Bill Ewing can look out the window of his 25th-floor apartment on West 14th Street in North Van and clearly see the exact spot at Kinsmen Stadium where the future of North Shore rugby was changed forever.

It was there at Kinsmen in 1969 that Ewing – clearly envisioning the potential future of the sport here – set in motion the very beginnings of the Capilano Rugby Club which will be celebrating its history with a memory jogging 40th anniversary dinner this Saturday night at Hollyburn Country Club.

Normally when rival coaches approach each other on the field after a game, it’s merely to shake hands and maybe give congratulations to the winner and offer condolences to the loser before they go on their way.

However, when Ewing, the dynamic, highly respected coach of West Van Barbarians, approached feisty Alex Mahood, his counterpart with North Shore All-Blacks, on the muddy Kinsmen turf following their match on Feb. 19, 1969, he had much more on his mind than a sincere compliment or two regarding the All-Blacks’ narrow 9-6 victory.

Instead, their little chat altered the sport on the north side of Burrard Inlet for all time. For the better, I might add.

Ewing said to Mahood something to the effect, “What would you think of amalgamation, Alex?”

Of course he wasn’t talking municipal politics. No, the amalgamation Ewing was broaching was the joining of the Barbarian and All-Black rugby clubs into one strong North Shore organization.

Mahood’s gravel-voiced response was something like, “Sounds good to me.”

Oh that it would be that easy to, say, join the City and District of North Vancouver (which separated in 1907); or combine the North Van municipalities with West Vancouver (which split in 1912). Just kidding, just kidding! Hold off on those venomous e-mails please.

During that final season of the Barbarians - All-Blacks rivalry in 1968-69, each won one of the two knock-’em- down, drag-’em-out first-division matches between them.

The North Shore Citizen’s account of the first meeting on Oct. 19, 1968, was headlined “Barbarians Surprise All-Blacks.”

“It has been a long wait for West Vancouver Barbarians,” the report began. “After serving as whipping boys for arch-rival North Shore All-Blacks for five years, the first division Barbs took advantage of the breaks and scored a 9-5 English rugger win Saturday at Kinsmen Stadium.

“All-Blacks led 5-3 at the half on Bucky Ellison’s try [worth just three points in those days] and Denny Maynard’s convert but the ’Blacks squandered countless scoring chances (missing three dropped goals and a penalty kick) while the Barbs were quick to capitalize.

“Robin Dyck [Dyke] scored the first W.V. try and then Martin Kaffka romped 60 yards for the winning try and John Langley, a standout for the Barbs, added the insurance try.”

However, when the teams met for what turned out to be their final time on Feb. 19, 1969, the outcome was reversed with a 9-6 All-Blacks’ triumph.

The Citizen noted, “It was the talented toe of Denny Maynard that made the difference. He converted three penalty kicks to account for all his team’s portion. For Barbs, Bill Dunn got a try and Martin Kaffka a dropped goal.”

That was it. Little did anyone know of the momentous exchange that had taken place between Ewing and Mahood after that game. The long, tradition-laden history of the two clubs was over.

The All-Blacks originated in 1930 with people like Art Wootton, Russ Kinninmont and Teddy Watkins-Baker, plus other players and officials such as Dave Carey, Don Doige, Bill Duncan, John Dyer, Ronnie and Tom Fraser, Bud McCall, Vern Mercer, Bob Norminton, Tommy Roxborough, Jack Shaw, George and Glen Smith, Johnny Sutherland, Bill Valcioni, George Wilson and first president Vernon “Pudge” Lester.

The All-Blacks won the second division Province Cup in ’32 and first division Rounsefell Cup in ’33, ’34 and ’35. During a four-year span, they apparently lost a total of only six matches. After rugby’s resumption following a shutdown during World War II, the All-Blacks won the Rounsefell in 1948 and again in 1955.

The Barbarians formed even earlier, in the late 1920s, but they folded and regrouped on several occasions – including during the war years and again in the mid-1950s – and their early history is more difficult to trace.

By 1969, the Barbarians were having difficulty filling lineups for three squads – a first-, second- and third-division team – a requirement in order to remain in the first division. That was true to a lesser extent for the All-Blacks.

After Ewing and Mahood concurred on amalgamation, representatives from the Barbs and All-Blacks met at Ellison’s house to work out details. Players from both sides then gathered at the Capilano Tennis Club on May 8, 1969, to overwhelmingly approve of the new club.

When Mahood, chosen as the first coach, gave a stirring speech, the applause that rebounded off the walls of the meeting room was so loud that the echo has now been going on for four decades.

This is episode 353 from Len Corben’s treasure chest of stories – the great events and the quirky – that bring to life the North Shore’s rich sports history.

ANNIVERSARY SCRUM

Tickets for the Capilanos’ 40th Anniversary Dinner and fundraiser at Hollyburn Country Club (which includes dinner and a program featuring guest speakers from the past and present, silent and live auctions, and a memorabilia display) will still be available at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner at 7:30. Cost is $85 ($65 for current players and their spouses). Dress is jacket and tie.