High School Rugby

Notice the nose? Oak Bay's John Truly Boehme, pictured scoring the final try of the Barbarians AAAA B.C. championship season, did what he had to do to help his team to an historic win last month in Abbotsford. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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Oak Bay’s John Truly Boehme: His story behind the photo!

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I took thousands of photographs, both on fields and inside gymnasiums, over the course of the 2017-18 B.C.high school and university sports season. And while my personal favourites all, to some degree, attempt to convey a sense of emotion, the one that stands out most for me does so for a variety of reasons. 

Brentwood College's Sion Griffiths battled injury and some pretty tight scheduling this past weekend to win silver medals at both the B.C. high school rugby, and track and field championships. (Photos by Jeff Sargeant (left) and Howard Tsumura property of UBC athletics, VarsityLetters.ca)
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Two sports, two medals, same weekend! For Brentwood’s Sion Griffiths, silver-lining finishes worth their weight in gold

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ABBOTSFORD — There’s an old saying about how easy it is to miss the silver linings if all you expect to find is gold.

Winning Collingwood players (left to right) Adam Lewis, Cam Bruk (13), Sebastian Hutton and Jack Allen joined led the Cavs' mass group hug after the West Vancouver school beat Brentwood College to win the 2018 B.C. AA Tier 1 rugby crown at Abbotsford's Rotary Stadium. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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For Collingwood, speed thrills! Cavaliers find bounty of offence to top Brentwood College and win first B.C. title since 2013

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VANCOUVER — If Ethan Lucke had picked another sport to make his specialty, you could quite easily picture him suiting up in any number of different roles.

The emotions of victory in the B.C. Quad-A rugby title game were almost too much for the Oak Bay Barbarians to handle Friday night at Rotary Stadium. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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Oak Bay coach Atkinson: “I’m almost speechless…” Barbs first public school in a decade to win B.C.’s top-tiered rugby crown!

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LANGLEY — When you spend your entire high school rugby career growing up in the shadow of Goliath, finally getting a chance to step out into a spotlight of your own can be a little blinding.

The South Delta Sun Devils and Robert Bateman Timberwolves, a pair of public schools, clash Saturday to determine the B.C. title at the province's second-highest tier of schoolboy rugby competition. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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All You Can Eat, Day 2: Rugby BC’s set the championship dance card! Bateman, S. Delta, Collingwood, Brentwood each a win away from title town

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Day 2 is now in the books at the 2018 B.C. Secondary Schools Rugby Union B.C. championships. Tonight, we break down the re-match of an early season clash which few would have thought at the time was a preview to this Saturday’s B.C. Triple A Tier 1 championship.

Chilliwack's G.W. Graham Grizzlies surrounded and outscored East Van's Tupper Tigers in B.C. AA Tier 1 action Wednesday in Abbotsford. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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All you can eat: A rugby feast on Day 1 of 2018 BC’s sees a near Mountain-ous upset and West Van’s heart-stopping win!

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ABBOTSFORD — We’ve covered Quad-A semifinals in two earlier postings. Here’s our look at the rest of the senior varsity happenings from Day 1 of the 2018 B.C. high school rugby championships:

Shawnigan Lake prop Andre Janse van Rensburg (left, 1) can attest to the hard-hitting nature of Wednesday's B.C. Quad-A semifinal against Vancouver's St. George's Saints. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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Furious Saints comeback falls short, dynastic Stags rally late as Shawnigan Lake now preps for B.C. Quad-A final against Oak Bay

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VANCOUVER — The Shawnigan Lake Stags almost let some mental lapses torpedo their bid for a fourth straight B.C. senior boys top-tiered high school rugby championship.

Oak Bay's Nick Carson was a force of nature near the try line on Wednesday. Here, he powers his way to a first-half try in the B.C. Quad A semifinals against North Van's Carson Graham Eagles. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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Barbarians show no nerves! Oak Bay’s encore to Shawnigan shocker is BC Quad-A semifinal win over Carson Graham

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ABBOTSFORD — Last week, Victoria’s Oak Bay Barbarians turned the 2018 B.C. high school rugby season on its ear by defeating the previously unbeaten, three-time defending B.C. top-tier champion Shawnigan Lake Stags 20-15 in the Vancouver Island AAAA final.

A field general on the football field, Michael Calvert exerts similar influence on South Delta's B.C. title-contending AAA Tier 1 rugby team which hopes to make a championship run beginning Wednesday in Abbotsford. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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Michael Calvert: UBC’s touted QB recruit closes out high school career at South Delta by putting on his rugby shoes

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ABBOTSFORD — When Michael Calvert took a second and thought about all the friendships and moments of brotherhood he had shared with the same group of friends since his early elementary school days in Tsawwassen, the answer was pretty simple.And that’s why, after he played the role of spectator back on April 10, watching his […]