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VICTORIA 7 TRI CITY 3 The Victoria Royals continue to confound. After losing two straight games to Western Hockey League lesser-lights Vancouver and Red Deer, the Royals rebounded with victories over highly regarded Spokane and Tri City.

VICTORIA 5 POWELL RIVER 3 Marty Westhaver’s goal late in the second period held up as the game-winner and he added an insurance goal as the Victoria Grizzlies managed a split in their series with the host Powell River Kings on Saturday night at Hap P

Gary Reed saw a bit of himself Saturday night as he prepared to address the young runners of the Western Hub, which is the Victoria-based Athletics sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ western training centre for the nation’s promising middle-distance track athletes.

They needed that. The players on the Canadian rugby team, most of them centralized in Langford, finally celebrated a Test victory Saturday with a 37-27 decision over Spain in Madrid.

If the Victoria Grizzlies want to surpass the Powell River Kings in the race for top spot in the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Hockey League’s Island Division, they’re going to have to solve the Kings’ lethal power play, or stay out of the penalty box.

For a couple of offensively-notable teams, the Victoria Royals and Spokane Chiefs played it tight Friday night before 4,771 fans at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

The numbers suggested the University of Victoria Vikes were going to have their hands full and the digits didn’t lie. The No. 8-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies came into Friday night’s sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ West basketball matchup at CARSA gym averaging 88.

The Victoria HarbourCats added some experience to their pitching staff for the 2018 season. The HarbourCats signed four right-handed pitchers, all with collegiate summer league experience, to the 2018 West Coast League roster.

This weekend will be the final opportunity of 2017 for hoop fans to see the University of Victoria Vikes in action as a quirky schedule has both the men and women home at CARSA gym for just the second time this sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ West season.

Veterans Phil Mack of Victoria and Laura Russell of Cowichan RFC will respectively captain the Canadian men’s and women’s rugby teams for Test matches this week.