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1 December Junior Island Finals

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JBAA will host two playoff games on the 1st: U14 girls at 11am and the U16 boys at 12:15pm. Two other teams will travel to Comox: U18 and U16 girls. All three girls teams will play for gold and our U16 boys play for bronze. Provincial finals will follow the next week (8 Dec) at Starlight Stadium! This weekend, we would love to get a big crowd out from all ages to tunnel and cheer on the home games while sending club-wide winning vibes up island too! 

It was a great day on the pitch on Nov 24th for the Island semi-finals. A brief breakdown by location is below:

Comox: 

U14 girls came out with a 31-19 Win.  They will now face CW at home on the 1st at 11am for gold!U18 boys sent a small but vicious squad up to mix with the Rapids.  They played a 7s game and both clubs ended on a high note and a positive for the end of the season.

Cowichan:

U16 girls won 46-15. They will now face the Rapids in Comox for gold on the 1st at 1130. U16 boys lost a tight battle (19-12). They will now face the Rapids at home on the 1st at 1215 for bronze. U18 girls came out with a 32-24 win.  They will face the a rapids in a Cowichan for gold on the 1st at 1:30pm.

Westshore:

U14 boys played a series of 7s games and had an awesome time - a fantastic way to end the season on a very positive note!

Some photos below, more will be added to social media:

A Club for All

The past two weeks, cameras have been snapping photos of our mini and junior athletes as they tear up the pitches across the lower island. We have added a few below, but please follow our youth and main social media accounts to see more, every week.

It is an incredible sight to see so many athletes on each of our age grade teams. The future of the club looks amazingly bright, as these athletes are being coached by some of the best in the sport - a special thanks to our coaches who volunteer their time week after week to guide these players in their rugby journey.

While it’s hard to believe that we are already into November, the growth that our mini and junior athletes have shown to date indicate that this season has been an awesome one for all - from U6-U18, the most common aspect of all teams is that they can’t be stopped…that’s right, You Can’t Stop the Bear!

Good luck to all in the final weeks of regular season play.

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Game Report - 19 October: Bay Day in the Mud Bowl!

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Submitted by Bad Boy.

Saturday was the first Bay Day we have had at MacDonald Park in two years as both our Prems and Reserves recorded well-deserved wins over Westshore.  The Reserve game started in showery conditions but before the final whistle for the Prems game sounded, the proverbial ‘cats and dogs’ rainfall had turned into an all-out deluge. As expected, supporters from both clubs were few and far between, with most huddled under canopies;  in return for this discomfort they were treated to exciting games from start to finish and their enthusiasm for the action was loudly expressed…emotions between these teams is always fulsome.

In the earlier game, sloppy conditions prevented either team from scoring as both refused shots at goal, preferring to go for line-outs on penalties, an unsuccessful strategy for both. Finally, at the 25 minute mark, Craig Mitchell-Hermann changed plans and slotted a penalty from in close to give the home team a 3-0 lead. Following the restart a chip kick from Isaac Gonevou lead to a scrum won by JBAA and the ensuing Isaac-to brother-Joeli pass allowed Kai Khan to burst between tacklers and score between the posts. With the convert it appeared that the Bays would take a 10-0 lead into the break, but a well-developed back line movement saw Westshore  score a converted try just before the half ended. 10-7 at the break.


Big Peter Masimo came in for JBAA at the half and immediately made his presence felt, gleefully bowling over opponents like a playground bully….a pleasure to behold!  Buoyed by his presence, the Bays pressed the defence until a Velox infraction allowed Double Name to notch his second penalty. With the home team up 13-7 Westshore’s jumbo-sized #5 broke through the middle to score between the sticks and with the convert give Westshore their first lead…14-13. With the rain now pouring and time winding down, the band of spectators is treated to a line break by Double Name, a pass to Ethan Woods and a barging tally by Toby Ng.  Double converts to nail a 20-14 win…the first pillar of a Bay Day now complete.

