Kelowna’s Apple Bowl will play host to an elite level rugby match on Saturday evening when the BC Bears (0-1) senior men’s provincial team scrums down against the Prairie Wolf Pack (1-0) in round two of the Canadian Rugby Championship (CRC).
The CRC is Canada’s elite level domestic rugby competition, used as a primary selection tool for the annual Americas Rugby Championship (ARC), hosted near Victoria, BC. The ARC is a pivotal step in the development pathway for provincial representatives looking to play for Canada. The Canada-A roster is selected for the Americas tournament where players will compete against national sides from Argentina, USA and Uruguay.
The Okanagan region last hosted a CRC fixture in 2011, when the Bears edged the Wolf Pack in a 31-29 thriller at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl. The Bears most recently faced the Prairie side in the Aug. 9 season opener, where they fell 31-10 to the Wolf Pack in Calgary.
“The players are very much looking forward to this weekend’s fixture in Kelowna,” said BC Rugby CEO and Bears Director of Rugby Jim Dixon. “Not only is it great to be playing in the Okanagan region, but the players are also desperate to make amends for last week’s below-par performance. The Wolf Pack are a tight knit group and we must start well and create pressure to ensure the game is competitive and we get the result we want.”
The BC Bears will be practicing at the Apple Bowl on Friday, Aug. 15 at 5 p.m.
Canadian Rugby Championship
Aug 9, 6:30pm: CRC BC Bears 10 – 31 Prairie Wolf Pack (Calgary Rugby Park, Alberta)
Aug 16, 7:00pm: CRC Prairie Wolf Pack at BC Bears (Apple Bowl, Kelowna)
Sept 4, 5:00pm: CRC Atlantic Rock at BC Bears (Klahanie Park, West Vancouver)
Sept 7, 1:00pm: CRC Ontario Blues at BC Bears (Klahanie Park, West Vancouver)
Sept 18, 8:00pm: CRC BC Bears at Ontario Blues (Guelph University Stadium)
Sept 21, 3:00pm: CRC BC Bears at Atlantic Rock (Swiler’s Rugby Complex, St. John’s Newfoundland)
