Masters Program Update

The SOB’s (Semiahmoo Old Boys) have two games remaining in their season after two recent hard fought battles. Coming off a 7-0 home victory over the EBB tide from Victoria, the SOB’s face Kelowna’s Priest Valley Vicars Saturday April 22nd with a 1 pm Kick off at the Sullivan fields in Surrey (Hosted by the Surrey Beavers). A Cloverdale pub crawl is planned afterwards with the Beavers clubhouse being the first location.

On April 29th the SOB’s will help host the BC Club Rugby Finals at our home fields. Sure to be a massive rugby day at Bayside. Be sure to come out to watch some top rugby in the province.  The SOB’s, take a ferry ride to Nanaimo on Sunday, April 30th for a game against Nookie Wood for the final game of the season.

Rugby League season starts off May 3rd at 7pm every Wednesday as the SOBs, who whole heartedly agree that rugby should be played year round, start the first Masters Rugby League team in BC. If interested contact Keller Reeves or Jason Rosette via pm or email into Masters@RugbyleagueBC.ca

Summer Touch Rugby Registration is Finally OPEN

Summer Touch Rugby Registration is Finally OPEN
July 5 – August 11
(Free program)

Bayside RFC is excited to roll out its Touch Rugby League for Summer 2022. The Summer Touch Rugby League will offer players of all skill levels and genders a fast-paced game of touch rugby to develop skills, build on fitness and continue to evolve as Rugby Players.  

This isn’t just a game of touch before practice.  The program will use international touch rules and feature set teams, rolling subs, and everything else a proper league should have!

The mission of this program is to:

– To include all skill levels, ages, and genders opportunities to play alongside each other.  

– To attract new players (touch or contact), social members, and supporters and build a rugby community of fun, fitness, and friendship.

– To offer a proper touch rugby product that is more than just a pre-practice warmup game

– To foster the values and camaraderie that rugby is synonymous with a non-contact, safe, and fun version of the sport.

– To reunite old friends, and make new ones!

Registration is FINALLY Open – Free Program

  • Summer touch Rugby offered at Bayside RFC fields at South Surrey AthleticPark fields 1&2: July 5th – Aug 11th (Nights)
    • JUNIOR BOYS / GIRLS Touch Rugby League; 
      Starts Tuesday, July 5th
      Recommended for Grades 7-9, Grades 10-12: TUESDAYS *6:30-7:30 pm on Grass
    • COED COMPETITIVE Touch Rugby League:
      Starts Thursday, July 7th
      Recommended for Ages 17+ THURSDAYS 7:30-8:30 pm on SSAP Grass #1&2
    • COED SOCIAL incl Masters and Newbies Touch Rugby League:
      Starts Thursday, July 7th
      Recommended for Ages 17+ – THURSDAYS 6:30-7:30 pm on Grass

Register for Summer Touch Rugby:

Complete the following registration form. This program is now free to participate:

[forminator_form id=”3225″]
Bayside Summer Touch Rugby registration is NOW Open!

PRCs are Back

The PRCs are back this year! The 2022 Pacific Regional Championships is a regional rugby championship tournament hosted at UBC over the July long weekend (July 1, 2, 3). Bayside, Britt Lions, and Richmond RFC clubs make up the Vancouver Rugby Unions, Vancouver South Region. The VRU Van South Teams will be made up of 3 Boys and 3 Girls teams competing in U14 (Grade 7-8), U16 (Grade 9-10), and U18 (Grade 11-12) age grade categories. Please note the PRC tournament is open to all players…not just Club players. 

The VRU Van South teams will be conducting tryouts and players will be selected to play on the teams. All players will need to come to the selection tryouts/practices prepared and focused on competing to be selected for the various teams. The start-up and practice dates for each team along with several other details are located on the attached poster. Further info and link to Pre-Register: PRC pre-registration (Free to register and tryout)

Bayside Summer Rugby Registration is Now OPEN!

