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VIU rugby program charting new direction this season

Nov 1, 2017 | 9:01 PM

NANAIMO — The rugby program at Vancouver Island University is going through a major change.
 
The VIU Storm started in 2014 as a club affiliated with the university.
 
But now that relationship has been solidified and the VIU team is playing under the Mariners banner as a club team.
 
This semester the Mariners are playing against schools they have built relationships with over the past four years, like UVic, Quest, and Western Washington University.
 
They’ve won all three of their matches so far including a pair of wins against UVic and most recently a 51-0 victory over Quest.
 
Mariners forward captain Matt Weir says this is an important year for the developing program.
 
“We started off a handful few years ago with just a few people and our manager Drew Cooper wanted to start a rugby program. This is our first year now actually being associated with the Mariners athletic department,” said Weir.
 
The Storm laid out the building blocks for what the Mariners will be.
 
The hope is that playing as a VIU club team will increase interest, and that the school’s reputation will open doors to better competition.
 
Plans are already in the works to see if the team could join a BC U23 league as soon as next semester.
 
While the university tie in is one important relationship, another one is the involvement of the Nanaimo Hornets Rugby Club.
 
Many of the 30 VIU players are part of the Hornets reserve team and a couple have suited up for the premiership squad as well.
 
Team captain Seth Recalma says the Hornets connection is crucial.
 
“The Hornets have been great to us. They’ve given us all our resources with what they have there, and equipment. A lot of what we have now is because of what they’ve helped us with,” said Recalma.
 
In a typical week the Mariners will have three 90 minute sessions at the rugby club and they will also work out at Island Optimal.
 
Most of the roster is comprised of players in their late teens and early twenties but there are a couple of players just out of highschool as well as some older veterans in their late twenties
 
The squad just came off of a bye week but will be making a trip down to Western Washington University for a match on Saturday.
 
Where the VIU rugby program goes from here is still unknown but Weir and Recalma believe there is significant growth potential, not just at the university but for the sport around the province as well. 
 
 

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77