News Archive

The 2024-25 school year has been an excellent one at Shawnigan on several fronts, with standout performances in all sports over the course of the year. We wrapped up the year by qualifying for the provincial championships in rugby, tennis, badminton, golf, and track and field, and sent a big contingent to the national championships in rowing. Congratulations to all the athletes who represented Shawnigan in all sports this year.

The senior boys’ and girls’ (Iron Women) 1st XV teams both won their respective Island championships and advanced to the provincial tournaments, where they both earned silver medals in their respective divisions.

 

The boys moved through the AAA Tier 1 division with wins over Abbotsford in the quarter-finals and Oak Bay in the semis, then were beaten by St. George’s in the title game. The girls defeated Robert Bateman and Mark R. Isfeld before falling to D.W. Poppy in the AA championship match. The Colts also reached the junior boys’ provincial championships, where they battled through and finished the season with a victory.

 

Three Shawnigan community members were honoured with awards during the coaches’ dinner held at provincials. Mr. Jeff Williams, head coach of the senior boys 1st XV, received the Distinguished Coaching Award; Eddie Evans ’81 (Lake’s) was presented with an Honourary Membership in the BC Secondary Schools Rugby Union in recognition of a lifetime of supporting high school rugby; and Walter van Halst ’84 (Lonsdale’s) also received an Honouray Membership in the BCSSRU for his time as Commissioner of the BCSSRU and Chair of the BC School Sports Rugby Advisory Committee.

 

One of the largest events on the School calendar, with nearly every student and staff member involved in one way or another, the 64th annual Shawnigan Regatta roiled the waters of our namesake lake on May 9-11, with excellent showings from our own rowers and lots of promise for the future.

 

“We had a great regatta,” Head of Rowing Mrs. Jennifer Parfitt said. “We are excited about the results we had and the conduct of our athletes in challenging conditions. There were lessons learned throughout which no doubt will help aid us in our journey to the Canadian nationals at the end of this month. Furthermore, the performance of our U17 novice crews and U15 crews were very promising for future years and the upcoming local regatta in Nanaimo on May 24.”

 

It was a bittersweet moment for Grade 12 rower Shelby H., who will continue her rowing career at the University of Portland next year.

 

Spring sports are in full swing at Shawnigan, and teams are in full gear this month, with their sights set on qualifying for Island and provincial tournament berths, or in some cases, reaching the podium at national championships. Our campus has been especially busy preparing for the Stadium Series rugby event on May 2 and the Shawnigan Lake School Regatta on May 9-11.

 

All of Shawnigan’s rugby teams have been busy over the last few weeks, leading up to the Stadium Series games at the School this Friday, and playoffs and provincials later this month.

 

Both Colts teams played against St. George’s last Saturday (April 26). The A team lost a physical match 35-21, but showed a lot of good things, especially their refusal to quit, as they scored the last two tries to keep things close. The “Killer B’s” won their own high-energy game. The A’s responded by calling a team meeting on Monday – the players’ idea – followed by a short late-night practice. They went on to defeat Claremont 35-21 on Tuesday. Earlier in the month, the Colts attended the Tropical Sevens tournament in Tampa, Florida.

Shawnigan’s long-standing relationship with Rowing Canada Aviron is paying dividends for both organizations on and off the water.

 

National team rowers regularly train out of the Shawnigan boathouse, where our student athletes get to work and learn alongside the best rowers in Canada. Those national team rowers can often be seen in Duke’s Café after their morning sessions, sipping coffee alongside Shawnigan students. Rowers also take part in workout sessions in the mezzanine, where they get exposure to high-end physical training.

 

While students were away last November Break, Shawnigan and Rowing Canada furnished part of the Sportsplex with equipment for national team members and School athletes. The room gives all Shawnigan athletes access to the fitness equipment, which includes high-end gear for rowing training, such as rowing ergs and specialized bikes. The equipment is owned by Rowing Canada, and the space is owned by Shawnigan, and athletes from both organizations have access. During academic hours, Rowing Canada has priority, but after academic hours, or on weekends and holidays, it’s Shawnigan’s to use, with proper supervision.

From Shawnigan Lake to Vancouver, Ottawa and Portland, Shawnigan’s athletes have been storming across the continent in recent months, with great results to report, while also preparing for some big upcoming championships.

 

For a long time this season, Shawnigan’s U18 Prep girls’ ice hockey team was hanging around the middle of the CSSHL standings. For the most part, though, that was because the team had played significantly fewer games than most of their rivals. After a busy January, Shawnigan has caught up to the rest of the league, and now sits third in the standings with a strong record of 16 wins and nine losses.

 

In early January, Shawnigan attended the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Showcase Tournament, where they faced off against top U22 teams from across Canada. The team went 3-0 in pool play before bowing out in the playoffs.