As Meat Loaf sang: 鈥淒on鈥檛 be sad 鈥� two out of three ain鈥檛 bad.鈥�
The Island took a pair of games in the rugby tripleheader played Saturday at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
Inter-union play, once a staple of provincial play before disappearing for nearly a decade, was revived in spirited fashion at Langford as the Island Crimson Tide won the men鈥檚 game over Vancouver 33-13 while the Island women defeated Vancouver 17-10. Vancouver won the U-20 fixture 34-27 over the Island.
The McKechnie Cup, inaugurated the same year as the modern Olympics in 1896, hasn鈥檛 been contested since 2004 but is now on again. The competition, featuring the men鈥檚 rugby unions of the various parts of the province, began its new era Saturday with the Crimson Tide鈥檚 victory as future Canadian national team prospect Pat Kay of Duncan scored two tries and kicked three penalty goals and two converts for 23 points.
The Island and Vancouver teams met in the opening games of the Ruth Hellerud-Brown Cup for senior women and Dunbar Cup for Under-20 men.
鈥淚t is such a very big step up from club to national team level that this [inter-union] play is vital,鈥� said Kenny Goodland, who coaches the Crimson Tide with Roger Robinson.
鈥淭his is a necessary step to bridge between the club and national team levels. The country needs this progression, these steps.鈥�
Laura Crowe-Hutchon, Kehla Guimond and Kara Galbraith scored the Island tries in the women鈥檚 victory. Isaac Kay, John Larimer, Nathan Yanagiya and Crosby Stewart scored the Island tries in the U-20 loss while highly-touted Fergus Hall had two converts and a penalty goal.
All the Cups will be single round-robin competitions.
The second round is scheduled Feb. 2 at CFV Exhibition Park in Abbotsford with Vancouver Island away to the Fraser Valley. The third round will be hosted Feb. 16 at Brockton Oval in Stanley Park with the Fraser Valley at Vancouver.
鈥淚 believe this is so important that I hope they expand it to a double round-robin next year,鈥� said Goodland.