By the time the second game started on the same lower field, it had become a mud bowl with uncertain footing and awkward handling. An unpromising start for the home fans saw Westshore score a try just two minutes into the game and with a penalty they moved into an 8-0 lead with only 10 minutes gone. An impressive kick and chase by Wyatt Pilz then allowed Callum Botchar to pounce on the loose ball to give JBAA their first 5 points. Before the half closes a huge scrum by JBAA resulted in speedy D’Shawn Bowen getting his hands on the ball and churning his way in for a tally to let the home team go to the break leading 10-8.


Early in the second half Crosby Stewart was binned for a ‘deliberate knock-on’…tough call in the wind and rain. The outmanned Bays’ defence remained resolute until the last moments of the sin bin when another try gave the visitors a 13-10 advantage. A successful penalty kick gave  the Langford squad a 16-10 advantage with 17 minutes to go. From here on, the home squad, their white jerseys now a muddy brown, controlled the game with a ferocity and determination not seen for some time. The inevitable go-ahead try came once again from Callum Botchar after a sustained forward attack lasting a full six minutes.  Burton ices the convert to make it 17-16 and his penalty moments later coffin-nails the 20-16 victory.

The carnival-like celebration in the clubhouse featured obnoxious music, shirts off and general jubilance prior to Rookie Night at the club.

Life is good.

12 Oct Junior Exhibition Matches - CW Hosts JBAA and Abbotsford

It was an awesome start to Thanksgiving Weekend, with some of our junior boys hitting the pitch at Windsor Park. CW had coordinated exhibition matches against Abbotsford and invited our players to mix into the games, as Abby brought two teams for the U14 and U16 boys age groups.

In the U14 game, Emerson represented our u14s very well, playing hard for Abbotsford and coming out proud. In the U16s, twelve of our boys mixed with eight CW players, and they fought till the end against Abbotsford ultimately losing by 3 points with a final second try by Abby.

Many of our players got experience in different roles, in a fairly high scoring game for the level of defence that was displayed.

Lots of parents and coaches out from u14-18 cheering on the boys and all stayed after for BBQ.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all. 
Huddy Huddy!

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Juniors Week 2: Tearing up the pitch from Nanaimo, to Shawnigan, to CW

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Juniors week two saw the U18 girls in Nanaimo, dominating the pitch against the Hornets with a >50 point victory - the talent in this team is simply incredible, what a team to watch as the season continues. This week was a bye week for the U14 and U16 girls, with their next matches coming on the 20th v the Rapids.

Further south, the U14-U18 boys faced the Salish Sea Warriors in Shawnigan. First, the U14s hit the lower pitch. Although outnumbered, they fought hard with strong defence and some great breaks on offence. These kids are coming together well and will get an opportunity for an additional exhibition game this coming Saturday at Windsor Park, joining forces with Abbotsford to face the host club, CW.

The U16s took their second win of the season, letting up only one try and surprising Salish and taking them by a >50 point spread. The U16s will join the fun at CW this weekend, facing Abbotsford at 1pm. Immediately following the U16s game in Shawnigan, the U18s hit the lower pitch. While still short players due to injury, and greatly outnumbered, with the U14s and U16s on the sidelines cheering them on, they fought to the bitter end, with Connor Steeves ensuring they slapped some points on the scoreboard. As players return to the lineup, we are excited to watch this team in the weeks to come. Each of these teams are very much looking forward to integrating with and learning from the Senior players at this Thursday’s joint training.

Finally, on the pitch at CW, our minis had their first jamboree. There were smiles for miles accross all pitches. While flags were flying from left to right, many of our U12s experienced tackle rugby for their first time. All finished the day with a great experience to speak of, and ready for the upcoming weekend rest, with next minis training occurring on the 20th.

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Junior 15s Season off to a Roaring Start!

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September finished off strong, with the Div 2 Women taking out the Nanaimo Hornets 39-29 and the Men’s Reserves narrowly missing the win on the 28th, followed by a solid day of rugby for the minis and juniors at the Mac and CW on Sunday the 29th.

