Bayside Sharks win third straight rugby game

Nick Greenizan

Sports Reporter

Three weeks into the first division men’s rugby season, the Bayside Sharks find themselves at the top of the standings with a sparkling 3-0 record.

But a showdown this weekend with the Vancouver Rowing Club will determine if they stay in first-place long.

The Rowers – who, like Bayside, were relegated from the CDI Premier Rugby League this spring – are just one point back of the surging Sharks.

The Sharks notched a win – plus a bonus point for scoring at least four tries – Saturday at South Surrey Athletic Park, with a 36-5 decision over the Cowichan Piggies Rugby Club. Two weeks ago, Bayside travelled to Victoria and returned with a 22-5 win over the Velox Valhallians.

“It’s been a good start to the season,” said Sharks coach Pat Kearney. “We’re setting ourselves up to be promoted back into the premier league in the fall.”

Against Cowichan, the Sharks were led by Spencer Thorpe, who had two tries, and Peter Clifford, who had a try and three conversions. Other tries were tallied by Corey Wood, Cody Rockson and Gurvinder Kalar.

Though they put up 36 points on Cowichan, Bayside’s offence was stymied – at least in the early stages – by rain and a soggy pitch. They led 12-5 at halftime before scoring 24 second-half points.

“We started a bit slow – it was a pretty soggy track out there – but in the end, I think our fitness and talent wore them down, and we were able to put up some points,” Kearney said.

Kearney was hoping for better weather for this weekend’s tilt against the Rowers, but either way, he said he’s encouraged by the fact his troops have shown the ability to score in slower, sloppier games.

“Hopefully it’ll be a nice, sunny day,” he said. “We are fast, fit and young, so we want to go out there and spin the ball, get out and run with it and put up some points.

“We aren’t big, so we don’t like to play that grinding, plodding style, but we can if we have to.”

All three Bayside men’s teams will be in action Saturday against the Rowing Club. The clubs’ third-division teams square off at 11:30 a.m., following by second-division teams at 1 p.m and the first-division game at 2:30 p.m.