It was a special game in more ways than one.
The Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers played the Salish Secondary Wolves in a game that both honoured retiring teacher Tim Oswin and inaugurated a new challenge trophy for the Cloverdale schools.
Oswin, a long-time rugby coach and teacher at Lord Tweedsmuir, witnessed the inaugural clash for the Tim Oswin Rugby Shield at Sullivan Heights Park April 19.
“It’s a new annual challenge competition between Lord Tweedsmuir and Salish Secondary, awarded to the winner of the most matches between our two schools.” explained Walter van Halst, a teacher and rugby coach at Tweedsmuir. “This year only one match took place, which was at the Junior Boys Tier 2 level.”
Van Halst donated the new rugby shield in Oswin’s honour, to recognize the past 30 years he’s spent coaching and mentoring students going through the Tweedy rugby program.
Oswin, who originally hails from Coventry, has been a shop teacher and rugby coach at Lord Tweedsmuir for the past 30 years. For 10 years before that, he taught and coached in the U.K.
The game on the field wasn’t very close, as the Panthers ran in 38 points against zero from the Wolves, but that wasn’t important, noted van Halst.
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“Although the score was one-sided, the rugby spirit of friendship and respect was demonstrated all evening,” he explained. “In rugby we have a saying, that some days you are the hammer and some days you are the nail.”
He ended up loaning seven players to the Wolves at various points during the game.
“I know what it takes to build a new program and I have great respect for my friend, Michelle Ronning, the Salish coach, who is doing that,” van Halst added.
After the game at Sullivan Heights, Oswin awarded the inaugural Tim Oswin Rugby Shield to Connor Brown, the Panthers’ captain.
Following the presentation, Oswin told players from both teams about the importance of continuing to play rugby after high school and to join a rugby club and stay involved.
“The game has given me so much, including friends who sent congratulations from throughout B.C., across Canada, the U.K., and many more countries.”
Addressing the crowd of about 200 people, van Halst thanked Oswin for his lifetime of service to Lord Tweedsmuir, the Cloverdale community, and the sport of rugby.
He also thanked the Surrey Beavers Rugby Club for providing and lining their game field so the two high school squads could have a “true Friday Night Lights” game experience.
“They also provided their Beaverlodge clubhouse to host a reception for all the players from both teams to share a meal and get to know each other in the true spirit of rugby,” van Halst added.
The Tim Oswin Rugby Shield now joins the Roger Pells Rodeo Bowl Trophy and the Quigley Cup as three competitions between Lord Tweedsmuir and local schools Salish, Clayton Heights and Fleetwood Park. All three were established by van Halst to honour longstanding coaches who have served both the Cloverdale and the rugby communities.