Shawnigan will be cheering proudly when Canada kicks off the 2015 World Under 20 Rugby Trophy.
The Canadian side qualified for this year's event with a 65-29 victory in a two-match series against the United States last week.
Match one, played at Shawnigan, ended in dramatic fashion when Guiseppe du Toit ’13 (Duxbury) nailed a penalty as time expired to give Canada a 24-23 edge.
Canada then pulled away in the second-half of game two (played at nearby Westhills Stadium), outscoring the Americans 28-0 over the final 40 minutes to earn a berth in Portugal.
The coaching staff gave particular credit to Canada's forward unit, a group that includes another Shawnigan graduate, Ollie Nott ’13 (Ripley's).
Of course, Canada's coaching staff is anchored by Head Coach Jeff Williams, himself a Shawnigan teacher, coach, and Assistant House Director at Duxbury.
"I've coached Guiseppe since under 15's and Ollie since under 16's," says Williams. It's been nice to see those guys grow up not just as rugby players but as great young men."
Williams also flags the relationship between the School and Rugby Canada as an important partnership for both sides. He points to the world class facilities, including fields, gyms, hydrotherapy units, and meeting rooms as just a sampling of what the school has to offer. "You've also got great meals and Lecky House, and we all get treated so well when we're on campus."
Running from May 12-24, Canada will join host Portugal, along with Fiji, Georgia, Hong Kong, Namibia, Tonga, and Uruguay in battling for promotion to the top-tier World Under 20 Championship for 2016.
Click here for more on the relationship between Shawnigan and Rugby Canada.
– Jon Zacks