It was a historic weekend for the Charles Hays Hurricanes Rugby team.
After four years of taking to the pitch, the rugby team at Charles Hays Secondary School picked up their first win ever on Saturday in Smithers.
The team left Prince Rupert Saturday morning with a short bench, having only one substitute instead of the usual five, and faced off against a team with players from Fort St. James and Vanderhoof in the first of two games. According to coach James Witzke, it didn't take long for the team to really hit their
stride.
"It was fantastic to watch. Right from the first kick, before I even got to my position on the side of the field, the kids had scored their first try," he said.
"They came out fast and hard right out of the gate. They moved the ball well, supported each other well, ran hard and I don't think the Fort St. James team was able to adapt to that."
When the final whistle blew the Charles Hays team enjoyed a 29-10 victory.
However, they didn't have much time to enjoy the win. Only an hour later, with just enough time to grab a bite to eat and rest the team, nursing some bumps and brusises that come with the sport, faced off against the much more experienced Houston squad who was playing their first game of the day.
"You could tell that endurance became a factor, but Charles Hays played hard the entire game. From start to finish they never gave up and they never quit," said Witzke of the 19-0 loss.
"That score doesn't matter because they played way better than the score reflects. They played great defensively and that is certainly a game that they can be proud of."
This Wednesday the team will host their counterparts from Terrace beginning at four p.m. at Patullo Field. The players and coaches are hoping to see a strong contingent of fans come out to watch some rugby action.
"This is only the second time in four years that a team has traveled to Prince Rupert to play. It would be great to see a lot of support to cheer on these young men who are so enthusiastic about the sport. It's also a chance to see a sport that not many in town may be familiar with," he said.
Win or lose at home on Wednesday, the team will not have much time to rest as they will hit the road on Friday to compete in a round-robin tournament to see which community will represent the north at the provincial tournament later this month.
Look for results from this week's games in the next issue of The Northern View.