Rocky Mountain Rogues celebrated a third successive Saratoga Cup triumph while Elk Valley RFC were crowned Women’s Saratoga Cup champions following an action-packed festival of Rugby in Cranbook.
In front of a big crowd at the College of the Rockies, the Rogues saw off the threat from a spirited Vernon Jackals RFC side to win 31-10 in Sunday’s Final and make it a hat-trick of Saratoga Cup wins in the last three years. Meanwhile, Terrace Northmen RFC clinched third place after they edged a tight 28-26 encounter with Elk Valley RFC in the third-place Playoff.
Elk Valley RFC lifted the Women’s Saratoga Cup after a competitive best-of-five match series against the Rocky Mountain Rogues that showcased the rise of Women’s Rugby in the Kootenays.
BC Rugby would like to thank all athletes, Coaches, Officials, Managers, staff, and volunteers from Terrace, Vernon, Cranbrook, Fernie and Kimberley for a memorable weekend of Rugby in the Kootenays. Thank you to The Rugby Shop for their continued support!
“The Rogues are very thankful for the opportunity to host the 2023 Saratoga Cup, it was touch and go over the previous weekend with the fires and smoky conditions across the province,” said Pete Dove of the Rocky Mountain Rogues.
Below is a recap for this past weekend’s action. All matches were livestreamed and are available to watch on the VEO Live app. We will be uploading all match videos to YouTube and releasing a 2023 Saratoga Cup Photo Gallery this week. All photos courtesy of Vince Mo.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Rogues win third successive Men’s Saratoga Cup
FINAL: Rocky Mountain Rogues 31-10 Vernon Jackals RFC
The Rogues kick-started Sunday’s final in style with a smart attack from the lineout to move into an early lead. A Vernon penalty reduced the deficit, but smart use of the ball allowed the Rogues to score a second try and expand their lead midway in the half. Vernon couldn’t make pressure pay as the Rogues moved into a 24-3 halftime lead thanks to a coolly converted penalty and beautiful last-minute try following a classy offload.
The Jackals deservedly got on the scoresheet following hard work from a blocked kick, but a wonderful solo try between the posts from the Rogues #12 sealed victory and ensured the Saratoga Cup stays in Kimberley for another year.
“It was a big sacrifice from all the guys at the Club to get the field ready. We have to thank our sponsors, Deedee Gauci’s Athletic Therapy, Kal Tire, Overtime Beers -without their help we really couldn’t do this. The feeling is sensational: to win three in a row, I didn’t ever think I was going to win one! But three, no complaints. Lots of respect for Vernon, they have a great young Club and they’ll be another big threat next year. BC Rugby is very strong in the Kootenays, the Interior and the North!” Pete Dove of the Rocky Mountain Rogues
THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF: Terrace Northmen 28-26 Elk Valley Bulls RFC
The crowd was treated to a thrilling third-place Playoff match in Sunday’s Saratoga curtain-raiser. The Northmen drew first blood with an early try under the posts, before Elk Valley Bulls responded with a score of their own from the lineout. Smart kicking play resulted in a second Northmen try, before they extended their lead to 21-7 with a third try before the halftime whistle.
Elk Valley started the second half strong with their second try of the match, but the Northmen inched further ahead thanks to some skilful offloads. The Bulls dug deep and crossed over a third time to pull within a score and set up a frantic finish. Despite a fourth try, Elk Valley couldn’t convert the kick and Terrace clung on for an exciting victory.
SEMI-FINAL 1: Vernon Jackals RFC 33-14 Elk Valley Bulls RFC
Vernon started quickly with two early tries to set the pace, before the Bulls responded with a classy try in the far corner. The Bulls started the second half with urgency, and scored an early try to put the pressure on. However, the Jackals rallied with two further tries and controlled the final 15 minutes to advance to the Final.
“We came into the 2023 Saratoga Cup with some confidence after last year’s game against Elk Valley. We quickly realized it was going to be a big battle. We were very impressed with the Bulls and their persistence, but I’m glad that our boys rallied and kept competing for the win.” Vernon Jackals’ RFC player Lewis McKnight
SEMI-FINAL 2: Terrace Northmen RFC 10-43 Rocky Mountain Rogues RFC
The Rogues got a partisan crowd riled up with an early try in the match, before doubling their lead shortly after with following a smart line break. Smart ball movement led to a third try shortly before halftime as the Rogues led 19-0 at the break. Terrace got on the scoreboard with a field run try following an intercepted kick, but the Rogues hit back with a steal of their own to cross over again. A spirited Northmen side forced a strong push over the line to reduce the scoreline, but the Rogues rallied with three further tries to seal the win.
“A lot of work went into getting here. I’m proud of everyone for qualifying for the Final – lots of respect to Terrace, they are great guys. The hot, dry conditions probably gave us a little home advantage.” Rocky Mountain Rogues’ Pete Dove
Elk Valley RFC Crowned 2023 Women’s Champions
Elk Valley RFC was crowned 2023 Women’s Saratoga Cup Champions following a fantastic best-of-five Rugby 7s series with the Rocky Mountain Rogues.
A big thank you to athletes from Terrace RFC’s Women’s team that made the journey to help out with numbers – a credit to the camaraderie and spirit of Rugby in the Northern/Interior regions!
Game 1 of the series was controlled by Elk Valley, who crossed three times to the Rogues’ sole score. The Rogues – playing their first competitive Women’s match for a long time – grew in confidence throughout the match and would take it into Game 2.
Saturday’s second instalment proved a much tighter affair, with plenty of back-and-forth action. The match was nicely poised at 15-15 in the second half following quality ball movement from both sides. However, Elk Valley moved ahead with two quick line breaks to clinch victory late on.
With two victories in the bag, Elk Valley started Saturday’s Game 3 with two confidently taken tries to lead 10-0 at half time. A third try shortly after the restart all but sealed Championship victory, with further gloss added before the Rogues prevented the shutout late on
The teams played out Game 4 on Sunday with Elk Valley earning a 22-0 win, before a friendly match was played in high spirits on half pitch to squeeze out the last action of the summer!
“A lot of credit goes to the Cranbrook ladies. Without them, we don’t have a team to play against. It’s the first time they’ve had a team in a really long time, and they had a really good showing this weekend which is awesome. Lots of credit to the few Terrace girls who came and helped us out with numbers, they were a huge asset. Everyone had a lot of fun. Women’s Rugby in the Kootenays right now is all about finding games.” Jessie Watson from Elk Valley RFC
2023 Women’s Saratoga Cup Scores
Game 1: Elk Valley 15-5 Rocky Mountain Rogues
Game 2: Elk Valley 25-15 Rocky Mountain Rogues
Game 3: Elk Valley 20-5 Rocky Mountain Rogues
Game 4: Elk Valley 22-0 Rocky Mountain Rogues
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