James Bay, Crimson Tide host touring Irish team
Hugo Belanger carried the ball for the Crimson Tide in 2007. The Tide play Saturday, July 4 at Bullen Park or Oak Bay High at 3 p.m.
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The Vancouver Island Crimson Tide has been around 100 years, so it's no surprise the disbanding of the Rugby Canada Super League presents just another hurdle to overcome for the select side.
Without the RCSL, the Tide's schedule drops from five to eight games down to one. However, the game's only match of the year is a big one. And the Tide will persevere, says former president and current general manager John Wrafter.
Ballymena Rugby Football Club from Northern Ireland will play three games against local teams on their current tour, the last against Crimson Tide at either Bullen Park in Esquimalt, 3 p.m. this Saturday (July 4).
Ballymena's under-23 team, sprinkled with a few older players, will play James Bay Athletic Association, 6 p.m. tonight (July 1) at Bullen Park.
The first match for the touring side is in the books, a 50-7 romp over the Cowichan Piggies on June 27.
Because of the difficulties assembling a premier side in the summer months, James Bay players won't be available when the Tide face Ballymena.
For Saturday's game, Castaway-Wanderers coach Lee Lindwall will lead a team made up of CW, Velox Valhallians, Nanaimo RFC and Cowichan players.
Local club players joining the Tide for the match are Velox's Aaron Frisby, Ryan Frisby, Dan White, Scott Harnden and Karl Renner, CW's Seamus Gay, Sipili Molia, Robbie Wright, Doug Hepp and Doug Middleton, as well as Cowichan's Robin McDowell and University of Victoria Vike Mac Poole.
End of the RCSL:
For the time being the Tide will return to its status as an Island representative team playing touring sides much like it did a century ago.
The RCSL started strong in the late 90's but has hit hard times, with top players opting for the more elite America's Cup Rugby tournament (also known as North America 4 or NA4). The Tide were one of the most successful RCSL teams, winning four national titles in the league's 11 years of existence.
The newly expanded America's Cup jumps from four teams to eight, with B.C. facing Ontario, the Prairies and Atlantic teams in September. Venues for B.C. team matches have yet to be determined.
On the junior front, the V.I. Rising Tide under-20 team is winless in three games of the inaugural Rugby Canada National Junior Championship season.
sports@vicnews.com
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