At the Mac, we closed off a stellar minis training session by gathering kids at mid field, many of them wearing orange, where Tom H led a moment of reflection for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Following the ceremony, it was back to the pitch, with the U14 boys, followed by the U16 boys and U18 boys each taking on Westshore in successive games. Our boys had strong performances in all matches, despite being short in some areas following the previous week’s efforts in Kamloops. Many thanks to all supporters who came out and also took part in the morning’s Bacon and Eggers fundraiser and the afternoons BBQ! We can look forward to more such hosting ahead in future weekends.

Concurrent to Sunday’s matches at the Mac, our U14-U18 girls took on CW at Windsor Park. As you can see on our social media through Matt Martin’s incredible photos, our girls fought hard and left CW in the dust in all matches.

As the club continues to grow, it is awesome to watch the amount of youth we have on the pitch every weekend in all age grades. Looking ahead to this coming weekend, let’s see how many of these 200+kids and their families we can get out to watch our senior teams play on Saturday at the Mac!

In the meantime, rest up, Bears, and see you on the pitch in the days to come!

Huddy Huddy!

Kamloops 7s 2024: JBAA Came Out in Force!

From 21-22 September 2024, close to 80 JBAA junior athletes travelled to Kamloops for the annual 7s tournament. Six teams represented the club, and were fierce competitors. Competing against teams from across BC, Alberta, and some central provinces, all teams fought hard and three of our teams came out with medals:

U18 Girls: Silver

U16 Girls: Gold

U14 Girls: Gold

With sun on Saturday and rain on Sunday, we had a mix of perfect rugby conditions. Congratulations to all!

We wish to thank all coaches, managers, parent volunteers and club supporters for the collective effort to make this weekend a huge success. To all the players - you should all be proud of the way you played and the way you comported yourselves throughout the weekend! Huddy Huddy! We Decide!

Bring on the 15s season, starting next weekend (29 Sept)!

JBAA Minis: Pacific Pride Joins a Legendary Sunday!

Bear Cubs: Cuteness Overload!
We had an absolutely adorable moment this Sunday with one of our youngest Bear Cubs, featured here with his mom. This young athlete was all smiles and ready to get into the rugby spirit, showing us that rugby is truly for everyone, no matter how young. Look at that focus with the rugby ball!

U12: Star Talent Meets Future Stars
This weekend, our U12 Boys and Girls had the fantastic opportunity to work with some top talent! Pacific Pride sent four players to join us at practice—two worked with the U12 Boys, and two worked with the U12 Girls. We also had two senior women players come out to practice and work with our U8/U10 Girls. The kids were thrilled, and it’s not every day they get to train alongside some of the best in Canadian rugby. The Pacific Pride players’ community work is invaluable, and we are so lucky to have them, along with our senior women, as role models for our young athletes.

Tackling Like Pros!

One of our U12 athletes was caught in action, just before hitting the tackle bag. As you can see, she’s having the time of her life, learning key skills and improving her game every week. Keep up the great work!

A Sunday with a Rugby Legend: DTH
If you’re a rugby fan, you know DTH van der Merwe is one of the most famous and accomplished players in Canadian rugby history. But on Sundays, DTH is just another JBAA supporter and rugby parent, out on the field cheering on his kids with the rest of us. Want to see why he’s a rugby legend? Check out this incredible run by DTH. It’s always a thrill to have someone of his caliber supporting our club and inspiring the next generation.

Kamloops Recap
Our James Bay Junior Athletes were at the Kamloops 7's this weekend, bringing back some great results:

  • U18 Girls: Silver

  • U16 Girls: Gold

  • U14 Girls: Gold

Congratulations to all our athletes, coaches, and volunteers for their hard work. It was a great weekend, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved!

Important Reminders

  • Mouthguards Required! Please ensure all U12 athletes have their mouthguards for practice and games.

  • The schedule is now up on TeamSnap until the Christmas break. If you haven't registered yet, please do so at https://www.jbaa.ca/registration. For those who have registered, TeamSnap invites have been sent out. If you haven't received any communication, please contact us at minirugby@jbaa.ca.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the next practice!

JBAA Mini Rugby
minirugby@jbaa.ca

Minis and Junior Programme off to a Roaring Start!

