Vikes, CW set to renew acquaintances

B.C. PREMIER RUGBY PLAYOFFS

There are so many interconnections between the Castaway-Wanderers and University of Victoria Vikes that it’s become a kind of rugby family feud.

The teams renew their rivalry today at 2:30 p.m. in an all-Island first-round matchup of the B.C. Premier League playoffs at Windsor Park.

Five former Vikes have graduated from UVic and now start for CW. Going the other way, several players from the CW U-18 program have gone on to play at UVic.

“It adds to the emotion,” said CW head coach Scott Manning.

Manning, who played at UVic for the Vikes, is a living embodiment of the circular roster factory between the two clubs, which has also produced numerous players between CW and UVic for the Canadian national team.

Today’s playoff fixture is a reprise of the regular-season finale in which UVic, blisteringly hot of late, won its eighth consecutive game with a 32-31 victory over CW at Windsor Park.

“We can beat anybody when we play our game. Unfortunately, we’ve had 10-minute stretches recently in games when we’ve let ourselves down,” said Manning.

B.C. Premiership fourth-seed CW won the Barnard Cup as the top-placing Island team at 13-7, although fifth-seed UVic (11-9) won both regular season meetings between the clubs.

“This has been a great competition between our teams and you could not have a better build-up to the playoff game,” said CW manager Brent Johnston.

Both CW and Vikes teams can run and score.

“We’re both top-three in points scored this season in the league,” added Manning.

“Our team can score tries. But we’ve also got a big pack and can play a more grinding game if needed.”

The sixth-seed James Bay Athletic Association (10-10) will be away to third-seed Burnaby Lake (13-7) in another opening-round playoff quarterfinal today.

Lower Mainland-sides UBC Thunderbirds and UBCOB Ravens finished the regular season tied at 17-3, with the Thunderbirds earning the top seed, because of more bonus points for tries scored.

The B.C. Premier semifinals are April 28 and the championship game, for the Rounsefell Cup, is May 5 at a venue to be determined.

Ninth-place Westshore (6-14) and 11th-place Nanaimo (3-17) finished out of the B.C. Premiership playoffs.