Sr. Boys AAA Provincial Rugby Champions!
The Shawnigan 1st XV has claimed their second consecutive AAA Provincial Championship after defeating St. George's 24-16!
Under a blue sky on the first Saturday in June, Shawnigan's top-ranked 1st XV capped off an undefeated season by capturing the 2010 AAA Provincial Championship.
After seeing off challenges earlier in the week from Robert Bateman and Oak Bay, the 1st XV found themselves facing historic rivals St. George's in a battle for rugby supremacy. The game marked an opportunity for the boys to atone for the only blemish on their otherwise perfect season, a 13-13 draw at the end of April.
Shawnigan started strongly from the opening kickoff, and captain Dustin D. touched down within the first two minutes to give his side a 5-0 lead. The team was awarded a kickable penalty moments later, which Dustin slotted to give the 1st XV a comfortable 8-0 advantage.
Any delusions that the game would be a romp were quickly put to rest, however, as St. George's seized back the game's momentum with a solid team try shortly after the restart. The teams then traded penalties before St. George's took advantage of a Shawnigan defensive lapse to score in the corner and take a 13-11 advantage heading into the break. As the Shawnigan team huddled for what would be their final halftime strategy session, Coaches Murdy, Williams, Doyle and Linn searched for words to inspire their charges to finish a journey that began so promisingly and now seemed to be slowly slipping away.
Shawnigan started the second half much as they did the first, taking the game to St. George's and earning another penalty, which Dustin converted to give the team a 14-13 advantage. Rather than fold, however, St. George's again responded with a penalty of their own, and the see-saw tilt swung back to the Vancouver side 16-14.
The turning point in the match came after a period of sustained pressure that saw wave after wave of Shawnigan ball carriers valiantly turned aside by St. George's defenders. The ball eventually found its way to inside centre Vaughn G., who scored a brilliant individual try, jinking and sidestepping his way through four defenders to touch down and give Shawnigan a 19-16 advantage. It was a lead they would never relinquish. A second try by man of the match Dustin D. gave the 1st XV the insurance points they needed, and when the final whistle blew Shawnigan ran out deserving winners by a 24-16 scoreline.
Congratulations to all the boys on their fantastic achievement!
***Photos of the final are now posted on the Shawnigan Facebook Page, with additional photos to be posted here on Monday***
– Ryan Panton ’97
Photos by Wendy Woollven and Stephen Lane
Facebook photos by Stephen Lane