2005 - Sundevils vs. New Quay Tretherras
The Sundevils junior rugby team played host to Tretherras School, an under 14 squad of 27 players on a B.C. tour from Newquay Cornwall, UK in April 2005. Despite the inclement weather our guests experienced while hosted in Delta, spectators were treated to a great display of rugby from the more experienced visiting side. While most of the lads attending Newquay Tretherras were probably introduced to rugby by age four or five, many on the Sundevils side were playing in only their second or third organized match. Despite the gap in experience, the Sundevils provided the visitors an entertaining game of rugby.
But the weekend was about much more than just a rugby game. The visitors arrived on the Friday afternoon and were assigned to their opposite players for billeting and to spend the evening together to get to know one another. David and Sara Blackwell opened their home to the visiting coaches and supporters for an evening social. Saturday afternoon the two boys’ teams watched the Field Hockey match at Winskill Park between the SunDevils and Newquay girls’ teams, which the hosts won 5 – 0. After this, the boys played rugby against their new friends from across the pond at the South Park field followed by a BBQ. It was a grand and well-attended event after which the kids from all the teams got together for a Saturday night disco at the SDSS cafeteria.
Special thanks to Tom and Monica Armitage for organizing the BBQ and donating most of the food and refreshments, to Craig Grossman and Wilfred Wilson for donating the Salmon prepared by Wesley Wollin; to Doug and Kim Arthur and Rob and Glennane Frolek for their help with the BBQ; to Rod Lotzkar and Jim Kinnear for photographing the event; to Kathy Scott and Thea Forbes for their work on the billet allocations; Duncan and Robyn Fraser for checking the players in and out at the disco; and to the many parents that supported the game and volunteered their time throughout the weekend.
Thanks to the co-coordinating efforts of David Blackwell, the preparatory work of Andrew and Zandra Harvey and to Thrifty Foods for supporting us with contributions and a weather tent for the BBQ. The Newquay side traveled to Victoria for a couple of matches and then move on to Whistler and conclude their tour with games in Vancouver. Coaches Richard Higginson and Matt Johnston were grateful for the hospitality displayed by the South Delta hosts and the families that billeted players and helped out with the organization and planning of the events over the weekend. Richard also made a point of offering to reciprocate on the hospitality, by encouraging the Sundevils to consider Newquay if a tour is ever planned for the UK.
