This past weekend, the grade 8 rugby team travelled to Vancouver and enjoyed some fine hospitality and two very spirited games of rugby. The first game was on Friday afternoon on the North Shore against Collingwood School. After a slow start, the boys managed to put forth a very solid effort in what turned out to be a very physical and close contest. There were some exciting phases of play from both teams but the home team managed to hang on to win by two points in a very tense final five minutes. Patricio F. and Seth P. were outstanding both offensively and defensively.

The following morning, the lads crossed over to the west side of Vancouver to play St. George's who are always a difficult side to play at home. Under sunny skies and perfect conditions, Shawnigan was ready for the challenge. In the first five minutes, several tackles were missed and we found ourselves down by seven points. The boys immediately fought back, tackled well and, as time moved on, got more confident in their attack. Teddy Z. proved to be a good link at scrum-half; he was quick to the ball and varied his options well. Sam I. ran with determination at flyhalf and broke the line of defence several times to create openings for us to exploit. The boys took control of the game and continued to tackle bravely against a bigger St. George's team. A 22-12 victory for Shawnigan -- a rare occurrence indeed at St George's! The coaches were delighted with their performance. All the grade 8 lads played and they enjoyed their experience both on and off the field. The coaches and players would like to thank all the parents that hosted, without their support the trip would not have been possible.