A CAIS Silver for Brentwood

Last weekend, the sun shone and the mood of Brentwood rose even higher with the promise or no more rain and sunny days to come. Amid the sunbathers, eight senior boy rugby teams from across Canada descended on Brentwood as the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) tournament took place. With excitement and high hopes for our senior boys rugby team, most of the school took to the fields to support our lads in the four games over the weekend. We cheered when a successful try took place, and inhaled in fear when another team took the ball (that wasn't very often). The tournament started on Friday but on Thursday night a coaches meeting took place, where coach-like things were discussed over dinner and drinks. The boys first game was against St. Andrew’s of Newmarket, Ont. on Friday at 2:00 pm. The boys hit the field hard, scoring point after point, not letting St. Andrew’s have the ball for long. With a victorious shout, the senior boys walked off the field with their first win of the tournament, 38-0. The next game was against Ottawa’s Ashbury at 3:00 pm. This game wasn't as swift as the first with the ball passing back and forth between teams; Brentwood fought hard but lost 6-0. On Saturday the boys went back onto the field for their first game of the day against West Island College of Calgary and defeated them with a 43-0 win securing first in their pool and a place in the finals. At 2:00pm on Sunday a battle of friendly competition between our senior boys and Shawnigan Lake School’s team took to the field. Competitive yet friendly glares were shared as the game began, but to the disappointment of the majority of the fans, Shawnigan was stronger than expected and beat our boys 43-0. Considering Shawnigan is known for their strong rugby program, a big pat on the back to our senior boys for a great game and tournament. Finishing the tournament with a Silver medal, Brentwood’s senior boys rugby team smiled as their school cheered them on and congratulated them on their well played tournament. When asked to comment on how the team performed, Head Coach, Mr. Thompson replied, “The boys played very well and are improving each day on the field.” A thank you to everyone who helped organize the tournament, the volunteers who helped out, and to all the schools that participated. It was a fabulous weekend for players and spectators alike. Caitlin C, Hope ‘17