It was a good weekend for one of the Bayside Sharks’ youngest sides, and a disappointing one for one of its more veteran groups, as the B.C. Rugby Union’s fall season came to a close last week.
First, the good news.
The Sharks’ U15 boys team capped its season with a lopsided 47-0 victory over the Velox Valhallians in the championship game Sunday at South Surrey Athletic Park. The win marked the second consecutive U15 title for the Sharks; last year’s U15 champions won a B.C. U16 title last week.
The U15 Sharks had no trouble dispatching the Victoria-based Valhallians Sunday, scoring nine tries. Dominic Engle and Keenan Houde each had two apiece for Bayside, while single tries were notched by Jesse Adams, Hayden Grant, Spencer Nicoll, Shane Joo and Nicholas Law.
Grant also added a convert to round out the scoring.
The win gave the Sharks’ an 8-0 record this season. They went 6-0 in the regular season, and defeated Meralomas 15-12 in the Lower Mainland championship in late November.
Bayside’s first division men’s team was not as lucky as their younger counterparts last weekend, however.
Playing against their rivals from Burnaby Lake – whose top men’s squad beat the Sharks’ top team a week ago – Bayside’s first division team blew a 15-3 halftime lead, eventually losing 20-15.
The game was the first the Sharks had lost all season.
“I really don’t know what happened,” said Bayside coach Pat Kearney, who also coaches the club’s premier team.
“We had a really good first half, and then after halftime, (Burnaby) lit the fuse, and we just fell apart.
“It does sort of sum up our fall season though – close, but not quite good enough.”
In the first half, the Sharks got tries from Connor Dickie and Zach Thorpe, while Graham Rogers added a convert and a penalty kick, but the offence dried up in the last 40 minutes.
“Burnaby came out hard in the second half, for sure, and unfortunately, we just let them back in the game,” Kearney said.
“They’re a good team – they’re in the final for a reason, too – and you can’t afford to give them any hope, any chance.”