ISLAND TEAMS LOOK TO DEFEND

The 2014 B2Gold Junior Provincial Regional Championships kick off this Saturday with over 240 age grade athletes representing their regions in U15 Boys and U16 Girls competitions.

Held annually at UBC in Vancouver, the B2Gold PRCs are a key selection tool that allows provincial coaches to observe, evaluate and select athletes for the teams that represent our province at the National Festival Championships in August.

Co-Coaches of the BC Rugby Happy Water U15 boys provincial team will be at UBC this weekend scouting talent at the B2Gold Junior Provincial Regional Championships.

BC Rugby’s new Rugby Development Officers Conan Cooper and Tony LaCarte will be selecting and coaching this year’s team, which is set to compete in the Under-16 division of the B2Gold PRCs, scheduled for July 4-6. The program will be selecting the top players born in 1999.

“The aim of this program is to prepare players for the next level of rugby and to build the sport,” said Cooper. “The Happy Water U15 boys program is an exciting opportunity for these young players to enter the BC player pathway.”

The U15 team was brought in to bridge the gap between the traditional U14 and U16 provincial programming provided by BC Rugby. In 2013, the U15s fared well in the U16 PRCs division, finishing as runner-ups to champions Vancouver North.

“This is a great program that allows players at the U15 age grade to stay involved,” Cooper added. “This provides a chance for players to keep having fun within the game and for us to see developing talent from across BC. We’re looking forward to an exciting week of rugby in a competitive tournament.”

U15 players will also be eligible for selection to BC Rugby’s U16 provincial program, which will send two teams to the Rugby Canada National Festival in Calgary, Alberta.

The Happy Water U15 Boys roster will be announced on Sunday, June 29 and players will then be assembling for a staging camp at UBC on July 1st. The U16-U18 B2Gold PRCs are then slated for July 4-6 at UBC’s Wolfson Fields.

For more information contact U15 coaches Conan Cooper (conan@bcrugby.com) and Tony LaCarte (tony@bcrugby.com)

Thanks for the info.