The fourteenth annual Pa’Kit Tournament, held in Penticton this past Easter weekend, was again judged a great success. This event was initiated by the local Harlequins Rugby Club as an opportunity for school teams to experience the game of rugby in an environment designed to encourage fellowship and the ‘rugby culture’ without an over-emphasis on wins and losses.
This year saw eight Senior Boys teams, ten Junior Boys reams and fourteen Girls teams spending three days in the South Okanagan sun learning about rugby, making new friends and collecting bruises and scrapes to show off at school the following week. At the tournament team-building social on the Friday night, more than six hundred young athletes gathered to share stories and eat lasagna.
In the final match of the Senior Boys Division, Mt. Boucherie (Kelowna) defeated Argyle (North Vancouver) by a score of 31 to 21. The Most Improved Team was Forest Lawn (Calgary) and the Referees’ Favourite was perennial Pa’Kit participant Williams Lake.
At the Junior Boys level, King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford, England) and Williams Lake remained undefeated throughout the weekend. Coaches with the overseas guests commented that this was the best competition they had faced on their tour throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. W. J. Mouat (Abbotsford), with a wonderful rendition of ‘Midnight Train’ sung a cappella before each match, was voted as the Referees’ Favourite. Princess Margaret (Penticton) was selected as the Most Improved Team.
The feature match of the Girls Division saw a well drilled and highly skilled Williams Lake team defeat Kwantlen Park (Surrey) by 22-0. The Most Improved Team was Penticton, and the Referees’ Favourite award went to Correlieu (Quesnel).
Congratulations to Ian Butters and the Harlequins for hosting yet another memorable and successful tournament.