Are you, your son, brother, nephew, or friend interested in this rugby tour to Ireland? Looking for more information, please contact ireland.tour.2010@hotmail.com
Welcome Back! Jan 29, 2010
Happy New Year's everyone. I know we've been on a hiatus for the past couple months, but we're back and looking forward to another successful year for the Club. Please see the below announcements as one celebrates last year's McCormick Cup victory by the Senior Men, which we are combining with the 2009 Annual General Meeting and the other concerns a tour for our U16 boys.
AGM and Presentation to McCormick Cup Champions, Feb 6th Jan 29, 2010
Fellow Barbarians
A belated Happy New Year to you and your families as well.
This is the formal announcement of the Aurora Barbarians - Annual General Meeting
To be held:
Saturday February 6, 2010 at 5:30 PM
at the Aurora Men's Soccer Club.
510 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora
The meeting will be limited to two hours and will have important presentations from each of the club's Directors and a review of our finances as well as information about pre-season training and the coming year. 2010 is the 60th Anniversary of Barbarian Rugby in Ontario.
The meeting will be followed by a buffet dinner and presentation to the 2009 McCormick Cup Championship Team.
The bar will be open and we'll watch the McCormick Cup final game on video.
The Buffet is $10 but the first 25 club members to confirm their attendance to me will eat for free
JR
U16: Tour to Ireland in the Works Jan 29, 2010
The U16 Boys are going on TOUR! An enthusiastic group of gentlemen are busy planning and coordinating events around a tour to Ireland for our juniors this coming August. They're feverishly working on a new website with more details, and once completed, we'll let you know, so please stay tuned!
2009 Stories
Community: Aurora Santa Claus Parade Nov 24, 2009
Come join the Barbs float in the Aurora Santa Claus Parade this Saturday Nov 28th and continue our tradition! Here's some information you will need.
Our entry number is 74
Walkers arrival time is 5:30pm. Drop kids off at St.Andrews Plaza (Yonge and Orchard Heights), the kids should walk down Yonge Street north and find our float number, and the finish is at Canadian Tire at Yonge and Murray drive. The parents if they aren't walking with kids should park in Cdn Tire parking lot or Dominion parking lot (Yonge St. and Henderson drive)
Parade starts at 6:00pm we should end at Cdn tire at around 7:30-ish
Dress appropriately for the weather
Lois Brown, M.P., Congratulates Club: House of Commons Recording Nov 24, 2009
The player will show in this paragraph
Lois Brown, M.P., Congratulates Club Nov 15, 2009
In recognition of the Club's success not only this year, but in building a solid foundation within the community, Lois Brown, M.P. for Newmarket-Aurora sent Club President John Reich the following letter. Letter from Lois Brown, M.P.
In addition, she will be noting the Barbs' success in her reading in the House of Commons. This can be viewed on CPAC on November 18th between 2:00pm and 2:20pm, or online at: http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Parlvu/DayView.aspx
Click on the date November 18, and then click on HoC sitting number 112 (2-7 pm). Click Advanced View, select English Video 150k and it should run.
Senior: 2009 Annual Awards Dinner Nov 15, 2009
This past Saturday, the Barbs celebrated a successful year at all levels of the club, with our Annual Awards Dinner.
The Senior Men's season culminated in winning the Ontario McCormick Cup, the Women's side making it to the Semi-Finals of the OWL, the successuful introduction of the U20 Men's side in Ontario, and the building of the new U18 Women's side.
Thank you to all who made it a success both on and off the field!
On a blustery Hallowe'en Day, the Senior Men Firsts side took the field against an equally determined Oakville Crusaders side at Fletcher's Fields in Markham. In what appears to be typical Barbs Rugby, the Barbs were behind early in the first half as they gave away a penalty kick to Oakville. Much of the half, Oakville dominated possession and territory, but the Barbs defence was up to task.
