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Powell River Otago Rugby Football Club plans community revival

Club hopes local junior program helps return team to previous status
otago
FIELD LESSONS: Emily Gaiger, 11, and Peter Gaiger practice some rugby skills at a session hosted by Powell River Otago Ruby Football Club. The weekly sessions are being held to introduce youth to the game. David Brindle photo

After three years of not fielding a team in Vancouver Island Rugby Union, Powell River Otago Rugby Football Club is attempting to start a slow rebuilding program to bring the game back and restore Otago’s place in Powell River sports.

The club is trying to revive rugby with introductory sessions to the game for youth on Thursday nights at Cranberry Field.

“We're trying to create a junior program and, hopefully, eventually get it into the schools,” said club member Bill Broughton. “There are school teams down in Sechelt and high school teams in Comox and up and down the island.”

Started in 1977, Otago is celebrating its 40th year in Powell River. It began as Powell River Rugby Club and was named Otago in its second season.

According to Otago member Jack Beardmore, who has been with the club since day one, a match was played between Powell River and the crew of a ship at port in Victoria.

The ship was named after the Otago province in New Zealand. The team asked to use the name and crest of the ship for its logo; the club has been known as Otago ever since.

Beardmore said Otago’s strongest days were in the mid-1980s.

“At one time we were running two senior men’s teams and junior teams,” he said.

Between 1985 and 1988, Beardmore said Otago regularly made the island championships.

“There were three years where we went to the provincial finals every year,” said Beardmore. “In three years, I think we lost seven games.”

Broughton said a lot of the current interest in rugby is due to the international success of Canada’s national sevens teams and the attention World Rugby Sevens Series receives when it comes to Vancouver. Rugby sevens games are faster and shorter than traditional games with 15 players per side.

“They've had it two years and they get 30,000 people watching for a three-day event,” said Broughton.

World Rugby Sevens Series returns to Vancouver on March 10 and 11, 2018.

Otago rugby sessions for youth are held from 5:30-7:30 pm every Thursday at Cranberry Field.