Capilano Sr. Women's Match Reports - Saturday January 27, 2024

Women’s Division 2 vs. Langley

The Capilano 2nd Division Women kicked off 2024 in style, with a competitive game vs a strong Langley side. With the Vancouver torrential downpour washing out Klahanie Park, the 2nd Division and Premier women came together to create a playable field from scratch in south Vancouver. This included painting lines, filling in ankle deep holes mid-field, and sweeping the entire grounds for excess sticks, stones, and cleaning up after dogs – all in the pouring rain! But neither team were phased by the extra hours of prep work and put in two excellent performances for our teams and our brave supporters who stuck in out in the rain with us.

The 2nd Division team started off this half of the season the same way they left off – with slicing offensive plays, solid defense, and overall cohesion across the entire lineup. The home side didn’t take long to get on the board with #10 Captain Shelby Slay finishing off some slick interplay to crash through the defensive line and dot it down for the first try of 2024.

Capilano struck again shortly after several phases of strong defensive pressure to regain possession and hard runs from #2 Zekeya Baguinon, #15 Leonie Lartey, and #1 Heymon Wong which brought the team back into the Langley 22m. Quick hands out got the ball to #13 Abigail Gilson who was on impressive form all game and raced away from their opposite number to bring the score up to 12-0 for Capilano after a conversion from newcomer #12 Philly Reid.

The next try came in nearly a repeat of the last and the Capilano side pressed up the field with strong runs from forwards and backs alike to back the visitors into their 22m before the ball went out again to #13 Abigail Gilson for their second of the game. Conversion went wide, but Capilano were now sitting in control at 17-0.

The home side continued to show their skill and connection as they maintained possession for large chunks of play. After winning back a Langley scrum, Capilano took advantage of the scrambling defense and #5 Sara Kimiaeimehr picked the loose ball and propelled themselves over the line for another 5 points to bring the score to 22-0.

The tries kept on coming as the clock ticked away on the first half with Capilano’s connection on both sides of the ball providing an entertaining match as they continued to batter through the opposition. An eventual break up the sideline opened up space for #14 Rachel Vukovich who took the inside pass and raced away untouched in their trademark relaxed and gazelle-like run to bring the score to 27-0.

The next try came from #12 Philly Reid who was on debut for the club and made a huge impact in both games. Spotting a gap in the opposition’s defensive line, they took a great ball into space and raced through under the posts for their first Capilano try. Conversion from Reid was good as well and Capilano were up to 34-0 at the break.

The visiting team came out firing in the second half and drew first blood after a kick landed them a scrum deep in Capilano’s half before they spotted an overlap on the outside and went over for a converted try. The score was now at 34-7 for the home side. The game now opened up more as the next ten minutes saw several changes of possession as both sides were unable to penetrate their opposition’s 22m. Langley eventually added to their score with a quick offload and try on the outside to bring the score to 34-12.

Capilano answered back swiftly as they set out well from the kickoff and settled back into their structure to work their way back into their attacking end. Slick, precise ballhandling sent the ball outside to Sara Kimiaeimehr who sliced through the defense and away to score their second of the game. Conversion from Philly Reid was good, and Capilano was back in the driver’s seat at 41-12.

The next Capilano try came only minutes later as #14 Rachel Vukovich left their opposition in the dust as they raced away on a 40m breakaway to score under the posts. Conversion from Reid good again, and Capilano was now ahead 48-12. Langley got on the board again at the death with a well chased try to bring the final score to 48-17 for the home side.

An impressive showing all around from Capilano’s 2nd Division women promises another strong half from the growing side. Coaches Player of the Day was awarded to #8 Auva Foroughi who impressed on offense and defense with bone-crushing tackles and hard-hitting running lines throughout the game. Thank you to Langley for accommodating our field changes and for providing an intense, exciting game of rugby. Thank you also to the referee, the medical staff, and to all the supporters who braved the rain to cheer us on!

Women’s Premier vs. Kamloops

The Capilano Premier women had a hard act to follow as they took to the field for the second women’s game of the day. However, they were up to the challenge and came into the game chomping at the bit to put the results of their hard work through January’s training on display in their first match of 2024.

The game began at a high pace with intensity from both sides as each team settled into their game plans and tested the opposition. The ball changed hands several times throughout the opening minutes of the game, but good pressure from Caps to earn back possession kept them on the front foot. The home side began to get into their groove and stormed into the visitor’s 22m before great work from flanker pair #6 Ruth Sherlock and #7 Gillian Boag opened up space for #8 Sarah Bill to slice through to collect the offload and batter through to finish off the back-row interplay with a try. Capilano was on the board first at 5-0.