In the second half, the Barbs struck quickly as Marco DiGirolamo slipped through Cru defenders to score, but were unable to convert. Barbs were now ahead 5-3. The war of attrition continued when the Cru near the 22 in Barbs territory made a drop goal, 6-5 for the Cru. As play continued, a kick deep into the Barbs dead ball zone was recovered by the Cru in front of shocked Barbs fans and elated Cru fans, Cru 11-5, as the try was not converted. Captain Shaun Allen gathered his side under the posts, and now with four years experience in the Cup, calmed the mix of veterans and youth and advised the boys there was work to be done. Composed, the Barbs worked their way down the field, and put the Cru under pressure on their try line. A penalty resulted, where with patience, an overlap developed and the ball was worked to the outside resulting in a Barbs' try scored by Steve Shortly. The score now stood 11-10 in favour of the Cru, with the conversion pending. Winger Zach Pancer judged wonderfully the windy conditions and converted the try. The score now stood 12-11 for the Barbs and with a little over two minutes left on the referee's watch, the Barbs withstood the Cru pressure and won their second McCormick Cup in four years.
Thanks to all the club members who played a part in the success of the program this year. From Administration, to Coaching, to all the Players, and to the Fans, all were instrumental in our success this year.
McCormick Cup Final Images:
Oakville Cru Men I vs Barbs: 11-12
McCormick Cup Images by Jose Lagman
Sr: Barbs Head To Fourth McCormick Cup Final Oct 30, 2009
Photo by Nick Mitchell
Last Saturday, the Senior Men Firsts side secured birth into their fourth straight Ontario McCormick Cup Final by defeating the Toronto Scottish by a score of 21 to 6. They will take on the Oakville Crusaders at Fletcher's Fields on Saturday October 31, 2009 at 3:00pm.
Barbs new and old, come on out to show your support for our Club
Games on October 31, 2009 are as below
(courtesy of the Rugby Ontario website)
11:00 am
Exhibition - Canadian Codgers v Kawartha KROCs (Union Pitch)
Exhibition - Lions Men-O-Paws v Niagara NOBs (Irish Pitch)
1:00pm - (Barbs Pitch)
Second Tier Final - Balmy Beach 1 v Oshawa Vikings 1
3:00pm - (Stadium Pitch) (Rogers TV)
McCormick Final - Aurora Barbs 1 v Oak. Crusaders 1
Admission $10.00 per person, Children and Youth under 18, $6.00
Social: Senior Annual Awards Dinner Date Set Oct 18, 2009
This year's ABRFC Annual Awards Dinner date has been set. Book Saturday November 14th for the big night. Please see the flyer for more information, and ensure you contact Brian before November 6th!
Sr Men: Head to Vegas In November Oct 18, 2009
Sr: Men I Advance With Win Over Creek Oct 03, 2009
On a beautiful Saturday for rugby, the Senior Men Is took on visiting Stoney Creek in the opening knock-out round of the Ontario McCormick Cup. The side showed improved play over prior weeks with excellent team work and effort around the pitch.
Score from the weekend:
Stoney Creek Men I vs Barbs: 8-42
For more scores from this weekend, please visit the ORU website.
Sr: Mens First Undefeated in Round Robin Play Sept 26, 2009
Unofficial curtain raiser to the Rock vs Blues game, the Senior Men I took on the Irish Canadians at Fletcher's, and won 17-3.
Sunday the Mens II will take on the Irish Canadians II at Fletcher's in round robin play of the Gee Gage Games.
Score from the weekend:
Irish Canadian Men I vs Barbs: 3-17
Sr: Men Firsts Bounce Back To Win In Ottawa Sept 18, 2009
Saturday the Senior Men First side went on the road to the Nation's capital to take on the Ottawa Irish at Twin Elm Rugby Park. After a slow start in the first half, the men regained composure and won by a score of 37-12.
This Tuesday at 6:30pm will be our last training session at Fletcher's for the season. Thursday we're at Sheppard's Bush from 7-9pm.
Score from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs Ottawa Irish: 37-12
Junior and Mini Update Sept 18, 2009
This past Sunday at Fletcher's was the Rugby Ontario Cup day for junior players from across across the province and even though there were no gold medals for ABRFC, it was still an outstanding day for the club.
