The Elphinstone Senior Boys rugby team pulled off a startling silver medal result at the recent Provincial Rugby Sevens Tournament held at Brentwood College, on June 9 and 10. Coming in as relative unknowns, the boys entered into a tournament deep in talent and experience. With 16 teams competing for the title, Elphinstone was considered an underdog from the start.
However, from their first game against Rutland, Elphinstone began making their mark with a convincing 24-7 victory. Liam Rankin and Duncan Armstrong were notable try scorers.
Following that game, the boys narrowly missed victory over the experienced home team, Brentwood, that scored on the last play to tie the game 12-12. Jacob Simkins was solid in defence, and Kai Hansen worked well on the wing.
In their third game, the Elphi boys returned to their wining form, manhandling Cowichan 24-10. Payton Coyle, Kai Moore and Cam Longman dominated the centre of the field.
On to the semis and another convincing 24-5 win over Reynolds Secondary. Finn Rogers was a tackling machine, and Favour Olaniyan was a force in the scrum. The Elphi boys were the talk of the tournament. In the final, the athleticism of the Elphi boys was finally countered by a crafty and experienced R.E. Mountain Secondary, resulting in a 24-5 loss.
In the end, Coach Owen Schutz couldn’t have been prouder of his team. The Elphinstone boys demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and proved they deserved to play rugby with the best.
– Submitted by Drew Murphy
