LANGLEY — After one year away, Varsity Letters is back with one of the most-read features in our young history.
Two seasons ago, through the expertise of the B.C. Secondary Schools Rugby Union, we presented our first B.C.’s Top XV player list, featuring the top three high school players from around the province at each position.
After a year away due to timing issues, we are back, and through the week we will re-visit the concept in a revamped format.
In an attempt to be as representative as possible of the entire breadth of the schoolboy game in B.C., the BCSSRU has widened the overall focus to select, exclusively for Varsity Letters, teams for each of its three classifications of play: AA, AAA and AAAA.
Today, we start at AA, where along with a representative flair from the traditional provincial power bases in West Vancouver and along the southern regions of Vancouver Island, we see the growth of the game emerging with East Vancouver, Burnaby and Langley public schools all earning sweater numbers.
In keeping with rugby’s 23-man game-day roster, here is Varsity Letters’ inaugural B.C. Double-A Game Day XXIII with an explanation of positions included below.
VARSITY LETTERS/BCSSRU GAME-DAY 23
B.C.’s BEST
DOUBLE-A 2019
1 Josh Mao (Victoria-St. Michaels University School)
2 Joel Abdel-Barr (West Vancouver-Collingwood)
3 Stephen Santos (Vancouver-Sir Charles Tupper)
4 Sebastian Hutton (West Vancouver-Collingwood)
5 Relmu Wilson-Valdez (Nelson-L.V. Rogers)
6 Elvis Duru (Victoria-St. Michaels University School)
7 Tyler Preston (West Vancouver-Collingwood)
8 Abdullah Hammawah (Mill Bay-Brentwood College)
9 Lukas Okano (West Vancouver-Collingwood)
10 Graeme Neill-Klein (West Vancouver-Collingwood)
11 Ty Olynyk (Victoria-St. Michaels University School)
12 Nate Holm (West Vancouver-Collingwood)
13 Seb Geddes (West Vancouver-Rockridge)
14 Torren Kaiser (Mill Bay-Brentwood College)
15 Arnau Torrent (Mill Bay-Brentwood College)
16 Dino Demirovic (Burnaby-Byrne Creek)
17 Brian Ma (Langley-D.W. Poppy)
18 Liam Mitchell (Mill Bay-Brentwood College)
19 Francesco Tosato (Burnaby-Byrne Creek)
20 Matt Lindsay (West Vancouver-Rockridge)
21 Callum Blake-Currier (Mill Bay-Brentwood College)
22 Kiya Vivier-Miller (Vancouver-Sir Charles Tupper)
23 Mitchell Morgan (Vancouver-Sir Charles Tupper)
By The Numbers
Players listed 1-15 are intended to be as position-specific as possible as per 1-loose-head prop; 2-hooker; 3-tight-head prop; 4-second-row, 5-second-row; 6-blind-side flanker; 7-open-side flanker; 8-No. 8; 9-scrum-half; 10-fly-half; 11-left wing; 12-inside-centre; 13-outside centre; 14-right wing; 15-fullback.
Players listed 16-17-18 are mainly front-row types.
Players listed 18-19-20 are primarily second row and back row types.
Players listed 21-22-23 are reserve backs at any position).
COMING WEDNESDAY — Our look at Triple A!
If you’re reading this story or viewing these photos on any website other than one belonging to a university athletic department, it has been taken without appropriate permission. In these challenging times, true journalism will survive only through your dedicated support and loyalty. VarsityLetters.ca and all of its exclusive content has been created to serve B.C.’s high school and university sports community with hard work, integrity and respect. Feel free to drop us a line any time at howardtsumura@gmail.com.
