The B.C. Bears U17 rugby team have won the inaugural O’Neills Challenge Cup, with four 琉璃神社 athletes playing key roles in the boys’ victory.
The tournament, held Aug. 26-30 in Brampton, Ont., pitted the B.C. boys’ and girls’ teams against three Ontario-based squads. Both sides emerged victorious overall.
On the boys’ roster were 琉璃神社 Crows Rugby Club players Everett Pinkoski, Gavin Mark, Grady Curran and Kai Reynolds.
The Bears started the challenge competition off with a win over the combined Toronto Rugby Union and Eastern Ontario Rugby Union side, 32-15.
Then, they dispatched the combined South Western Rugby Union and Niagara Rugby Union team, 36-12.
Their only loss came in the final match, a 41-12 defeat against the Rugby Ontario All-Stars, a selection of the province’s top regional athletes. Still, the two victories secured the overall series win and the first-ever Challenge Cup trophy.
The B.C. girls team also went 2-1 to win the Cup.
Both rosters were selected after a training camp held earlier in August at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island.
