It proved to be a bull market for the B.C. Bears.
The men’s rugby team captured the 2017 Canadian Rugby championship by dethroning Ontario 30-29 in a thrilling tourney final played in Calgary last week.
Giuseppe Du Toit’s convert, his third of the game, in the 74th minute proved to be the defining score, and was needed after Ontario put one more try on the board in the game’s final moments.
Mike Nieuwenhuysen counted two tries for B.C., including the team’s last drive that led to the winning kick.
The route to the final included a 43-0 shutout over the Calgary Wolf Pack, a 20-13 victory over the Atlantic Rock, and a 34-31decision over Ontario – which was the first time in five years B.C. had beaten the eastern powerhouse. It set the stage for a dramatic final showdown.
The team was led by captain Anthony Luca, a Burnaby Lake Rugby Club product. Also from Burnaby were Andrew Lackner, Craig McLaughlin and Kimi Vunituraga.
