Injuries put seventh-ranked Bombers on the defence heading into AA Rugby Championships
By Bruce Fuhr
Injuries could have come at the worse time of the season for the L.V. Rogers Rugby Bombers.
The Bombers have no less than four key players either missing or playing hurt when the Kootenay Champs face Southridge of Surrey in the opening round of the B.C. High School AA Boy’s Rugby Championships Saturday in Kelowna.
The game is set for 2:30 p.m. at City Park in Kelowna.
“What we can take from this is a lot of kids will be coming back next year and this will be a great learning experience,” said Bomber coach Michael Joyce, taking the high road instead of playing the “What If?” game.
“We’ve got to be learning every time we step onto the field . . . learning every play.”
Down and out for the Bombers are John Katountas, Simon Yole, Trace Cooke and McLain Sandeveland — Katountas and Sandeveland both will not play.
Yole and Cooke are questionable.
LVR is seeded seventh in the tournament.
Joyce said Southridge has not played very many games due to the withdrawal of extracurricular activities by the B.C. Teachers Federation.
Which can be good or bad, depending on whom you talk to.
“They haven’t played a lot of games, so they’ll be healthy,” Joyce explained. “But because of the strike maybe we can capitalize on them be a little rusty.”
The Bombers, winners of the Kootenay title over Selkirk Storm of Kimberley, return to Nelson following the game before heading to Abbotsford for round two of the 16-team tournament beginning Wednesday.
LVR plays Thursday before taking Friday as a rest day.
The tourney concludes Saturday.
