Rugby
Sevens Players Get International Play
Thousands of rugby players, supporters and enthusiasts will flock to Hong Kong this week to take in the 2012 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens event, one of the most renowned stops on the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series.
Among the many Canadians traveling this week are 10 members of the British Columbia Elite Youth Sevens (BCEY7’s) program who will be competing in the Standard Chartered Bank International Youth Sevens tournament.
The 10 Under-18 men’s provincial players have all been a part of the BCEY7’s program, designed to create and deliver a development pathway for junior athletes who can develop skills to represent Canada with distinction at future World Cup tournaments and the Olympic Games.
For those select 10 players, this will be the ultimate learning experience.
All of the players recently participated in the Las Vegas High School International Rugby Sevens in February, where British Columbia went undefeated to claim the 2012 championship.
The select few, representing North and South Vancouver Island, North Vancouver, Vancouver West and the Fraser Valley will now have a taste of what it means to be an international sevens player.
Standard Chartered Bank International Youth Sevens
The BC U18 players will compete in the Youth Sevens tournament on March 22nd, before watching Canada and the world’s elite men’s sevens programs compete at the IRB Hong Kong Sevens, set to run March 23-25.
The BC squad will also see the world’s top-ranked Canadian women’s sevens team in action as they look to retain their title at the IRB Challenge Cup.
The BC U18 players have a busy schedule on tour where they will train with the Hong Kong Academy on March 20th, train with the renowned international Penguins team on March 22nd and will participate in a training session with the Canadian senior men’s national team.
For the Youth tournament, the British Columbia side is currently in Pool A of the U18 Men’s division, competing against Hong Kong-based club sides Flying Kukris-1 and DeA-2 Tigers RFC as well as the Bangkok Lions-1 out Thailand. If BC were to advance to the Cup semi-finals they would be up against a team from Pool B, which includes Singapore-based club DHL Ta’moko Lions, DeA-1 Tigers RFC, Bangkok Lions-2 and Flying Kukris-2. The tournament will be played out on March 22nd at King’s Park Sports Ground in Kowloon.
British Columbia U18 Sevens Roster
The BC roster headed to Hong Kong will feature a number of standouts that have excelled in both the BC Elite Youth 7s program as well as the BC Rugby Academy.Four players have formed the nucleus of the BCEY7’s program since its inception 18 months ago, and the quartet recently represented Canada at the Youth Commonwealth Games in the Isle of Man this past September.
The foursome includes Abbotsford’s Jorden Best (Abbotsford RFC), North Vancouver’s Nathan Yanagiya (Capilano RFC), Victoria’s Fergus Hall (Castaway Wanderers RFC) and Trail’s Haydn Evans (Cowichan Rugby Club).
The North Vancouver Island region will be represented by Jordan De Graaf and Gavin McLean, two products of Comox Valley’s G.P. Vanier Secondary.
South Surrey’s Bayside Sharks RFC will be well represented on tour with Robert Devaney and Ian McMaster also selected. Two standouts from the BC-2 squad who recently captured the Plate in Las Vegas, Spencer Miller (Abbotsford RFC) and Averon Horwitz (Shawnigan Lake School) are also headed for Hong Kong.
BC Elite Youth Sevens – Hong Kong Roster
Name (Region/ Club/ High School)
1. Jorden Best (Valley East/ Abbotsford RFC/ Robert Bateman)
2. Jordan De Graaf (North Island/ GP Vanier)
3. Robert Devaney (Valley West/ Bayside RFC/ Earl Marriott)
4. Haydn Evans (South Island/ Cowichan Rugby Club/ Shawnigan Lake School)
5. Fergus Hall (South Island/ Castaway Wanderers RFC/ Glenlyon Norfolk)
6. Averon Horwitz (Vancouver West/ Shawnigan Lake School)
7. Gavin McLean (North Island/ GP Vanier)
8. Ian McMaster (Valley West/ Bayside RFC/ Earl Marriott)
9. Spencer Miller (Valley East/ Abbotsford RFC/ Yale Secondary)
10. Nathan Yanagiya (Vancouver North/ Capilano RFC/ Carson Graham)
Team Staff
Head Coach: Shane Thompson
Manager: Doug Tate
Physio: Gareth Adams