The Under-14s earned a silver medal after losing a close game 12-5 to the Crusaders. Our Under-10s lost in the semi-finals and the Under-12s were represented by 14 future prospects.
Junior Director Sandy Townsend spent the day reveiwing the programs and the season performance with the coaches, players and parents and received nary a single negative comment from anyone. "The parents have been absolutely delighted with their summer of rugby and there is a very positive vibe surrounding the entire program".
Sandy reports that he believes that all the coaches are ready to sign up for another summer and the program will have two new coaches at the Under-10 level.
Heartfelt thanks and congratulations go out to coach Harvey Libby for organizing a pot luck lunch in the south room for all Under-10 and Under-12 players and parents. There were salads, hamburgers, french fries and cake for all. There were also participation awards for each player. Many parents stayed around for some time sharing and to show their appreciation for the hard working coaches. It was a magnificent end to the season.
Sandy confirms that "there is tremendous enthusiasm out in our small rugby community for what we do and how we do it. The people we have coaching the little ones have done a bang up job".
Images:
ORU Cup Day - U10s:
ORU Cup Day - U12s:
ORU Cup Day - U14s Semis - Barbs vs Lindsay:
SrMen: First Round of Playoffs Sept 15, 2009
This past Saturday the Senior Men started the first round of play-offs. The First team played the Oshawa Vikings Firsts in the opening round of the McCormick Cup. The Second team meanwhile, took on Fletcher's neighbour Toronto Saracens First side in the Gee Gage Games opening weekend.
Weekend Results:
Oshawa Men I vs Barbs Men I: 10-66
Saracens I vs Barbs Men II: 25-18
The First team is headed to Ottawa this Saturday to take on the Ottawa Irish in their next round robin game. Meanwhile the Seconds will be in the GTA, visiting the Ajax Wanderers.
Jr: ABRFC U14s in Provincial Finals Sept 11, 2009
The schedule for Sunday September 13th is as follows:
15-a-side Rugby Ontario u14 Provincial Semi-finals and Finals
9:00 am Lindsay vs Aurora semi final on Nomads pitch (back of stadium)
10:45 Finals as the Stadium pitch
10:45 3rd Place Nomads Pitch
Golf Classic 2009 A Success Sept 11, 2009
Tuesday September 8, 2009, the Aurora Barbarians held their second annual golf tournament at the Glenway Golf & Country Club in Newmarket, Ontario. Organized by Brian D'Andrade and Judy Saabas, 16 foursomes set out and enjoyed the wonderful weather on the day. The support by all those who attended the event is greatly appreciated.
Gallery 1:
Gallery 2:
Sr: Men Win Fourth League Title Sept 6, 2009
Image provided by R. Westlake
Last Saturday August 29th, the Senior Men First side concluded the regular Marshall Premiership season by defeating the visiting Brantford Harlequins by the score of 47-15 at Fletcher's Fields in Markham. The win sealed the league title for the Barbs who have now won it four years in a row. The Seconds were not able to hold on to their lead in their game and fell to Brantford in the second half of the game by a score of 29-25.
The First side now heads into the McCormick Cup preliminary rounds:
Sept 12, Oshawa at Barbs 2:00 PM Fletcher's Fields
Sept 19, Barbs at Ottawa Irish, 3:00 PM Twin Elm Rugby Park
Sept 26, Irish Canadians at Barbs, Time/Location TBD
The Seconds are also in playoffs and will be playing their first round game this Saturday the 12th at Fletcher's. A full playoff schedule is still to be determined.
Training will be at Fletcher'p;s Fields on Tuesday at 6:30 PM and on Thursday at Sheppard's Bush in Aurora at 7:00PM until further notified.
Sr: Women Downed By Scottish Aug 26, 2009
Sunday afternoon the Sr Women Is took on the Toronto Scottish in semi-final action of the Ontario Womens League. While starting out strong, the Barbs were unable to maintain the pressure and unfortunately were not able to hold off the strong Scottish side.