  • Summer Rugby offered at Bayside: June 22nd – Sept 2nd
    • Minis Coed Touch Rugby: Grades K-7 – Tues 6-7pm on Grass – $50 for new players ($35 for players returning from Fall session)
    • Junior Girls Touch Rugby League: Grades 8-9, Grades 10-11 – Tues *7-8pm on SSAP Grass #1&2 – $70 for new players ($55 for players returning from Fall session)
    • SOLD OUT – Coed Touch Rugby League: (Recommended Ages 17-34) – Thurs 7-8pm on SSAP Grass #1&2 – $75 for new players ($60 for players returning from the Fall session)
    • SOLD OUT – Coed Masters and Newbies Touch Rugby League: (Recommended Ages 35+) – Thurs 6-7pm on Grass – $75 for new players ($60 for players returning from the Fall session)
    • *Junior Boys: Grades 8-11- offered a 3 day training camp Wednesdays’ June 23-July 7th 6-7pm on Grass fields *(No touch league offered for Junior Boys at this time) $25 for New players ($10 for players returning from the fall session)
  • IMPORTANT: for players returning from our Fall program – after selecting the program you wish to sign up for and selecting next, you will be asked to login. Once you login, you will need to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click the RED “Add/Renew” button. Do not click on “Upgrade / Reactivate” – you are not upgrading or reactivating your profile. If your subtotal charge shows less than $10 you have incorrectly completed the registration. You will not be insured and we will not be able to enter you onto a team. Please return to the start and redo. Don’t click the “Upgrade / Reactivate” button…
  • Updated Final league times & schedules will be posted as team numbers & registrations are finalized. Times are subject to changes due to demand. 
  • To register – Go to http://reg.sportlomo.com/rugbycanada – Follow the instructions to register. Choose BC as Province and then choose Club “Bayside”. Select the product you wish to register for. Click Register. Create a new account if new to rugby…or… Login if you’re a returning player (Once you login, you will need to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click the red “Add/Renew” button). You will receive an automatic email confirmation once registration is completed successfully.

Membership Update – Covid19 Season Suspension/Spring Update

Dear Bayside Rugby Family,

On behalf of the Bayside Rugby Club, we want to wish all of our members and their families health and happiness as we go through these challenging times. If there are no other positives, hopefully you at least get some extra time to stay home with your immediate family and appreciate those closest to you. In these uncertain times, we thought it important to reach out and provide clarity to our members on all things Bayside and how we are moving forward.  Also, see what it takes to start a closet design franchise for your home!

Covid-19 Response:

As the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic became very clear very quickly, we decided to suspend all rugby activities on March 12. The league and national union soon officially did the same, suspending, then eventually cancelling the season, and all rugby indefinitely. This was devastating for all of our players and volunteers who put endless hours into having a successful season play out. Senior players were a few games away from the playoffs, and our Minis were just getting into the swing of the jamboree portion of their season. 

Unfortunately this appears to be our new normal with no clear end in sight. The most recent messaging from Rugby Canada is that the indefinite suspension will be reviewed no later than June 30. Until a revision to this position has been published, no rugby will be played at Bayside. No practices, informal touch games, or anything of the sort. We are all champing at the bit to return, but in the grand scheme of things, our inability to play must take a backseat to the needs of our healthcare workers and our vulnerable. Please ensure your friends, club-mates and kids understand that while a game of touch with your friends may seem innocent, at this point it’s irresponsible. We encourage everyone to stay in shape and we will continue to post multiple workouts per week through some of the amazing trainers affiliated with our club. Personally, they’ve been the one thing keeping me from becoming one with my couch. We are still planning as if we will be able to run our Summer 7s and PNW Old Boys touch tournament with the SOBs, both scheduled for August. There is just no way of knowing at this point whether that is a realistic possibility, but we continue to plan for these events in case they can be held. 

In these tough times, we must remember that we have an extremely strong community unit. Never hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know is having a tough time, and hopefully we can make the right connection. Look for the Bayside Community Assistance Facebook page if you are interested in helping, or know someone who might need a hand getting groceries, running errands, or anything else in these difficult times. We have been amassing a list of local businesses open and needing your support to publish on our social channels in the coming days. Please reach out if you would like to be included. Our local businesses are our sponsors and our members. They support us when things are good, so we need to support them now when things aren’t. 

Credits/Refunds:

We understand that for a lot of people, their rugby dues are one of their larger purchases for the year. We strive to keep dues as low as possible and offer maximum value. For the majority of members, their season was cut short. We have taken a hard look and are simply unable to return this money. Much of our fundraising efforts over the past year have been refocused towards the field house (after knowing what is best among metal roof vs shingles), and we are operating at tighter margins as a result. As much of our costs are fixed and front-loaded, and our typical fundraising parties and pub nights also have to be cancelled, we can’t make the numbers work and return the Bayside portion of your rugby dues. Start fundraising with dugnad idrettslag sports and more.

