Who made the grade and more on Semifinal Thursday at the 2017 BCSSRU provincial championships out here in Abbotsford?
Our intrepid Adam Roberts polled the masses, trusted his own eyes, and came up with Varsity Letter’s Big 5, our top 5 players of the day.
JORGE MANUEL-RODRIGUEZ-MARON
No. 8, Rockridge Ravens (North Vancouver)
The skinny — He’s from the Dominican Republic but he doesn’t play baseball. Instead, he’s fallen in love with the brotherhood of rugby.
Tough and sincere, he’s headed to the nation’s capital in the fall to study Humanities at Carleton University. And oh yeah, he scored a try for his Ravens today.
VON RICHARDSON
Prop, No. 8, G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack)
The skinny — In case you thought he was one dimensional, the Grizz’s rugby star also happened to rush for 195 yards-per-game this season and that’s no typo.
On the rugby field Thursday he was especially impressive, and the Manteca, Ca., native is pondering playing both football and rugby next season for the Simon Fraser Clan.
NOAH KING
No. 8, St. George’s (Vancouver)
The skinny — ID’d as one of our nation’s top age-group talents, King played for Canada in Under 18 action this spring in France.
King scored a try and stole a few line-outs Thursday in the Saints Quad A win over Oak Bay. The furture? He is looking at attending either Queen’s or Western in the fall.
REESE MADDISON
Outside centre, Nanaimo District Islanders
The skinny — As a senior, Maddison is making his first appearance at the BC tourney and is embracing the moment.
Football, biking and swimming high on his multi-sport checklist but his love for rugby? He’ll be in Burnaby this fall to study marine engineering at BCIT, so he’s thinking of joining the Burnaby Lake Rugby Club.
MATTHEW MCDOUGAL-PERCILLIER
Scrum-half, Brentwood College (Mill Bay)
The skinny — He’s still got a couple of more seasons of high school rugby remaining, and one of those moments to remember, he hopes comes on Saturday when his team faces SMUS in the BC AA Tier 1 final.
Hopes for the future?
How about playing rugby and earning his degree at UBC for one of the best collegiate programs on the continent, and then one day suting up for the senior national 7’s?
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