on the squad were playing U20 against Fraser Valley last week too, so they'll be eager to get on the field as well. Admir,Doug Breadon and Brendon Fairs should all be available and it will be exciting to see them play. Don't know if they can beat oldhorse Bruce Rauqe, who at 35 appears to still have the speed of a gazelle!!
He proved that on Saturday by running around his opponents on three occasions to score.
A week and a half to the next one and serious practice starts Thursday!!

!!K A U K A U W A!!

Burnaby Lake Wins Rowers Invitational Sevens

Saturday June 20th marked the begining of the exciting BC Summer Sevens Series.
The Vancouver Rowing Club hosted six teams at Brocton Oval to kick off the sevens season. The day started off on a wet note, with the rain softening up the field before the tournament started. The sun came through when the Pacific Islanders and Scribes kicked off.
Then it was the Burnaby Lake Lighthouse against the Wizards.
Sanaila Dawai opened the scoring for the Lighthouse and they went on to win the game comfortably. The second game - against hot favourites Lionheart Selects, which had big sevens name in BC on their squad did not go well as the boys were left playing with only 5 players a few minutes in. This was after a little bit of 'How's Your Father' went on among the players, which resulted in one of the twins on the Team given his marching orders and the other half given a yellow for his indescretion. Needless to say the boys lost!!
They had to beat Scribes - again under controversial circumstances, to get back into the main competition. The match official(he reffed the 'RED CARD' game as well)declared Scribes had won it. Lighthouse's coach said his team won by two points and he has the Video to prove it. After calculating his scribbles, the ref said it was a tie game and they need to play 'sudden death'
Twenty seconds in, Iokimi Vunituraga, the taller and skinnier half of the Towers Twin,touched down after a receiving a well timed pass from Sanaila Dawai, who was all over the field during the tournament. This meant that they will again face the Lionheart Selects in the Finals. After what happened in Pool Play, this was a final not to be missed as the boys in black & white were eager to make ammends.
Sanaila Dawai started the scoring again and when it was all over, Lighthouse had come out on top 31-19 to take the title and a sweet revenge.
This tournament was also an opportunity for the team to show what they had been learning during the last five weeks of training. A few of them showed up and did really well: Sanaila scored a lot and often, Bruce led by example and was always encouraging the new boys. His leadership kept the boys calm under pressure. Corey Turkington gelled really well with whomever he had on the field and he can be a good leader if given the opportunity. But the find of the tournament for BLRC Lighthouse had to be AARON GODDARD. He did not play much but when he did, he took it to the opposition!! And boy did he ram those Lionhearts at will!! The try of the tournament belonged to him when he sold the biggest dummy of the day to score close to the post. To top it off.....he has a ton of KAUKAUWA
A good win for the Burnaby Lake Lighthouse and they look forward to the next one in two weeks. SFU Sevens in calling - July 4th.
K A U K A U W A!!

Soon It Will Be Here

The BC Summer Rugby Sevens is soon to be upon us!!!
The Vancouver Rowing Club Invitational Sevens kicks off the BC Summer Sevens series this Saturday, June 20th at Brocton Oval in Stanley Park.
There field is not as big as one would expect, but it will not dampen the spirit of those who have committed to participate in it.
There are six teams to kick off this season and have been split into two pools of three:
Pool RED - Pacific Islanders, Scribes, Youngbucks
Pool WHITE - Burnaby Lake Lighthouse, Wizards, Lionheart Selects
At the Burnaby Lake practice this week, a new word was added to their cheer, as they psyche themselves for the tourney: KAUKAUWA!!
In English, it means POWER or one's strength!!
It started as a joke by their Ontario import and Club President, Jeff McKay, after he had asked one of his Fijian teammates what the Fijian word for 'power'is.
Practice had been good leading up to their first tournament this year and they hope to do well - and maybe even win it. They were presented with their Tee Shirts after practice Thursday. Saturday cannot come soon enough.
Pacific Islanders, I hear, are also preparing well and are looking forward to Saturday as well. Lionheart Selects will be missing the services of one of their wingers this weekend after deciding to play in a sevens tournament in the middle of the night. It may have even been played in the dark and on astroturf, which added to the risk. Poor Furlong, he'll have to watch from the sideline.
Scribes, I hear have some good talent and experience on their side, so we will have to keep an eye on them.
Other than that it's a couple more sleeps.
KAUKAUWA!!

Fijian Rugby in Canada

The Rugby loving Fijian Community in British columbia was treated to a Fijian flair of Sevens on the weekend, with two Fijian dominated Clubs playing a 'tune-up' game as they prepared for the upcoming Summer Sevens tournaments.

The two teams - Bayside Islanders and Burnaby Lake Lighthouse are made up mostly of Fijians living in the Lower Mainland, sprinkled with a touch of homegrown players who like to play Sevens Rugby.

The game was delayed by about 45 minutes as the Bayside Islanders, in true and typical 'Fiji Time' fashion, arrived at 11.45am instead of 11.00am.
It was agreed that we play 'wrap tackle' instead of the full contact, but as soon as the game started, that went out the window as adrenaline flowed freely and it was a typical full on Fijian sevens game. It was not long before the Burnaby boys, laced with speedy gonzales and an Ausie we call Gregan, touched down.......and the floodgates opened up. There were too many tires to count in the two games played and it was a very entertaining game for the die-hard fans who showed up to cheer on their team. Burnaby Lighthouse won with a cricket score!!!
The Burnaby boys and their Fijian teammates gelled well and were able to quickly find the gaps in the Bayside defence, which allowed them instant access to the tryline, which they crossed repeatedly.
Both teams now look forward to the Rowers Sevens on June 20th. They will both need to tighten up the loose ends and hope to put on a good show at the Rowers.