Images
Sr: Weeked Results Aug 26, 2009
Scores from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs Oakville: 23-15
Barbs Men II vs Oakville: 24-15
Barbs Men III vs Oakville: Not Posted To ORU
Jr: U16s Weeked Results Aug 26, 2009
The Aurora Barbarians U16s, who finished third in their division, travelled to play second place Barrie in a semi-final playoff game on Saturday. Confidence was high amongst the boys, especially since Aurora had defeated their hosts in a league game in June. This was a different Barrie squad that took the field. From the opening whistle...
Full Game Report
Sr: This Weekend's Games Aug 21, 2009
Tomorrow the Senior Men will play all three games in Oakville at the regular Noon, 1:30pm and 3:00pm kick-off times. Please be there an hour before kick-off and remember the traffic to get there.
If you are not sure of your selection or if you are now available to play tomorrow, please get in contact with JR.
The Senior Women will continue play on Sunday with kick-off at 1:30pm.
Jr: U14 Boys Into Playoffs! Aug 21, 2009
With Nomads ahead in the League standings by 9 points, the boys went into the 2 games series against Saracens facing a tall order. Win both games, score at least 20 points per game to secure the bonus points and with a little help from Markham ( who were facing Nomads the same weekend) we could emerge the Central Division winners.
The lads were a little nervous starting and were down in our own end for a few minutes as the Saracens were determined to score first. With the same determined and stubborn defence...
Full Game Report
Jr: U18 Season Comes to an End Aug 17, 2009
It is always a long drive out to Lindsay and it can be even longer coming home, especially after losing a close game as the u18s did last night. Their season ended with a gut-wrenching 12-10 loss in the TRU quarter-finals.
"We entered this game as the decided underdog", said coach Sandy Townsend, "and nobody expected us to win tonight, but the boys gave it 100% and look at the result. I am really proud of the effort and style of play. We just gave away too many chances and came up short."
The u18s finished the regular season...
Full Game Report
Sr: Black Saturday Aug 16, 2009
The boys, treated to brief breaks from the sweltering heat as clouds covered the sun - only momentarily that is, and understanding refs who gave much needed water breaks, prevailed over their Brampton counterparts to turn yesterday into a Black Saturday.
The Firsts continue to chase the Oakville Crusaders who lead them by a single point in the standing and the Thirds continue top of the standings in their respective division. This upcoming Saturday, all three sides will be in Oakville to take on the Cru.
Scores from the weekend:
Brampton Men I vs Barbs: 20-35
Brampton Men II vs Barbs: 13-32
Brampton Men III vs Barbs: 11-25
Jr: Weeekend Wrap-Up Aug 16, 2009
Saturday morning the Barbs U14 side took on a determined Toronto Saracens side at Fletcher's Fields. For those who have not seen this young side, they missed a great display of ball handling skills and free open play. Well done to the young side as they conclude their regular season today in a make-up game against the Saracens (missed earlier in the season).
Also on deck were our U16 side who were to face the Saracens U16s in their first round of playoffs. Unfortunately due to numbers, the game turned into a friendly as the Barbs loaned up to seven players in a 10-a-side match.
Scores from the weekend:
Saracens U14 Boys vs Barbs: 5-39
Saracens U16 Boys vs Barbs: 0-20
Additional Images Aug 16, 2009
Additional images added to gallery and Facebook:
20090729 Barrie U18 Girls vs Barbs by Geoff Reid
20090725 Toronto Scottish Women II vs Barbs by Geoff Reid
20090722 Barbs U18 Girls vs Mississauga by Geoff Reid (Re-Edited)
20090701 Mississauga U18 Girls vs Barbs by Geoff Reid (Re-Edited)
Jr: U14 Sunday Game at Fletcher's Aug 15, 2009
The second U14 game against the Saracens will be at Fletcher's on Sunday.
Jr: U14s Fight Back To Tie Markham Aug 14, 2009
Hi Players & Parents,
We will play Saracens twice this weekend.