Our Junior Athletes have had a solid start to the 7s season, with great numbers across all ages and genders. We had a small but ferocious showing at the first Westshore Jamboree at end August. September has started strong in Comox on the 8th, and the U14-18s are back on the pitch tomorrow, 15 September at Westshore. On the 20th, some of our teams will be representing the club in Kamloops, at one of BC’s most awesome 7s tournaments!

A special “First Day" for minis has been coordinated for the 15th at James Bay, for our Bear Cubs through to U12s, with a chance for parents to meet coaches and some of our legendary club members - coffee and bacon and eggers will be on the menu!

We are excited with the growth that we have seen to date in the youth programme and are extremely excited for the months ahead for our young athletes!

For more information on the youth programme, please connect with any of the following:

Minis specific info: minirugby@jbaa.ca

Junior specific info: juniorrugby@jbaaa.ca

General Youth programme info: youthrugby@jbaa.ca

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Social Memberships are here!

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The 2024/25 Social Memberships are now available for sale with a new swag option that I know has been requested by many people: a zip up hoodie.

The hoodie is not cotton like the Rushton Hoodie, this one is made out of performance fabric and has a closer cut (i.e. not oversized). Early reports are this one looks sharp.

Head over to the Social Membership page to see more details about the membership and how you can join.

Check Out The 2024/25 Junior Coaching Lineup!

Very many thanks to all JBAA coaches for your dedication to our club and to the development of our junior athletes! Looking forward to an incredible season ahead under your leadership!

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2024/25 Junior Program Practice Times and Upcoming Key Dates

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Key upcoming dates for the U14-18 teams are below. Pre-season 7s tourneys will run between 8 and 15 September throughout BC, in prep for Kamloops the weekend of 21 September. The start of the fall age-grade 15s season is expected to occur the weekend of 28 September. The fall season is expected to run until the weekend of 1 December (finals), with BC finals the weekend of 8 December. 

Leading by Example

We hope you are all enjoying a rewarding weekend as we head into summer - here’s a couple updates for the start of June:
As you will have seen in recent Blogs and on Social Media, Eliza Woods was presented with this year’s Frank Gower Bursary by Frank’s wife Linda, accompanied by JBAA president, John de Goede. As well as playing both junior and senior women’s rugby at JBAA, Eliza founded the Epilepsy Awareness Tournament. Eliza exemplifies what it means to be a Bay, on and off the field!

Thanks also to the players from our senior men’s rugby squads who spent a day spiffing up the club room, the weight room and the washrooms at our clubhouse. The group, organized by Sean Stewart, included Tom Burton, Alex Jordan, Tom Richardson, Malik James, Mike Nieuwenhuysen, Mostyn Findlay, Toby Ng and Jeremiah Gonevou. That kind of leadership and commitment is something we have not seen for quite a while and is much appreciated by all.

Have a swell day!

Frank Gower Bursary - 2024 Presentation

Pictured- President John DeGoede, Eliza Woods and the lovely Linda Gower in front of the Dogwood tree planted in Frank’s memory.  

This bursary is awarded annually to a Senior level female that represents the club both on and off the field -exemplifying what it means to be a Bay. 

This years recipient is Eliza Woods. 

Eliza played both Junior and Senior Women's this year, has been a stalwart at Esquimalt High, founded the Epilepsy Awareness tournament which has become an annual event, and will represent the Tide at PRC’s in July.  

Eliza is off to the University of Lethbridge this Fall and we look forward to watching her continued success! 

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JBAA Annual General Meeting ~ 13 June 2024 ~ 7-9pm

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Our Annual General Meeting will be held at the club house on Thursday, 13 June and will start at 7:00 pm.

Lots of things to discuss as we wrap up our 2023/24 business and look ahead to a new year!

We encourage ALL members, and all those interested in joining the club, to come out to the AGM to meet the executive, find out plans for the teams and our building, and sign up to volunteer.

If you cannot attend in person we will be running a video call and you can join using the link below.

Note that the virtual option is a Teams call - you do not need an account, nor should you have to download an app (unless you prefer).

Teams Event