Action in the Canadian Direct Insurance sa国际传媒 Premier Rugby League has had its usual interruptions due to national team player assignments, December-January field closures in some parks, and this season the re-introduction of McKechnie Cup inter-union play for the first time since 2004.
In making its belated return to the pitch today for the first time since Nov. 24, the Premiership has also rolled out a new league logo, featuring an ominous-looking Kermode Bear. It鈥檚 an apt image, referencing the fierceness of the sport with an iconic sa国际传媒 animal.
The two local Premier fixtures heralding the second part of the season today take place at 2:45 p.m. with James Bay Athletic Association taking on the Castaway Wanderers in an all-Island derby at Windsor Park in Oak Bay and the University of Victoria Vikes hosting Bayside from the Lower Mainland at Wallace Field.
Knocking off the rust will be a main focus.
JBAA head coach Peter Rushton said the break was too long. 鈥淲e recognize the need that things need to be done differently next season,鈥� said Rushton, whose club tried to stay in form by playing Cowichan, Nanaimo and Velox of the lower-level Division 1 the last three weeks.
鈥淚t was a long break and it wasn鈥檛 good for coaches, players or fans. It makes starting up after Christmas tough. It鈥檚 not good for club consistency. But it will get corrected [next season].鈥�
But the one thing everyone understands in rugby is that country trumps club. Both JBAA and Castaway Wanderers will continue missing players to the Canadian national team.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 be seeing a lot of our sa国际传媒 players. [Jeff] Hassler and [John] Moonlight are huge parts of the sevens program and have a gruelling, demanding schedule [in the version of rugby that will make its Olympic debut at Rio 2016].鈥�
JBAA does get back 2011 World Cup veteran Sean White today. Leading the Bays, and the Premier League in scoring with 54 points on three tries, seven penalty goals and nine converts, is former CIS national-champion UVic Vikes soccer goalkeeper Dan Kilpatrick, who is proving himself a versatile multi-sport threat.
Second-place JBAA is 5-2 and sixth-place CW 2-4-1 heading into their game today at Windsor. UVic is in fourth place at 3-4 as it meets seventh-place Bayside (2-5). On the Mainland, the Meralomas (5-2 and in first-place based on bonus points for tries scored) take on Capilano (third-ranked at 5-2) in a key fixture while the trailing UCOB Ravens (1-4-1) are at fifth-seed Burnaby Lake (3-3).
The JBAA-CW game will also count in the Barnard Cup standings, a separate playdown counting only the Island teams.
CW can win the 100th Barnard Cup competition with a win today. A聽JBAA win means the Cup winner won鈥檛 be decided until an April 20 game between JBAA and UVic.
The Barnard is an important sidelight, but Rushton made it clear what remains the major goal.
鈥淥ur biggest focus is the Rounsefell Cup [for sa国际传媒 Premier supremacy],鈥� he noted.
