There was a time you couldn鈥檛 browse through a Canadian national team rugby roster, right up to the World Cup, without glancing at the names of former Oak Bay High and St. Michaels University School alumni. The game programs were literally thick with them.
The two teams represent one of the greatest rivalries, across any sport, in sa国际传媒 high school athletics.
The latest chapter goes today with the 25th anniversary Rees Boot Cup game at 3:45 p.m. on the SMUS grounds. The annual matchup is named in honour of SMUS-grad Gareth Rees, a member of sa国际传媒鈥檚 Sports Hall of Fame, who played in four World Cups and twice as Canadian captain.
鈥淚t was a great rivalry in my day and it is still a great rivalry,鈥� said Rees, of the annual SMUS-Oak Bay matchup.
As might be expected from the two mega programs, the series has been tight, with Oak Bay leading 12-11-1.
There should once again be a great atmosphere for the fixture.
鈥淪o many players have gone on to represent sa国际传媒 from both schools,鈥� said veteran SMUS coach Ian Hyde-Lay, who has been through more than a few of these battles against the Barbs.
鈥淢any of those alumni come back for this annual game and there is always a big crowd with a high level of excitement. We know it鈥檚 a big day for our school.鈥�
SMUS is young this season, as reflected by the fact prop and captain Josh Mao is among 10 Grade 11 starters. Oak Bay is the defending sa国际传媒 4A champion.
鈥淏ut you throw the form chart out the window for this game. It鈥檚 always been hard to predict,鈥� said Hyde-Lay.
Oak Bay is captained by Grade 12 fly-half Jack Carson, who has just about every university program in the country salivating.
鈥淸Carson] is the most accomplished high school player in the province,鈥� said Hyde-Lay.
To the winner goes the bronzed Rees Boot. Legend has it that it was one of Rees鈥� old cleats. But legend would be wrong.
鈥淚 was in England at the time and [former Oak Bay and national-team coach] Gary Johnston picked out an old boot, but it wasn鈥檛 one of mine, although I paid to have it bronzed,鈥� explained Rees.
Now the Rees Boot will have some company after 25 years. An annual competition will begin today, at 3 p.m. before the boys鈥� game, between the girls鈥� rugby sevens teams of SMUS and Oak Bay. They will play for the newly inaugurated Robinson Cup, named after brothers Spencer and Roger Robinson.
Spencer Robinson coaches the SMUS girls鈥� sevens team and Roger Robinson the Oak Bay squad. If that wasn鈥檛 a familial enough Rugby Family Robinson storyline, both brothers have daughters on their respective teams. Tate Robinson plays for SMUS and Marley Robinson for Oak Bay. One of the cousins will be able to lift aloft her family鈥檚 namesake trophy today and having bragging rights for the next year around the dinner table at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
鈥淲e hope the Robinson Cup becomes as big on the girls鈥� high school side as the Boot is on the boys鈥� side,鈥� said Rees.
Rees noted Spencer Robinson鈥檚 contribution to women鈥檚 sevens rugby: 鈥淗e was one of the first to fight for it and he did a lot to help grow the women鈥檚 game in the early years, and he has not been credited much for that.鈥�
Today that omission has been corrected, with the namesake Robinson Cup, which takes its rightful place alongside the Rees Boot.
