The Bayside U16 Sharks boys are the province’s best rugby players.
The South Surrey-based club captured the gold after defeating Vancouver Island champions Castaway Wanderers 38-21 Dec. 4 at Windsor Park in Victoria.
Head coach Nick Wright and new Bayside coaching coordinator Vic Kaidatzis were both extremely proud of how the team played, said team manager Grant Hodgson.
“It’s been a whirlwind of a year. The boys played amazing!” he said, noting Wright first started playing for Bayside in kindergarten and also won the B.C. championships at the U16 level as a player, and has now come back to win it as a coach.
“They’re building a great culture at Bayside. It was a great year and it finally all came together for them. They played super hard.”
READ ALSO: Bayside rugby teams advance to B.C. semifinals
The win came despite the Catasways scoring a try that went unnoticed by the referee, causing the Bayside team to score a try of their own, Hodgson noted.
“(Kaidatzis) called the referee over to let him know, ‘Hey, they did score,’” he said, even though he knew it meant calling back the Bayside try, exhibiting true sportsmanship for the team.
Although provincials were originally scheduled to take place at Cowichan Rugby Club in Duncan, that venue was cancelled due to inclement weather.
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