Calgary and Cochrane are combining forces to create a barbaric, marauding teenaged rugby juggernaut.
Players from the Under-15 (U15) Under-13 (U13) teams of the Bow Valley Rugby Club and Calgary Saracens have formed travelling “Barbarians” squads, booked to play a three-match tour on Vancouver Island.
The Bow Valley Barbarians leave today (March 27) where they will step off the plane and onto the grounds at Vancouver Island rugby factory Shawnigan Lake School. The Barbarians then travel to Cowichan to tackle Cowichan Rugby Football Club (RFC) on March 28 before challenging the Castaway Wanderers RFC.
The Cochrane/Calgary players have been training together since early January at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre and finished indoor training sessions March 21.
The Vancouver Island tour is the brainchild of Bow Valley Rugby club head coach Adrian Turner.
“We have been working to build a community through rugby here in the Cochrane area, so that boys and girls can play and enjoy a great sport,” Turner said. “By organizing this tour to Shawnigan Lake School and Vancouver Island, we hope to show the players some of the opportunities that are available to them through playing rugby.”
The concept of “Barbarians” teams in Rugby Union goes back to the 1890’s when the Barbarians Football Club was formed in England. The Barbarians are a rugby club which brings together players from different clubs to play a few matches each year to enjoy the camaraderie of the game and play attacking, adventurous rugby. The Bow Valley Barbarians hope to continue this great legacy by building relationships through rugby with each other and the teams they will be playing against. As well as playing some very attacking, adventurous rugby.
