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Kamloops Rugby Club and Newfoundland Rock U17’s visit Wells Gray Park

Kamloops Rugby Club and Newfoundland Rock U17’s visit Wells Gray Park
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Mayor Merlin Blackwell giving the peace sign as he rides the bus with players and coaches from Kamloops Rugby and their visiting guest team from back east, the Newfoundland Rock U17 union. The two teams are taking part in a team exchange sponsored through the YMCA with the Kamloops team visiting Newfoundland in May. The Wells Gray Park tour took place as part of the trip to B.C. on March 25. (Photo by: Brett Turvey)

A local rugby team did friendly battle on home grass versus counterparts from a pitch as far away as possible and still be in Canada.

The Kamloops Rugby Club (KRC) hosted the Newfoundland Rock, (also known as the Rock Rugby Union U17 team) on Sunday March 24 in Kamloops to play a game that the KRC won 46 to 0.

The Newfoundland team arrived in B.C. on March 22 and was visiting as part of a YMCA exchange program that will see the Kamloops team heading to Newfoundland in May.

The KRC and the Newfoundland Rock rugby teams visited Wells Gray Park on March 25 as part of their tour in B.C., guided by mayor Merlin Blackwell from the District of Clearwater. The teams visited the three main falls in the famous park that boasts “Wilderness, Waterfalls and Wildlife,” enjoying a hot dog roast over campfires for lunch together and a lot of fun on the bus ride into Wells Gray and back again.

The KRC not only has team members from Kamloops but teammates from Barriere and Clearwater as well.

The visiting Newfoundland Rock finished out the week with another game in Kamloops on Wednesday, March 27 followed by a farewell potluck dinner at the Kamloops Rugby Club that evening.

The KRC said goodbye to the Newfoundland team on March 28 with many saying they are looking forward to seeing each other again when the Kamloops team flies back east to complete the exchange there May 18 to 23.

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March 25 Three Kamloops Rugby Club players that live in the North Thompson enjoyed a trip into Wells Gray Park with visiting rugby players from the Newfoundland Rock team. Seen here with one team members from Kamloops visiting the falls are (L - R): Sam Senger (Kamloops), Theron McLarty (Clearwater), Serafeem (Serfie) Gontcharov (Clearwater), Cayden Johnson (Barriere) (Photo by: Brett Turvey)
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YMCA Rugby exchange coaches from the Kamloops Rugby Club and the visiting Newfoundland Rock team in Wells Gray Park with mayor Merlin Blackwell on March 25. (L - R): Morgan Lovell - Rock Rugby coach, Stephen Cuttcliffe - Rock Rugby Union coach, Andrew Coriale - KRC coach, and Mona Frey - Rock Rugby coach and Clearwater mayor, Merlin Blackwell. (Photo by: Brett Turvey)
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Kamloops and Newfoundland rugby teams, coaches, parents and DOC mayor, Blackwell enjoyed a hot dog roast lunch by the campfire in Wells Gray Park on March 25. (Photo by: Brett Turvey)


About the Author: Hettie Buck

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