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The rain was driving down hard, so two Island high school rugby programs drove even harder through it, all the way to provincial titles Saturday at a drenched Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford.
The Shawnigan Lake School Stags, a dynasty now in every sense, won their seventh sa国际传媒 Quad-A championship in eight years with a 12-8 victory over the St. George鈥檚 Saints of Vancouver in a wet and taut final.
Oak Bay, which lost 25-10 to St. George鈥檚 in the semifinals, defeated Earl Marriott of Surrey 9-6 in the Quad-A bronze-medal game.
The St. Michaels University School Blue Jags won their second consecutive sa国际传媒 Double-A title with a 17-3 victory over the Collingwood Cavaliers of West Vancouver.
鈥淭he field conditions were tough and awkward. The field was really slippery. Our guys responded with character play in the trenches,鈥� Blue Jags coach Ian Hyde-Lay said on the phone.
Defence, and taking advantage of the few chances, become paramount in such conditions.
鈥淲e defended well,鈥� Hyde-Lay said.
The SMUS tries came from Aidan Cole and Lukas de Vries, with Quinn Ngawati kicking for seven points.
SMUS plays a flowing, passing style and has, over the years, produced wingers and backs for the Canadian national team such as Gareth Rees, John Graf, Ed Fairhurst, Mike Pyke and current Nats Mike Fuailefau and Luke McCloskey.
This was the Blue Jags鈥� sixth sa国际传媒 championship since 1991.
The Yale Lions from Abbotsford blanked the Carson Graham Eagles of North Vancouver 17-0 in the sa国际传媒 Triple-A championship game.