For those who signed up for the Spring season and only received a few weeks of play, we will be crediting $50 off of next year’s dues. If you are in a position of hardship, please reach out to us about refunding this amount and connecting you with community resources by sending me an email to president@baysiderfc.com. We wish we could offer better, but this is our current financial reality.

BC Rugby will be offering partial refunds for their portion of the dues to those who registered for Mini Rugby. If you have not been contacted directly, you can contact Marga Sison at msison@bcrugby.com or phone 604-737-3065. They have confirmed that no Sr players who have played any rugby will be awarded a refund.

Rugby Canada has confirmed that their portion of the dues will only be refunded to members in cases where no Rugby was played, including practices or games. This likely does not apply to anyone, but if it does, you can apply through www.Sportlomo.com via your membership profile.

Field House Development: 

Construction continues on the base build of our clubhouse project, with the construction of the deck addition beginning next week. This is one of the final critical path elements that once completed will allow crews to complete the siding, windows, and finish the base build of the project. This will allow the washrooms and changerooms to open below. Siding can make a huge difference, if done by the right people. Go check out
sidingnorfolkva.com for now!

The hard work is just beginning for the Club, as the next phase is our Tenant Improvement on the upper floor for our club multi-purpose space. We are within weeks of receiving our Building Permit for these works, and at that point we will be able to begin upgrades to the inside. Next week, we will be sending out a more detailed history of the project, the steps left to complete, and details of our financial situation. We still have a lot of work to do financially to be able to afford to build our new home properly. We understand that this is not the easiest time to raise funds as many feel the economic impact of the Covid shutdown, but we have to forge ahead so that we can finish this project and realize the dream and efforts of generations of Bayside Sharks.

Bayside AGM:

This is typically the time of year that we announce a date for our AGM sometime in May. We are reviewing different ways to hold our Annual General Meeting under the current circumstances. Likely, we will need to hold this online and devise a system of remotely voting for open positions. Once this has been confirmed, we will provide 1 months notice to all as to the timing and venue, virtual or otherwise. 

Thank you all for your understanding and for your continued devotion to the Bayside Rugby Club. We are determined to adapt to whatever the coming months bring, and continue building this club into one of the top rugby clubs in the Lower Mainland. 

Stay safe, stay home, and stay HUNGRY for the return of Rugby!

Sincerely, 

Kevin Whitmarsh

President, Bayside RFC

president@baysiderfc.com

Bayside Field House Lottery Launch – Needs Your Help

Bayside Athletic Associations Field House Lottery has Launched… We need your help!

This Lottery is STACKED with 30 amazing prizes worth over $40,000 including fishing trips, golf packages, a race car experience, local artists work, and much more so if you’re into golf you can also Shop Indoor Golf equipment to play in your vacations. Also, taking about what is an albatross in golf and other tips to improve your experience. All this to help us raise funds to build the Bayside Community Field House. Plus, there’s a 50/50 draw with 29,000 tickets available for purchase…This is going to be BIG! Click the following link to check it out: Bayside Feld House Lottery

We need your help… with spreading the word… please SHARE this with your friends, family, work, Facebook…etc

100% of all proceeds go directly to building the Bayside Community Field House. Draw dates and conditions are detailed on the Lottery website. Must be a resident of BC and over 19 years of age to play

Bayside Community Field House Lottery Launch

Bayside Athletic Association Lottery scores a win with 30+ awesome prizes!

*Tickets are on sale Starting April 14th; early-bird draw June 1Bayside Lottery Link

From a fishing trip to Langara Lodge to Canucks hockey, with 30-plus items to be won, the Bayside Sharks have compiled an amazing line-up of lottery prizes, collectively valued at about $40,000!

“The community has really come together and has supported us as we create these amazing prize packages for the lottery,” says Bayside’s Andrew Fiddis. “We have artists, local restaurants and lots more which you can view more here, all valued at about $50 and up. There’s also a 50/50 ticket draw.”

The lottery kicked off at Sunday’s mini-rugby jamboree, and will be key to helping Bayside reach its fundraising goals for the planned fieldhouse at South Surrey Athletic Park.

The early-bird draw – a $12,000 prize package to Haida Gwaii’s Peregrine Lodge – will happen June 1 at the Bayside Social, before the fundraiser wraps up Aug. 10 during the annual Bayside 7s.

The Community Vision

Working with the city on the project, the fieldhouse will provide Bayside with a home and add valuable amenities for the community.