Saturday 15 Aug: Fletchers 9.30am (Scheduled league game)
Sunday 16 Aug: Sunnybrook 11am. (rescheduled game of 11 July)
Last Saturday we faced a determined Markham team. We started well and with determined loose forward play, converted that pressure to points early with a try from Conor F. The conversion was good by Liam K. and it wasn?t until the end of the game we really see how important the conversion points are. Markham were never out of the game, again capitalising on our errors and applying pressure. We were under enormous sustained pressure in...
Full Game Report
Sr: Weeekend Wrap-Up Aug 10, 2009
The Club enjoyed a successful Saturday. There was only one Marshall match-up, but Fletchers was packed yesterday as it was hosting junior and women's Provincial Championships providing exciting Rugby.
The thirds ran up an embarrassing score largely helped by the return of Marco and Jeremy who had not played this year at all. The Women's Side also posted a good win defeating The Saracens [in their play-off opener].
The seconds had to settle with a tie. It seemed that they had greater fire power but were let down by missed tackles
The firsts were stronger on paper than they had been all year, and they did not disappoint. The timing for this late season surge is perfect. Interestingly, we now have the best win/loss record in the division, but we are in second place. This is because The Cru have picked up more bonus points, including one yesterday in a narrow defeat to The Beach. All the details are below. Next week we host Brampton, then on Aug 22 we travel to Oakville. The League Season wraps up on the 29th when we host Brantford. I hope to see you soon.
Nick M
Scores from the weekend:
ICRC Men I vs Barbs: 5-89
ICRC Men II vs Barbs: 20-20
ICRC Men III vs Barbs: 10-32
Barbs Women I vs Saracens: 32-17
Jr: U16s Finish Regular Season With Exclamation Mark Aug 10, 2009
The Aurora Barbarians U16s played their final league game against Oshawa 2 at Fletcher's Fields finishing the regular season with an exclamation mark. Tuesday's tune-up against Brampton was just the right tonic because the Barbs controlled the field from whistle to whistle. Aurora's scrums and lineouts were rock solid and...
Full Game Report
Jr: U18s Finish Season With Loss To Markham Aug 10, 2009
Wednesday night the ABRFC u18 had suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of Markham, 36-13. It was a tough physical encounter that provided Aurora with a lesson in what to expect next week in the first round of the play-offs.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Markham are a top team, but we didn't come to play tonight", said Coach Townsend. "We were walking from the opening kick-off and never really exerted ourselves. It seemed as if we left everything on the practice field."
Full Game Report
Jr: U16s Prep For Playoffs Aug 5, 2009
The Aurora Barbarians U16s travelled to Brampton to play an exhibition match on Tuesday evening. While terrific storms hit just south of Brampton, the rains held off long enough for the teams to get their game in. Both Brampton and Aurora have had teams forfeit to them and we both wanted to ramp up for the coming playoffs. To make it especially challenging, Aurora decided...
Full Game Report
Jr: U18s Extend Winning Streak To Five Games July 31, 2009
[Wednesday] night the u18s defeated Yeomen 65-0 to extend their winning streak in the league to five games and sets up a interesting rematch next week against Markham. It will give the u18s a chance to avenge their only loss in league play this summer.
The u18s scored early and often against Yeomen who played well, but could not match the speed, power and pace of the Aurora XV. The game was only a few minutes old when inside centre Kyle Ainsley crashed through several defenders...
Full Game Report
Jr: U16s Host Wensleydale School July 29, 2009
The Under 16 Aurora Barbs hosted their third U.K. touring side of the season, Wensleydale School, on Monday evening at Fletcher's. For the first time in years, Aurora defeated a team from across the pond. Granted, the Wensleydale team was decidedly smaller across the board, but a win is a win. Despite their smaller stature, Wensleydale moved the ball well and kept Aurora guessing with their excellent kicks under pressure. The English boys were also particularly adept at poaching balls from tackled Aurora players. However, once the Barbs began firing on all cylinders...