The visitors evened the score soon after as they pinned Capilano meters out from their own line before eventually finding the space out wide to even the score at 5-5. Unphased, Capilano set out again off the kick off and swiftly worked their way into their attacking 22m and eventually forced the Kamloops’s fly-half to dot down in their own end to give the Cap’s side an attacking scrum on the 5m. The Capilano scrum wasted no time in showing their trademark dominance and pushed the visitors back before #8 Sarah Bill picked from the back and went over for a first-half brace and bring their team to 10-5.

The Capilano women were settling into their game well now, with strong runs across the board and a calm cohesion that prevailed throughout the game. Their hard work and patience soon paid off as #14 Suhad Mardikian took the ball on at pace and raced away up the wing for a try on their first game as Captain. Tough conversion is wide, and the home side was in control at 15-5.

The home side now had to prove themselves offensively after being on attack for most of the first half as Capilano found themselves on their own tryline in defense. The wall of black and gold held out, however, and cleared their lines smoothly with a couple well placed kicks from #13 Flora Poole. The elusive centre was involved again almost immediately as they flitted through the defensive line and raced away up the sideline before being brought down only metres out. But the ever-present Captain #2 Melissa Robinson was hot on their heels and caught up the offload and dotted down to finish the job. Conversion just scraped the outside of the posts, and the score was now 20-5. Capilano maintained possession for the remainder of the half and went into the break with confidence and momentum.

The Capilano Premier women started off the second half the way the ended the first, with cohesive interplay and a calm, fierce grip on the game. Their hard work was rewarded soon after the kickoff as they set up camp in Kamloops’s half. A quick tap penalty from Sarah Bill put the defense on their heels before Gillian Boag picked and dove through the space for the try to bring the score to 25-5.

The powerful Capilano 8 kept the tries coming as Capilano once again pinned Kamloops deep in their own end before sending the ball out wide to Sarah Bill who raced up the sideline, dummied the would-be defender, and touched down themselves for the hattrick score. Score was now 30-5 for Capilano.

The home side maintained possession for most of the second half, controlling the ball well and turning over opposition scrums. Their offensive prowess was rewarded once again as #14 Saila Deschamps and #2 Melissa Robinson completed some skilled interplay to work the ball up the sideline before the penalty tap went out to #10 Savannah Bacchus who caught the defenders off-guard and cut through the line themselves to go over for the try. Conversion from #12 Emily Irving was good, and Capilano now took a 37-5 lead.

Capilano continued to exert their dominance as they set off again from the kick off and were soon back inside Kamloops’s half. Strong runs brought the team closer and closer to the try line before #4 Frenchy Josephides burst through the defender and went over for another well-worked try for the home side that brought the score up to 42-5. An unfortunate red card shown to Flora Poole meant that Capilano now finished the game out with 14 players.

The numerical disadvantage was not enough to slow down the Capilano women however, as they immediately rallied around themselves and continued to make ground on their opposition. #6 Ruth Sherlock was an unstoppable force on both offense and defense and showed their endurance with a consistent performance throughout the 80m and helped the home side maintain go-forward momentum even with a player down. Impacts Lucy Mills and Philly Reid also brought in renewed energy as they both made strong offensive runs soon after taking the field.

Camped deep in the Kamloops end, Capilano earned a penalty 5m out, and after several good phases from the forward pack, #8 Sarah Bill finished it off with their 4th try of the game. The score was now 47-5 with time ticking down on the clock. The Capilano bench continued to make big impacts as they took to the field and raised the level of play again to finish the game out strong.

The home side wasn’t finished yet, as a beautiful give-and-go from Savannah Bacchus to Lucy Mills and back inside to the speedy fly-half who dotted down for their second of the game. The conversion went wide but was met with the final whistle which ended the match with a score of 52-5 for the Capilano Premier women.

Players of the Match were #8 Sarah Bill who wreaked havoc on the opposition on defense and was unstoppable on offense with a 4-try performance, and #13 Flora Poole who was instrumental all over the park with their vision, running lines, and unbreakable defense. Player’s Player was also awarded to Sarah Bill for their impressive performance, while Ruth Sherlock was the well-deserved Coaches’ Player of the Day recipient after their relentless work-rate made for an impressive showing for the entire 80min. Huge thank you to Kamloops for making the trip down to the lower mainland and braving the weather with us! Thank you also to our referees, medical staff, and supporters who made the trek over the bridge to truly make our make-shift field feel like a home game!