As a school with only 150 students, the Pender Harbour Sakinaws are at a clear disadvantage when it comes to high school sports. But what the school lacks in student bodies, they make up for in competitive spirit, desire and heart.
And there's no clearer example of that competitive spirit than the Sakinaws rugby team.
Pender is having another terrific season with recent wins over Elphinstone 36-0 and Chatelech 17-0 and has a record of 5-1-1 on the year.
"I'm really proud of these kids," said coach Michael Cyr, who has coached the team for the past 10 years. "This team not only competes, but wins games by some pretty big margins at times.Because our school is so small, we have to have kids in every grade playing for us."
This year's team is made up of four Grade 8 players, a few Grade 9 players and a mix of players from grades 10 to 12.
"Some of the guys on our team have been playing for five or six years, starting in Grade 7, while we also have rookies who are playing for their first time," said Cyr. "Two standout rookies this year are our two speedy wingers Parker Hohn and Joel Field, both in Grade 11, who have combined for nearly half our tries. Parker has also been an outstanding kicker, converting well over half, with some being at near impossible angles."
But while the rookies continue to show promise, the veteran leaders on the Sakinaws have taken the young team to new heights.
"Charles Christian, who leads our backline, is our top scorer, and Timo Antilla, who started out anchoring our forward pack, has recently become a real force at scrum half, digging out balls and setting up somebeautiful plays," Cyr added. "Rugby in Pender Harbour has always been a big part of the high school year.
"Our hope is that despite the declining enrolment, we'll still have boys coming up every year who want to learn and play this great team sport."
Dave Gibson introduced rugby to Pender some 20 years ago. When Gibson retired in 2007, it was the rugby team that presented the patriarch of the program with a special trophy to recognize his many contributions to the school. Even after retirement, Gibson still comes to many games and accompanies the team to Kamloops for the annual Rugby Fest tournament.
Jeff Marshall took over as the team's sponsor teacher when Gibson retired and has continued the tradition of school support.
"I take pride in the way our players conduct themselves on and off the field," Marshall said. "After a whistle, you'll often see one of our guys pause to extend a hand up to an opponent he's tackled. That says a lot about who they are and their respect for the game."
The recent run of success at Pender started two years ago. After an invitation by Chat coach Drew Murphy, seven Pender players went to the East Vancouver Scribes RFC Seven-a-Side tournament. The players arranged their own rides, played without a coach, and won the tournament. Last year, this time with school support, Pender did it again. This year the Scribes have had to cancel the tournament, but a Coast sevens tournament is planned for May 28, at Chat instead.
For the last number of years, Rugby BC has provided a one-day players' clinic at Pender. The Community School sponsors this spring event that brings together students from Chat and Pender, players and non-players, for skill development and a light lunch. In the past, the event was led by Canadian rugby hall of famer Gareth Rees.
The teams from Pender and Chat have a long-standing rivalry. The balance shifts back and forth between the two schools, but in the last couple of years, Pender has managed the better record.
A positive development is the recent introduction of an Elphi team coached by Gibsons Pigs' alumni John Rainer.
Since Pender and Chat are not a part of a league, getting schools such as Whistler, Argyle or Balmoral from North Vancouver to give exhibition games can be difficult.
"Because of the relationships that Dave Gibson built with the North Shore teams, we can usually get an exhibition game or two, and Argyle especially is good about coming to the Coast, but the players just don't get enough games, so the addition of a team at Elphi is exciting," Marshall added.
