The touring England Counties rugby team takes on the Canadian Direct Insurance B.C. Bears tonight, 7 p.m. at Klahanie Park in West Vancouver.
The Bears’ lineup features a number of Burnaby Lake Rugby Club members, including team forward Anthony Luca, who was chosen captain of the provincial all-star squad.
This skilled match-up is a step in preparing for the Canadian Rugby Championship season.
“It is an honour to Captain the BC Bears,” said Luca. “Being captain of one of the four major rugby provinces is something I would like to look at as a job and bring my work ethic from both my life and my club rugby into doing the best job I can. We have a good contingent of returning players and young players wanting to step up. In just a few short sessions I feel we have communicated and worked well as a group, and believe this could be a great CRC season for us.”
England Counties will prove to be an excellent test for the B.C. squad, coach Gabriel Fulcher said.
“We're still at the beginning of the process of getting our players ready for the CRC (Canadian Rugby Championship) season, and lining up against a quality England Counties side will serve us well in that effort,” said Fulcher. “I'll be challenging our players to show a positive attitude and mentality in this game, and look forward to seeing how they respond to the pace and physicality.”
England Counties topped the BC Bears in their last meeting back in 2010.
In the weeks following, the BC Bears will begin their quest for the MacTier Cup. The Bears last claimed the national trophy, awarded to the top team in the CRC, in 2009. The shortened 2015 CRC campaign season saw them defeat the Atlantic Rock, but fall to the Prairie Wolf Pack, resulting in a third place finish.
The B.C. roster includes Burnaby Lake products Ryan Ackerman, Joe Dolesau, Micha Govorchin, Gareth Marsden and James Reekie.