Full Game Report
Jr: Barbs U14 Players Conclude Week at National Tourney July 26, 2009
From left to right: Matt Carrick, Marnus Coetsee, Conor Fennell
Two u14 ORU teams participated in a week long festival in London and Toronto with teams from British Columbia and Alberta. They played twice against the other provincial teams and both Ontario teams won against Alberta but BC proved to be too strong. The last game between Ont1 and BC was a close affair with BC winning in the end by 2 points after a late try.
Additional Images July 26, 2009
Additional images added to gallery and Facebook:
20090701 Mississauga U18 Girls vs Barbs by Geoff Reid
20090722 Barbs U18 Girls vs Mississauga by Geoff Reid
20090722 Senior Random Shots by Evangelia Koutarelos
Sr: Weekend Results July 26, 2009
Scores from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs Scottish: 12-3
Barbs Men II vs Scottish: 8-29
Barbs Men III vs Scottish: 29-15
Yeomen Women I vs Barbs: 5-24
Scottish Women II vs Barbs: 7-24
Jr: U18s Overpower Irish 41-5 July 23, 2009
Last night at Fletcher's the ABRFC u18s extended their league undefeated streak to four games with a 41-5 win over the ICRC. Aurora scored early and often with number 8 Trevor Spence producing three tries, outside centre Jesse Walker added two with singles from Leo Policelli and Cody Williams. Conversions were made by Leo Dubinski with two and Cedrick Bedard providing the final two points of the night.
According to coach Townsend, "this was a game that I felt would be real test for us. We were tied with the Irish in the league and I was a little anxious about our readiness to play. I think one of our reasons for success is that we were well-rested the game as we were playing our first game in six days."
Full Game Report
Images
Jr: U18s Defeat Barrie 27-10 In Physical Encounter July 20, 2009
The u18s continued their winning ways by defeating Barrie 27-10 last week in a physical match last week in Barrie. It was the second tough game in a row for the u18s as they had played Monmouth College to a 14-14 tie on Wednesday night.
Transportation issues meant that the u18s were not all there by kick-off and a make-shift line-up took to the field. Where the team normally has speedy wingers there was a hooker and #8 who, even though they had never played there, were the best of the options available to Coach Townsend. Fortunately the final cars arrived just as the game began...
Full Game Report
Sr: Weekend Results July 19, 2009
Scores from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs ICRC: 34-14
Barbs Men II vs ICRC: 19-17
Barbs Men III vs ICRC: 58-7
Barbs Women I vs ICRC: 7-36
Barbs Women II vs ICRC: 29-10
Jr: U16s Host Welsh Visitors July 17, 2009
The U16s successfully hosted Monmouth School , a Welsh touring side, July 14 ? 16. The tourists arrived Tuesday night, held a light practice alongside the Barbs field and then went home with their billets. The boys hit it off immediately. The Welsh coaches were impressed with the warm hospitality their group received. The Welsh team learned about Canadian culture and were sightseeing extensively. For their part, the young Barbarians picked up on the rugby culture from 'across the pond' and were especially captivated by the touring games and antics the Monmouth boys were playing. There were undoubtedly many more activities that went on, but they weren?t for the ears of the coaches.
Full Game Report
Images
Jr: U18s Battle Monmouth to 14-14 Draw July 16, 2009
Last night at Fletcher's before a big crowd of fans and family the u18s played their Welsh visitors to 14-14 tie. Monmouth College had most of the possession, but a tough and tenacious Aurora Barbarian defense allowed only two tries. The Aurora offense was led by Jesse Walker and Zach Watson with one try each and fullback Cedrick Bedard who slotted both conversions.
Full Game Report
Images
Meanwhile the u18s return to league play with a match tonight (Thursday July 16th) in Barrie.
Sr: Weekend Results July 12, 2009
Scores from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs Beach: 7-41
Barbs Men II vs Beach: 10-27
Barbs Men III vs Beach: 26-5
Barbs Women II vs Nomads: 29-0
U16B: Boys Come Away With Win July 12, 2009
The Under 16 Aurora Barbs played the Toronto Saracens at Fletcher's Fields on Saturday morning shortly after a fierce thunderstorm passed through. The skies cleared during the game providing nearly ideal playing conditions. The Saracens started the game with big pressure, aggressively driving the Barbs back into their own end and scoring a converted try. Aurora shook this off and mounted a well-coordinated series of attacks. The forwards' demonstrated their best rucking of the season, setting up excellent platforms for the backs to run...
