BC Bears’ Squad set for 2017 Canadian Rugby Championships in Calgary
BC Rugby – Vancouver, BC – Aug 10, 2017 – BC Rugby is proud to announce the BC Bears team ahead of their remaining matches in the 2017 Canadian Rugby Championships (CRCs), sponsored by Langara Fishing Adventures. Lead by Canadian and BC stalwarts Phil Mack and Anthony Luca, the team has already secured one victory in this year’s championship and are looking for more. Rugby Park in Calgary will host the remaining matches between the 13th and 19th August, with BC keen to dethrone reigning champions Ontario Blues.
The BC Bears kicked off their CRC campaign with a comprehensive victory over Calgary Wolf Pack, winning 43-0 on home soil at UBC Thunderbird Stadium in front of a vocal crowd. They will now set their sights on overhauling Atlantic Rock on August 13th before a crunch match with 2016 champions Ontario Blues on August 16th. Standings after that match will dictate who will compete in the final, to be held on August 19th. The BC Bears haven’t laid their hands on the MacTier Cup, awarded to the CRC winners, since 2009. However, their performance in the opening match suggests this year’s team could well be in with a very real shout of the title this year.
After that opening match at UBC, BC Bears’ coach Tony Healy indicated there was still much work to be done in the buildup to these remaining games. The squad chosen to fly to Calgary contains 19 of the 23 players who took part in the first match. Included in that list are Brock Staller, who claimed a hat trick of tries against the Wolf Pack, catalytic scrum half Phil Mack and powerhouse Anthony Luca. New additions to the lineup include Dustin Dubrovsky, Blake Van Heningen, Karsten Laitner, Kimi Vuratunuga, Noah Barker, Rylie Darnardo, Shea Wakefield, Kevin Leask and Tua Va’a.
Canada Senior Men’s Team players Mack and Luca will bring an extra element of experience and composure to the squad off the back of the test series games against Romania, Georgie and USA in June. With a further seven players hailing from the BC Rugby Men’s Premier League 2017 Champions, UBC Thunderbirds, there is no question that the squad is well equipped to deal with the pressure and expectation going into next week.
BC Bears’ Assistant Coach and player, Phil Mack, said he was looking forward to the challenge, stating, “We are excited to get to Calgary and compete. We are looking to build off the back of our first game and feel we have put ourselves in that position. The team have put a lot of work in and are eager to showcase what BC rugby is about. We know that if we stick to our processes that the results will take care of themselves.”
Those unable to travel to Calgary to see the action live can catch the game on live stream via Rugby Canada (details TBC). For up to date information on the CRCs tournament, check out the official site here.
BC Bears’ Canadian Rugby Championship Schedule
| Bears 43 – 0 Wolf Pack | July 14 | |
| Bears vs. Atlantic Rock | Aug 13 | 3pm MDT/2pm PDT |
| Bears vs. Ontario Blues | Aug 16 | 5pm MDT/4pm PDT |
| 3rd Place Playoff | Aug 19 | 5pm MDT/4pm PDT |
| CRC Final | Aug 19 | 7pm MDT/6pm PDT |
BC Bears’ Squad
| Paul Ahn | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds RFC |
| Noah Baker | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Luke Campbell | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Neil Courtney | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds RFC |
| Rylie Darnardo | Victoria, BC | Castaway Wanderers RFC |
| Dustin Dubrovsky | Victoria, BC | Castaway Wanderers RFC |
| Giusseppe DuToit | Victoria, BC | UVIC Vikes RFC |
| Doug Fraser | Victoria, BC | Castaway Wanderers RFC |
| Harjun Gill | Vancouver, BC | UBCOB Ravens RFC |
| Andrew Lackner | Pitt Meadows, BC | Burnaby Lake RFC |
| Karsten Laitner | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds RFC |
| Travis Larsen | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Kevin Leask | Victoria, BC | UVIC Vikes RFC |
| Anthony Luca | Pitt Meadows, BC | Burnaby Lake RFC |
| Phil Mack | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Craig McLaughlin | Burnaby, BC | Burnaby Lake RFC |
| Aaron McLelland | Vancouver, BC | UBCOB Ravens RFC |
| Mike Nieuwenhuysen | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Nakai Penny | Comox, BC | UBC Thunderbirds RFC |
| Cam Polson | Victoria, BC | Castaway Wanderers RFC |
| Jordan Reid-Harvey | Vancouver, BC | Capilano RFC |
| Gavin Rowell | Abbotsford, BC | UVIC Vikes RFC |
| Brock Staller | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds RFC |
| Tua Va’a | Victoria, BC | Westshore RFC |
| Blake Van Heningen | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Kimi Vuratunuga | Vancouver, BC | Burnaby Lake RFC |
| Shea Wakefield | Victoria, BC | James Bay AA |
| Connor Weyell | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds RFC |
| Staff | ||
| Tony Healy | Head Coach | |
| Phil Mack | Assistant Coach | |
| Des Lynch | Manager/Mental Skills Coach |
To download a copy of the match day poster, click here
More information about BC Rugby
The British Columbia Rugby Union, commonly known as BC Rugby, is the governing body for Rugby in British Columbia and is a Provincial Union of Rugby Canada, the national governing body. Representing over 7,500 individuals registered through around 60 Member Clubs and Associations across the Province, BC Rugby leads and manages the sport with the aim to grow participation and develop excellence in all games of Rugby and in all facets of the sport.
Web: bcrugby.com
Twitter: twitter.com/bcrugbyunion
Facebook: facebook.com/bcrugbyunion
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For further information, please contact:
BC Rugby
Euan McGhee
Marketing & Communications Manager
emcghee@bcrugby.com
Tel: +1- 604-737-3070