Several Abbotsford rugby teams are entering next week's provincials on a high note after experiencing a straight-up banner bonanza at the recent Eastern Valley Athletics Association finals.
The local schools were well-represented at the May 21 games, with an Abbotsford team making it to each of the four senior EVAA finals.
Both the AA boys and girls divisions had Robert Bateman going up against D.W. Poppy, but very different stories played out in the two final matches.
For the boys, the Abbotsford squad was able to handily shut down the Langley team, winning the division title with a final score of 50-0.
Unfortunately, the girls had a much tougher path as they faced off against the number one-ranked D.W. Poppy team, eventually losing 57-7.
Despite this loss, the girls will have a chance to redeem themselves at the upcoming provincial championships, where they will be joined by the Robert Bateman boys team, who enter the tournament ranked as the second-best tier one team in the province.
In the AAA girls division, it was an all-Abbotsford affair, with W.J. Mouat and Yale facing each other in the EVAA final. Both teams gave it their best, but it was Yale who emerged victorious in the end.
Abbotsford Senior represented the city in the AAA boys final against G.W. Graham, resulting in a real nail-biter. It came down to the very last second to decide the winner, with Abbotsford Senior managing to hold on to their 22-21 victory.
All of these winning teams are now headed to the 2025 Rugby 7s and 15s Provincial Championships next week in Abbotsford.
While no Abbotsford teams qualified for the 7s provincials, there are several in both the boys and girls divisions of the 15s competition:
AAA Girls – Yale, W.J. Mouat
AA Girls – Robert Bateman
AAA Boys Tier 1 – Abbotsford Senior
AA Boys Tier 1 – Robert Bateman
The Rugby Provincial Championships take place at Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford from May 28 to 31, with more information available at provincials.bcschoolsports.ca.
