This past fall, an Ad Hoc Tier Committee worked collaboratively to develop a revised tier model which would more appropriately meet the needs of our sport.

The initial draft was reviewed by the Executive and Zone Representatives, and the committee leadership attended meetings in a number of areas within the province to explain the proposal.  Based on the discussion and suggestions put forward at these meetings, the model was revised on an ongoing basis.

The final draft was unanimously supported by the BC SCHOOL SPORTS Competitive Standards Committee, who commended the BCSSRU for submitting a model that significantly addresses the changing times and provides more opportunities for excellence and participation.

The proposal as presented will go forward as a formal Resolution to the BC SCHOOL SPORTS Annual General Meeting on May 8, 2010.  If this Resolution is adopted, the format as presented will be implemented on a trial basis for 2010-2011.

• Click here for a copy of the Resolution.

Congratulations to the following teams which are travelling overseas this spring season:

Aldergrove Community to Australia
St. Edmund’s College, Canberra ACT
Blue Mountains Grammar School, Wentworth Falls NSW
Redfield College, Sydney NSW
Immanuel Lutheran College, Maroochydore QLD

Argyle to Australia and New Zealand
Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Sunshine Coast QLD
Somerset College, Gold Coast QLD
Winmalee High School, Blue Mountains NSW
KingsWay School, Orewa, New Zealand
Mercury Bay Area School, Whitianga, New Zealand

Heritage Park to England and Wales
John Fisher School, London, England
Akeley Wood School, Northampton, England
King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Plasmawr School, Cardiff, Wales

Hugh McRoberts to England and Wales
Pontypridd School, Pontypridd, Wales
The High School Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Belfast High School, Belfast, Northern Ireland
St. Anselm’s College, Birkenhead, England

Prince of Wales to England and Scotland
Judd School, Tonbridge, England
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Birmingham, England
Crossley Heath School, Yorkshire, England
Kinross High School, Kinross, Scotland
Aberdeen Grammar School, Aberdeen, Scotland

W.J. Mouat to Australia
Wakehurst Rugby Football Club, Sydney NSW
Erindale College, Wanniassa ACT
Bishop Druitt College, Coffs Harbour NSW
St. John’s Woodlawn College, Lismore NSW
Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane QLD

The Kamloops Rugby Club will once again
host their annual festival of high school rugby.  It will take place on April 16 and 17.  There will be a Grade 8 Division, Junior Boys
Division and Senior Boys Division.  Each
participating team is guaranteed three games. 
More detailed information will be posted on the Club’s website (www.kamrugby.com) early in the new
year.  For more immediate information,
you can contact Tony Stobie, Club President, at nielsenstobie@shaw.ca.

Our Season of Play starts on March 1, 2010.  Competition between a school team and a team outside that school may not take place before that date.

Player Registration Forms must be submitted to the BC SCHOOL SPORTS office by way of the on-line registration system no later than March 22, 2010. Please carefully read Section C2.3 (Adding Names to Student-Athlete Registration Form) in the BCSS Directory – Competitive Rules and Regulations 2009-2010.

Applications for BCSSRU Scholarships must be received no later than April 16, 2010.

BCSSRU Sevens 2010 will be held on April 17 and 18, 2010, and will be hosted by St. George’s School (Vancouver BC).

The final day on which teams may qualify for Provincials 2010 is Thursday, May 20, 2010.  The final rankings and game schedules will posted on the website the following day.

Provincials 2009 will be held as follows:
Round 1 Games (at various locations around the province) on May 29, 2010.
Rounds 2, 3 and 4 Games at the Rotary Stadium and Exhibition Park Complex in Abbotsford on June 2, 3 and 5, 2010.

We are pleased to announce the fifteen candidates selected to receive BCSSRU Scholarships for 2009.  These were announced at the Provincials 2009 Opening Ceremony in Thunderbird Stadium (UBC) on Wednesday, May 27.

BC Secondary Schools’ Rugby Union Scholarships

• Cole Coventry (Earl Marriott)
• Johnny Humphries (St. Michaels University)
• Jonathan Martin (Robert Bateman)
• Keaton Styles (Earl Marriott)

Derek Hyde-Lay Memorial Scholarships

• Zahid Jethani (St. George’s)
• Corey Sheremeto (Robert Bateman)

Pacific Northwest Over 40 Rugby Union Scholarships

• Kurtis Appeldoorn (W.J. Mouat)
• Shea Wakefield (Oak Bay)

BC Rugby Union (Benj O’Connor) Scholarship

• Carlin Hamstra (Shawnigan Lake)

Lower Mainland Zone Rugby Scholarship

• Ross Yellowlees  (St. George’s)

Donn Spence (UBC) Scholarship

• Colin Graydon (Semiahmoo)

Bruce Howe (UVic) Scholarship

• Casey Cavers (Ladysmith)

BC Secondary Schools’ Rugby Scholarships  (Sponsored by x-treme Rugbywear Ltd.)

• Aidan Finlay (Abbotsford Collegiate)
• Lucas Fletcher (Sullivan Heights)

BC Rugby Referees’ Society/BC Secondary Schools’ Rugby Union Referee Scholarship

• Eric Berard (Rockridge)

Profiles of the winners will be posted on the website at a later date.

1st XV
Shawnigan Lake 36 vs  St. George’s 29
St. Michaels University 38 vs  Earl Marriott 24
Oak Bay 55 vs  Magee 7
Brentwood College 55 vs  Vancouver College 0
Ladysmith 64 vs  Seycove 14

2nd XV
Shawnigan Lake 22 vs  Carson Graham 22
Brentwood College 24 vs  St. George’s 14
Cowichan 24 vs  Earl Marriott 10

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.

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Entries from Manager Rhodri Samuel’s Tour Diary

March 12 Our first stop of the tour was Bangor Grammar School (near Belfast).  On the pitch, it was a well-earned 36-5 win for the 1st XV.  We were more of a physical presence and scored three tries out wide.  The 2nd XV lost 10-29, but it was a much closer game than the score showed.

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