Saturday evening at the House of Bays, Giants emerge from the tree-line bounding MacDonald Park – to celebrate the fourteen year JBAA coaching career of Peter Rushton. Coach Pete has 5 BC Champion notches in his rugby belt: three in a row in 2006 through 2008 (memorialized on JBAA tee-shirts as the “Three Pete”); then snatched away by Lomas on a last second penalty goal in 2009; a short time to regroup, then two more over Burnaby, in 2012 and 2013.
Not all the JBAA Giants are physically here. Hans and Stephanie are in Ontario watching young-star Sophie perform. Jono is missing, somewhere in the drifting mist. Tillman Briggs, Ian Stewart, many other trail-blazers, watch from close-attending Juan de Fuca clouds.
But many are here: Jarod Barker, who kicked Canada’s winning points over Scotland in Vancouver some decades ago – now leader of The Rising as young Bays surge back into contention in youth rugby; Tommy Woods, accompanied by his family, Canada winner also over Scotland some further years back, Leader of the Esquimalt High School Rugby Academy; Pat Dunkley, Esquimalt High School icon, proud at Pacific Pride, and Canada hooker; Dave Ramsay, Captain, first at Pride under David Clark, then at the Bays; Barry Robbins, steady hand upon the JBAA tiller; new head coach Sean White; and, of course, all close-by members of the de Goede Nation, including President John and Mike, Manager of the Prems in the present day.
Other standouts for JBAA and, often, BC and Canada rugby include: Ron McInnes, Neil Meechan, Dave Moonlight, Eric Forsythe, Scotty Warren, Franni Yoon, Hugo Belanger, Rob Robson. Along with Rammer, J-Rod, Dunkley, Andrew Moffat, Vince Herlaar, and others I have missed - representatives of the New Wave of Leaders now emerging at JBAA.
Four selectees extol the coaching career of Coach Pete:
Mother Hubbard, Pete’s first Manager at the Bays, during the 3-Pete and in Edmonton when JBAA won the inaugural Canada Club Championship. Manager for David Clark at Pacific Pride – and, in earlier days, a reportedly crazed supporter of Vikes’ basketball. Hubby, who is now, according to rumours, readying his next career as Manager of the reborn Pacific Pride, does not disappoint.
Pat Dunkley, gives a vivid account of challenges attending Esquimalt High back in the day (the Woods girls, also in attendance, assure us “nothing’s changed”) – and how Coach Pete “saved” Pat and many other kids from heading toward disaster.
Tommy Woods mostly talks about the days when he and Pete both played lacrosse for the Victoria Shamrocks – including verbal assaults that, according to Tommy, Pete always won (but which cannot be detailed in this semi-family tome). It should be noted that this writer heard some of these insults repeated with great success by Dunkley, when contesting selected Caps front rowers.
Captain Rammer summing up – talks about Pete’s quiet, intensely competitive character – about his achievement of winning the Barnard Cup, the Rounsfel Cup, and the Canadian Club Championship, all in the same season. This is an accomplishment unlikely to be repeated! It is extremely rare, Rammer observes, for one club to have coaches the quality of Tillman Briggs and Pete Rushton so close together in their history! (It was my pleasure, in Edmonton during the Canadian Championship win over Toronto Irish, to see Coach Pete standing shoulder to shoulder on the sideline with coaches Tillman Briggs and Gary Johnston – and thinking, “what chance does any opponent have!”)
Then Coach Pete takes the stage. True to form, he begins by thanking others: His Managers; Hubby, Rhyno, Hans, Tim White, now Mike de Goede. He thanks Melea Holland for the incredible job she has done (and is still doing) managing our staff of physios and trainers.
Pete mentions four more, who have made his work easier: Jeff Williams, Jono, and, of course, Barry Robbins. I am proud to be included with these. He singles out two JBAA Captains who he views as iconic: Dave Ramsay and Spence Dalziel.
Finally, Pete reveals “the secret formula” for his successful JBAA coaching career!
Show up for practice.
Work as hard as you can to improve your physical and mental skills.
Don’t bullshit me!
On game day, work to excel in your physical play and your commitment to your JBAA team!
There is a buzz in the air in the room! Pride in who we are and what we have achieved – knowledge that we have climbed our mountains together – assurance that we can always return to this House of Bays, to be welcomed as friend and as family.
Huddy Huddy & Thank You Coach Pete!