Bayside has made $600,000 in in-kind contributions so far toward the $2.3-million project. The 7,000+ sq.ft. building will offer meeting and event space for up to 150 people, a kitchen, serving area, office, washrooms and more, with changerooms and washrooms downstairs.

Since Bayside was moved to its current fields, they’ve made do with no amenities. “We’ll have hundreds of people out playing and watching and there are no washrooms,” Fiddis says.

“This will be a community fieldhouse similar to the Rotary Fieldhouse (across 20th Avenue),” which Bayside also contributed to.

A leader among BC rugby, Bayside has about 400 members, from players in kindergarten to those in their 70s who’ve spent their life with the sport, on and off the pitch.

The inclusiveness of rugby resonates with players and fans alike, not to mention Bayside’s own commitment to giving back. “There’s a spot for everybody on the field. It’s a very inclusive game with a culture of respect for your opponent – you battle hard on the field but you host them afterward and break bread together,” Fiddis explains.

Bayside boasts one of BC’s largest mini-rugby programs and through its “Adopt a Shark” initiative, provides families in need with everything a youngster needs to play. Men’s and women’s coaches also support programs in local schools and most recently, the club came together to help send 13 girls to rugby powerhouse New Zealand for a 7s tournament, where they won it all!

Get your tickets today!

Anyone in BC aged 19 and above can participate in Bayside’s lottery. Purchase tickets online at https://baysiderfc.rafflenexus.com and watch for club members out at local businesses leading up to the draw.

Learn more at baysiderfc.com and stay up-to-date on all the latest news on Facebook!

Bayside Junior Girls Win New Zealand North Island Sevens Tournament

Congratulations to our Bayside Junior Girls who recently traveled over Spring Break to New Zealand to compete in the North Island High School Sevens Championships

The tour left for NZ on March 17, with a full schedule of rugby and cultural experiences lined up.

The team consisted of 13 players, 9 from EMS, 1 from Elgin and 3 from the Abbotsford area. Players from Oakleigh Grammar were also supposed to participate but could not make it at the last moment.

Upon arrival, the girls were straight into action with a two hour training run to get the cobwebs out after the long 14 hour journey. Following this was a dinner at the Ponsonby Rugby Club- home to many current and past All Blacks and Black Ferns.

After a couple days of activities, the team was given the opportunity to train with the Auckland Rugby Academy. The coaches rated the girls very highly – an 8/10!

Friday night under the lights at Eden park to watch the Blues Vs Highlanders in a Super Rugby match. Great experience!!

The team then shifted their base of operations to the Bay of Plenty. Along the way many more cultural experiences were taken in. Once in Mount Maunganui it was time to get to Business.. First thing was to train with the current Black Ferns 7’s coach along with some of his players. This was an absolute privilege and thrill for the girls! They got to meet their heros and see first hand the pursuit of excellence.

Tournament day arrives…Nervous tension in the air!

Day 1
Game 1 Vs Cambridge College – Win 22-0
Game 2 Vs John Paul College – Win 41-0
Game 3 Vs Outumotei College – Win 37-5

Day 2
Semi-Final:  Vs Inglewood – Win 35-0
Final: Vs Trident College – Win 25-5

Two player named to the tournament team as selected by Black Ferns players and Coaches; Robyn Alexander and Madi Makara

The team was led by Rachel Smith , who as always set the tone on how they would play! Every girl did the community and their club/ schools proud.

Team Roster:
Rachel Smith
Robyn Alexander
Niki Duchesne
Callie Foreman
Katie Des Lauriers
Amelia Statnyk
Alisha Jeys -Morrison
Mia Bullock
Sadie Gluvic
Molly Shellard
Madi Makara
Cassie Hull
Kira Peary

Coaches:
Glen Sharpe
Darcy Patterson
Manager:
Heather Sharpe

Canada Sevens Tickets – Bayside Reserved Seats

Hello Bayside, Semiahmoo Old Boys and Local Rugby Community…

The tickets for the Vancouver Sevens are going fast and we noticed that quite a few club members have not purchased their tickets yet – we don’t want you to miss out on this great rugby event!

We have secured the entire sections 237 & 238 reserved seats in BC Place for the 2019 HSBC Canada Sevens Rugby Tournament March 9th & 10th. These are reserved 2 day passes – sorry, no single days available. Please see attached details on how to order from each of the Bayside Divisions and the Semiahmoo Old Boys…

Thank you…