Last Saturday was a tough day for the men and women of the Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Club.
The men’s team lost 20-10 to Westshore RFC at Cumberland Village Park. Curtis Card and Brandon Hudson scored tries for the Kickers.
“We’ve definitely improved since our last game,” said Hudson, a flanker who is team captain. “Our scrums were strong, and we ran the ball well. It was very much a back-and-forth game filled with hard hits.
“We had one try that was held up in the end zone and were unable to score from the resulting scrum. We missed some key tackles that allowed Westshore to score a breakaway try. Those two plays would end up being the difference maker. All in all, I am very happy with how the team performed. We have a ton of potential and look forward to playing more rugby games.”
The women’s team suffered its first loss of the season, losing 34-7 to the Nanaimo Hornets. Karli MacFarlane scored the lone try for the Kickers, with Paula Simpson successfully kicking the convert.
“It was a cold and rainy rugby day, making it difficult to pass the ball out wide and use our speed,” said team captain Natalie Nguyen. “We were within five metres of scoring a few times during the game but were unable to capitalize. Those missed opportunities really hurt us.
“We made too many mistakes and conceded too many penalties,” she added. “At the end of the day, Nanaimo played a better game and deserved the win. The big takeaway for us is how will we respond. We have a hard schedule coming up, heading to Victoria on consecutive weekends after the bye. I am very optimistic that we will be able to learn and grow from this loss, and become an even stronger team going forward.”
Both teams are continually recruiting players. No experience is necessary. Practices are held Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Cumberland Village Park. Everyone is welcome.