The Canadian Summer Rugby Sevens Series

There are some confirmed Rugby Sevens Tournaments this Summer in Canada, mainly on the Western Region.
The Vancouver Rowing club is scheduled to go on June 20th, with a Prizemoney of $1500 to the winner. Simon Fraser University holds theirs on the weekend of July 5th, the same weekend that the Calgary Stampede International is hosting theirs. This will be followed by the CAN AM International on July 11th and the Abbotsford International Sevens on July 25th. I hear that those long legged Kenyans will be blazing around with speed and dust flying behind them on the grounds of Rotary Stadium. The Kenyans National Team have proven to be worthy players lately, having beaten World Champs like New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa in the current World Sevens Series. If they are indeed coming, that alone should be worth the price of the ticket.
I understand that the BAYSIDE SHARKS will be hosting one too, but there has been no mention of it on their website and it is difficult trying to contact someone who can confirm it.
Anyone else organising a tournament that we don't know about?
Please use this forum to let us know and pass the word around.
Another topic we should discuss is the prize money. Tournaments with good Prizemoney usually attract good comepetition and I think Clubs should seriously consider this to attract good teams that are competitive and serious about their Sevens game. Rugby Canada will benefit a lot from this in terms of exposing young talents to the game - especially those with speed to burn that love the standard Canadian physical approach to the game.
There is a Club in one of those Rugby playing countries in the South Pacific that started Sevens Rugby with the 1st Prize being a case of beer. I believe four teams showed up on a Saturday afternoon.........and Sevens was born to this Land. This Club now hosts the biggest Club Sevens Tournament in that country with the first prize of at least $10,000. By the way, the winner of the case of beer invited the rest of the teams and sat down to enjoy a nice Cold one with all of them. I believe Calgary recognises that and has come up this year with $5000. Well done CRU!! Do you think this can be done around the country here in Canada? I think BCRU can do it. There is also a lot of talent here locally that can put up a very good show, especially with that kind of money to play for.
Food for thought as we participate in this Summer's tournaments.
Good Luck to all!!!

Cheers,

The Fiji Experience

The beautiful island nation of The Republic Of Fiji is a group of islands in the South Pacific, comprising of about 320 islands altogether. It gained its independence from the British Empire on October 10th, 1970.

The country started off pretty good in terms of its political, social and economical growth. Its first Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, worked very hard to move the country forward in all all areas of operation.

One of the biggest assets of the country was its attraction to the Tourism Industry. The country is blessed with beatiful beaches, mild tropical weather and abundance of sunshine. Resorts and Hotels as well as inexpensive 'backpackers' stops accomodate tourists and those looking to experience something different during their holidays. In the boom days immediately after Independence, Hotels and Resorts would be booked solid right throughout the Summer Vacation seasons and you will be hard-pressed to find rooms. People from as far away as Europe, North America and even the Asia Region were flocking in to the country to enjoy its hospitality, its people, culture and of course its beauty.

The country is experiencing a bit of a decline in 'tourist' numbers lately, mainly due to the economic situation across the world, but also the local political climate. The country has been embroiled in a political rugby game with the Military on one side and anyone who is against them on the other side. The Military's intentions and reasoning were supported and agreed to by many in the local political scene initially, but it appears that even the public is starting to question how long it will take to get a democratically elected government back in power to make decisions for the country.

Meanwhile tourists continue to visit this beautiful country, although, not as many as needed to boost the economy in that sector, at least.

Those that have visited return home with fond memories and wonderful stories to tell. Those that may be contemplating a day on one of those heavenly beaches might be asking if it is safe to go, given the political drizzle.

The purpose of this blog is to ask those of you that have gone to Fiji for business or holiday recently to share your experience with us so we can get a true picture of 'a day in the life' of the visitor.

Personal experiences - with the people, the hotels and an overall look at the country during the days, weeks you were there.

I am hoping that this would encourage those that are thinking of visiting to go, or at least be informed of the of what to expect when they go.



Thank you

The Game of Rugby in Canada
How can we improve on the quality of the game at the Club level without putting too much strain on the players and administrators. A lot of thought and ideas, needs to be put in practice by the Management at Club levels to improve their clubs to competitive levels.
To do this, it requires the participation of everyone in the Club, from the newest member of the mini team the the oldest veteran that watches the game on Saturdays.
Programs need to be put in place to attract the curious and incentives should be in place to motivate those that are already in the Club.
I have been involved in Rugby in both Ontario and BC and a recurring problem we always have is how do we attract new people to join the Club and hopefully play on Saturdays. I am sure that this is an issue across the country, seeing that Rugby is a minority sport, compared to soccer and Hockey - at the mini grade level.
How do we compete against these two sports at this young age group?
As the rest of the country start their season, and BC takes a break, I am sure that there is some backroom discussions going on right now regarding this issue.
I am inviting all members of the Rugby Community to voice the comments and suggestions so we can at least pick those that we feel can work for our Clubs.
Please feel free to post your response, but let's be diplomatic and positive with it.