By Jill Hayward
Congratulations to the North Thompson Spartans Senior 7s Rugby Team on winning the Zone Championship for a second consecutive season.They pulled off a hard fought win at Pioneer Park in Kamloops and will now be on their way with coach Dave Waylan to the Provincials in Vancouver in June.
“The guys were pretty beat up after the game,” said one proud parent, “But they were awesome and determined to come home with a win.”
The North Thompson Spartans are made up of players from Barriere and Clearwater Secondary schools. This year there are four players on the team from Barriere; Raymond Broere, Mike Reierson, Evan Saunders and Brayden Smith. All four started playing junior rugby in the Spartans while in grade 8, and have continued playing on the team for the past four years while moving into the senior division.
“The boys continue to play a physical brand of rugby mixed with a healthy dose of skill that keeps the opposition on their toes,” said a social media post by Gabe Francis, who coached the team in past years and is now a coach for North Kamloops, “Proud of you all!”