Eight champions were crowned at the 2024 BC Rugby Senior Club Finals as a capacity 2,500 crowd enjoyed an action-packed day at Burnaby Lake Rugby Club on Saturday.
BC Rugby’s Senior Club Finals featured eight Provincial Championship matches as the 2023/24 Senior Club season came to a thrilling climax, with eight teams earning the bragging rights in their respective leagues to cap what has been a tough and challenging season across BC’s Lower Mainland.
UBCOB Ravens clinched a Men’s Premier League presented by ONNI and Men’s Premier Reserve League double, while Vancouver Thunderbirds made it a three-peat of Women’s Premier League titles.
Comox Valley Kickers also enjoyed a prosperous double and head back to Vancouver Island with two trophies, while there were Championship victories for Abbotsford RFC, Axemen RFC and home side Burnaby Lake RFC.
The atmosphere was electric at Burnaby Lake as teams battled it out in windy but warm conditions. Fans, meanwhile, enjoyed the festival-like setup, with many picking up new and exclusive BC Rugby merchandise courtesy of O’Neills.
BC Rugby livestreamed all Finals held on Field 1 and Field 2, including the Men’s Premier League presented by ONNI and Women’s Premier League, while Finals on Field 3 were filmed courtesy of Abbotsford RFC. All Finals will be published on YouTube this week.
Below is a round-up from each Final. Photos courtesy of BOLD Photos by Shelly and Paul Audette.
BC Rugby would like to issue a huge thank you to all Officials, volunteers, therapists, and vendors who made this event a special day.
BC Rugby gratefully acknowledges the 2024 Senior Club Finals was held on the ancestral, and unceded territory of the hən̓qəmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
MEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE SPONSORED BY ONNI
UBCOB Ravens 25-17 Meraloma RFC
The UBCOB Ravens claimed a historic Men’s Premier League presented by ONNI Championship, topping off a stellar season with a 25-17 win against No. 2 seed Meraloma to lift the Rounsefell Cup.
Surrounded by over 2000 eager fans, this was a Final for the ages as both teams gave everything over the course of 80 minutes.
Ravens struck first with an early try before Meraloma hit back with a try and conversion to inch into a 7-5 lead. Two well-worked Ravens tries gave them a 15-7 lead before another converted try response from Meraloma moved them within a point.
Ravens pushed forward again with their first converted try of the match, before a smartly taken Meraloma penalty meant a one-score game going into the dying minutes. Ravens inched forward and won themselves a penalty in the dying seconds after some great pressure on the near side. There was no mistake from the spot kick, which was expertly dispatched to seal Championship victory and ensured Meralomas would finish runners-up for a second successive year.
ROAD TO THE FINAL:
Both sides held 13-1 records from their respective regular seasons having only lost to each other once. Ravens defeated the defending champions, UBC Thunderbirds, in their semifinal, with Meraloma seeing off the challenge of Westshore RFC.
WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE
Vancouver Thunderbirds 38-22 Westshore RFC
Vancouver Thunderbirds celebrated a historic three-peat of Women’s Premier League titles with a battling 38-22 victory over Westshore RFC.
In a repeat of the 2022/23 Final, the Thunderbirds and Westshore produced a fantastic encounter in front of a bustling crowd.
Thunderbirds looked rampant in the first half and raced into a 26-0 lead against their Island opponents. However, Westshore RFC showed great resolve in the second half and scored four tries to keep the pressure on.
Under the stewardship of Dean Murten and Darcy Patterson, though, the Thunderbirds defence held firm and closed out a victory with a final converted try to clinch their third successive Women’s Premier League Championship.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
Thunderbirds finished the regular season unbeaten while Westshore RFC’s only regular season defeat came in a close encounter against their Final opposition.
Thunderbirds brushed past Capilano RFC in the semifinals to keep hopes of a three-peat alive, while Westshore RFC battled past Oak Bay-based rivals Castaway Wanderers RFC in an all-Island semifinal.
MEN’S PREMIER RESERVES
UBCOB Ravens 18-11 UBC Thunderbirds
UBCOB Ravens secured the first part of its historic double with an 18-11Men’s Premier Reserve victory against UBC Thunderbirds.
In a tightly-contested encounter, Thunderbirds struck with the first try of the match before two kicked penalties inched Ravens into a one-point lead. Thunderbirds then struck a penalty of their own to move 8-6 ahead before a Ravens try moved the Jericho Beach team ahead.
Another UBC penalty was successfully converted to ensure a level game at 11-11 going into the final 15 minutes of the match. However, a late Ravens try broke UBC hearts as the Old Boys held firm to lift the Cup.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
Ravens dominated the division in regular season with 13 victories and one defeat, while UBC Thunderbirds finished second in the table with 11 victories from 15 matches. Both teams scored one victory from each of their regular season meets.
Ravens put Westshore RFC to the sword in the semifinals as Thunderbirds edged a tight clash with Meraloma to advance.
MEN’S DIVISION 1
Vancouver Rowing Club 28-29 Abbotsford RFC
The top two BC Rugby Men’s Division 1 teams throughout the regular season played out a barnstorming Championships Final as Abbotsford RFC came back from a huge deficit to beat Vancouver Rowing Club RFC 29-28.
