It was another statement win as part of the McMath Wildcats’ emergence into a senior boys rugby powerhouse.
The fifth ranked Wildcats managed a pair of late tries to pull away for a 22-12 home field win over the No. 3 Rockridge Ravens to remain undefeated in Lower Mainland AA tier one play. The result sets up an intriguing showdown when No. 2 Collingwood visits on May 2 as the teams establish their seedings for the upcoming playoffs.
For nearly two decades, the McRoberts Strikers were considered the top rugby school in Richmond and annually contended for provincial championships at the “AA” level. Smaller rosters the past couple of years has meant that outstanding program has had to take a step back this season and play at the tier two level. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have picked up the torch with an impressive team that has been five years in the making.
Under the guidance of school vice-principal and longtime volunteer coach Mike Charlton, McMath went undefeated over three years at the Grade 8 and Junior levels. Then with a team consistently entirely of Grade 11 and 10 players, the Wildcats were seventh at the provincials last season.
The momentum has continued in a big way with impressive earlier win over 2016 provincial silver and bronze medalists Robert Bateman and Charles Tupper respectively — setting the stage for the outstanding performance against the perennial powerhouse Rockridge side.
Now, the Wildcats have been invited to Victoria on May 5 to take on No. 1 St. Michael University as part of B.C. High School Rugby’s Stadium Series — setting the stage for a compelling week against the top two ranked teams in the province.
“We are being noticed by all the right people. The great thing is this was a team we started with in Grade 8 and it’s been a five year process,” explained Charlton. “Beating Rockridge today, we were ready for this. We knew we could actually overpower them with a good physical game. We kept to our match plan perfectly with a very disciplined performance. We had very few breakdowns and our defensive line play was unbelievably solid. I’m very proud of their efforts.”
Also paving the way for the team’s success was a recent 16-day trip to the United Kingdom over the spring break. McMath played three exhibition matches in Wales and England. The boys also spent two days working with Welsh international coaches.
“They are outstanding young men and that's why at the end of their Grade 10 year we organized a tour for these guys,” added Charlton. “It was a great learning experience and the boys come back from being a very solid team to that next level. They recognize it through the extra training and coaching they have received.”
