BLRC Lighthouse 7's With Mixed Result on the Weekend

The BLRC Lighthouse Women's 7's wins first Summer Tournament while Men bows out in the Finals

The Ladies were crowned Champions by President of James Bay 7's Tom Woods and presented with $1000 worth of Jerseys, a plaque and will have their Team name engraved on the Huge trophy donated by Morgan Williams the National Men's Caoch of the Rugby Canada 7's program.
The men's Team bowed out in the Finals to a Star-studded Team Valli High, a team filled with National Team members and carded Canadian players on the verge of joining the National Team.
The efforts put in by both the men and the women's teams clearly sends a message to the Clubs and Teams participating in this year's BC sanctioned 7's series that Burnaby Lake Rugby Club is serious about the 7's program at the Lake.
Before the women played their first game of the day, Coach Bruce Rauqe and Assistan Roko Kapaiwai inisisted that they play hard, fair and have lots of fun during the tournament. Obviously, due to the lack of 7's experience and performance at practice the previous two weeks, coaches and Manager Mike Devlin just wanted the ladies to enjoy the experience and to witness and soak in the competitive environment of the 7's circuit.
But after the first game against Cowichan, it was evident that the ladies were not just here to learn the game, they were here to win it.
Led by Captain Melissa Miyazaki, who scored a tonne of tries in the tournament, the ladies sent a very clear message to the oppositions that they were serious about this thing. They piled on points in every game. However, Velox showed them how it is supposed to be done in the last game of Pool Play, and when the final whistle was blown at 4.23pm, they were at the short end of the stick with their first loss. Spirits were quickly lifted when they were informed, they are in the Finals and will be playing against Velox again.
Tough decisions had to be made by Coaches and Manager on the best personnel to put on the field to go against a Team obviously stacked with Women with good 7's experience.
The Finals was won in a tough battle with BLRC Lighthouse crowned champion at the end of it, but the process of getting was a thing of beauty. Nerves of steel were displayed in the last 5 minutes of the game and it was an exhiralating feeling to feel, especially when only in the previous two weeks, the first practice was an excercise in total chaos and confusion!!
We can all exhale now and not worry anymore.......the girls are good to go the rest of the Summer with high expectations.
The boys also had their good share of wins and losses - two of them to the same team, the star-studded Valli High, led by National 7's Rep Phil Mack who led his Team with confidence and by example. Mack's Team beat our Men's Lighthouse team convincingly in Pool Play, but were lucky that time was on their side in the Finals winning the Finals 31-26.
Captain Bruce Rauqe led by example, and was targetted by all the opposing teams during the day. He clearly showed that even at 37 years old, he still got it. In the end, it was not enough as Valli High took the Trophy home. Now it is time to regroup as both the Men and Women's program attempt to take the Oval at Stanley Park June 26th in the 2nd leg of the series - the Vancouver 7's