The Rowers looked good for the title after they built a 28-10 lead against their Fraser Valley opponents, but an incredible comeback from Abbotsford sparked scenes of jubilation – and heartbreak – at the final whistle.
Abbotsford trailed 28-22 going into the final few minutes of the match knowing they needed a converted try to win it and complete the comeback. That dream was made reality when, after finding a way through the Rowers’ defence to score, the final kick of the match was planted firmly between the posts to secure an unbelievable victory and Championship win.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
Vancouver Rowing Club RFC makes its return to a season-ending Senior Club Finals following a 12-1 regular season record and semifinal win against Bayside RFC. The Rowers’ only loss came at the hands of their Final opponents, Abbotsford RFC.
Abbotsford RFC finished second in the table with 11wins from 14 matches, and secured its spot in the showpiece match following Playoff wins against Langley Rugby Club and Port Alberni Black Sheep.
In two meetings this season, both Vancouver Rowing Club and Abbotsford RFC have one win each.
WOMEN’S DIVISION 1
Burnaby Lake 41-0 Meraloma RFC
Home Club Burnaby Lake RFC lifted the Women’s Division 1 title after a strong 41-0 victory against the defending champions Meraloma RFC.
Burnaby Lake RFC dominated from the outset and the damage was done well before the half-time whistle, as the Meraloma defence struggled to contain the fast and furious Burnaby attack.
Further gloss was added in the second half as Burnaby ran riot in front of a partisan home crowd, and the Championship victory was made even sweeter with the shutout victory against their Division 1 rivals.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
Burnaby Lake RFC went into the clash as slight favorites having won six from six in the regular season, before defeating Kamloops RFC in the semifinal.
Meraloma, meanwhile, saw off Abbotsford in their Final Four encounter and suffered a narrow 17-15 loss to Burnaby earlier in the season.
MEN’S DIVISION 2
Axemen RFC 42-12 Kamloops RFC
Axemen RFC regained the Men’s Division 2 title with an impressive 42-12 victory over Kamloops Raiders RFC.
The top two teams of the BC Rugby Men’s Division 2 over the course of the regular season faced each other for this year’s Championship in Burnaby, as both teams left everything on the field in hard fought Final.
Axemen’s formidable attack was coupled with a strong defence as, for all their might, the Kamloops team just could not break their opponents’ backline.
Victory ensures an undefeated season for the Axemen, who return to Squamish with the Men’s Division 2 silverware for the second time in three years.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
Following 13 successive league wins, the Axemen saw off Meraloma RFC with a shutout win in the semifinals to advance.
Kamloops RFC, meanwhile, finished their regular season with 11 wins from 14 matches before defeating defending champions Kats RFC in the semifinals.
WOMEN’S DIVISION 2
Comox Valley Kickers 19-12 United RFC
Comox Valley Kickers secured the first of a memorable Cup double with a hard-fought 19-12 victory over a battling United RFC team to lift the Ged Griffiths Cup in the Women’s Division 2 Final.
The top two seeds of Women’s Division 2 played out an exciting first Final of the day, wowing the crowds with some spectacular breakaway Rugby.
Both teams traded tries in the early stages before United RFC inched ahead, only for their opponents to strike back in the second half.
Heading into the final stages with the match tied 12-12, it was the Island side who delivered the final blow with a well-worked converted try to clinch Championship victory and end United hopes of an undefeated season.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
United RFC finished its regular season with a perfect 12-0 record, before advancing past Cowichan RFC (game cancelled) in the quarterfinals and James Bay AA in a tight semifinal match.
Comox Valley finished second in the regular season table with 10 wins from 12 matches. The Kickers were awarded a 20-0 quarterfinal win over Kelowna Crows (game cancelled) before knocking out the defending champions, Nanaimo Hornets RFC, with a big semifinal victory.
MEN’S DIVISION 3
Comox Valley Kickers 24-21 Chilliwack Crusaders RFC
Defending champions Comox Valley Kickers successfully retained their Men’s Division 3 crown with a pulsating 24-21 triumph over the Chilliwack Crusaders RFC.
In a barnstorming Championship Final, the Kickers were put to the sword by an exciting Chilliwack team only to break Fraser Valley hearts at the death.
The Kickers started well and scored the opening try of the match but the Crusaders, buoyed by their return to the Provincial Finals, moved through the gears to go 14-5 ahead. A converted Kickers try had them back within two points before a second successive score inched the defending champions ahead at 17-14.
Chilliwack refused to be beaten and another converted try saw them take the lead once more, only for the Kickers to respond deep into final stages of the match. Their defense held firm, ensuring the Cup would return to Comox for a second year running.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
The Kickers had the experience of last year’s Final win against Richmond to draw upon, while the Crusaders entered the match having already beaten the Kickers 53-5 earlier in the season.
Kickers finished third in the regular season table with 11 wins from 14 matches and defeated Richmond RFC and top-seeded Vancouver Rowing Club RFC in the Playoffs. Crusaders, meanwhile scored 13 wins from 14 matches in regular season before sinking Brit Lions and Axemen RFC to reach the Final.
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BC Rugby gratefully acknowledges that its offices reside on the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
