Ballenas Secondary School’s senior girls rugby team got its season off on the right foot recently as they posted a gutsy 15-10 win over Courtnenay’s Vanier Towhees in their 2011 home opener.
Played out March 9 at BSS, the two teams battled to a scoreless first half and the Whalers’ returning fly-half, Gr. 11 standout Charlie Hopkins opened the scoring with her first of two tries on the day early in the second.
“She’s one of the best open field runners but she’s also got very good lateral movement … if you give her space there’s not too many people that are going to keep up with her — she’s just ‘bye-bye,’” chuckled BSS head coach Greg Lewis.
Hopkins scored again later, and rookie lock Kelsie Wamer followed in her footsteps when she busted one up the middle for 40 yards to seal the deal late in the game.
“Oh my gosh it was fabulous,” one stoked coach Lewis said of the game, adding “we didn’t win a game last year, and more to the point I don’t think we’ve beaten Vanier for years … my girls played great.”
“Just a really positive attitude and a commitment to team play.”
Earning props from their coach was Mirhiah Aucoin who “carried they ball really well and didn’t lose it in contact. She showed a lot of poise for a first year player.”
Fourth year player Rachelle Landry was “all over the field,” at scrum half, added Greg. “Tackles, passing, just top notch leadership as usual. (She’s) one of the smallest players on the team, but she absolutely leads by example. Relentless.”
Lewis has a roster of 18 girls this year and 10 are first year players. The side started practicing back in October “and they’ve come a long way. A lot of them didn’t have a clue what rugby was at the start and now they’re doing the basics well.”
Being slim in numbers they compete in a four-team 11’s Island league. This is Lewis’ 9th season as skipper of girls rugby at BSS, and says while their games have 11 players on the field instead of the regular 15, the side he does have has the potential to be really good.
“We’ll play any team, we just have lesser numbers; Vanier for instance finished fifth at the AAA BC’s last year.”
“To start the season with this big win is huge for the girls,” said one team mom, pouting out the girls “are pumped and looking for many more wins this season.”
GAME ON
The Whaler girls travel to Cowichan March 30 to take on the perennial powerhouse Thunderbirds who finished second at the BCs last year.
The Whalers are back home April 20 when they host a jamboree.
The action gets underway at 3:30 p.m.