Full Game Report
Images
U18B: Busy Week Completed With Loss July 12, 2009
The u18s completed their busiest week of the season with a well-played game against their visitors from Nottingham RFC. The game was closely contested throughout but two late tries by the English visitors were too much for the u18s to overcome and they fell to defeat 20-7.
Full Game Report
Images
U18B: U18s struggle in win over Georgian Bay July 10, 2009
Last night the u18s travel to Collingwood to take on the Georgian Bay Titans in a TRU North division match. The game was a physical affair from the opening whistle and Aurora withstood the pressure to emerge victorious with a 19-10 win.
Georgian Bay, which has been in the league for two seasons,plays a forward driven game on their narrow home field and it took the u18s most of the game to come to grips with thier style of play. The first half was a series of collisions and mistakes as neither team could find their rhythm.
Aurora scored first, atypically on a powerful forward drive from a line out deep in the Titans end of the field. The conversion from a wide angle was missed and the lead was 5-0.
The home side returned with a vengence and only a series of mistakes and knock-ons prevented them from scoring. Aurora took the hammer blows and began to deliver some of their own. They pushed the play back to the home side try line and only a handling error prevented a try.
A mental mistake on a 22m drop compounded by poor tackling gave the Titans a gfit try under the posts. It looked like they would take the lead but the conversion was charged down and the first half ended tied at 5.
Both teams made sweeping changes to their line-ups and the first few minutes were a little disorganized until Aurora began to exert their influence. First, flanker Mike Southcott scooped up a wayward ball and galloped 30 minutes to put Aurora ahead. the conversion by fullback Cedrick Bedard stretched the lead to 7. Then outside centre Scott Quagliarini dashed 40 m to score under the posts and with bedard's second conversion the score was 19-5. A final push from the Titans as time expired gave them a final try but it was a clear example of too little, too late.
The u18s are back in action tonight at Fletcher's taking on a team from Nottingham, England. Kick-off is schedule for 7:00 pm
Senior: Men At Home This Weekend July 9, 2009
Balmy Beach has confirmed that their home games vs. Aurora Barbarians will be played AT FLETCHER'S FIELDS on Saturday.
It will be regular game times: 12:00pm for Thirds, 1:30pm for Seconds and 3:00pm for Firsts - not a TV match
Please let JR know your availability
Senior: Weekend Results July 8, 2009
Aurora visited Brampton last weekend, turning it into a Black Saturday as all five Senior sides came away with wins.
Scores from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs Brampton: 31-20
Barbs Men II vs Brampton: 36-10
Barbs Men III vs Brampton: 18-17
Barbs Women I vs Brampton: 56-0
Barbs Women II vs Brampton: 20-19
U18: U18s rebound to defeat Yeomen July 7, 2009
After suffering a big defeat in the opening game of their season the u18 bounced back with a convincing 55-0 defeat of the York Yeomen last night at Fletcher's. The team played a fast-paced open style that utilized their speed and gave the Yeomen too much to handle.
The scoring was well-distributed with fly-half Cody Williams leading with three tries, with outside centre Leo Dubinski adding one try and five conversations, Eric Fick getting two tries and singles going to Leo Policelli, Kyle Ainsley and Matthew Woitowich.
The scoring began early as Dubinski tip-toed down the sideline to outrace the cover and score to finish a play that began near mid-field. It was a sign of things to come for the u18s.
"We played much better than last week", said coach Townsend. "I know that the Yeomen weren't at their best last night as they were missing a few players, but we were lucky enough to be able to take advantage of that and use our speed to expose the gaps in their defence."
Townsend went on to say that, "this is going to be a busy week for us with games on Wednesday in Collingwood and Friday at home against Nottingham RFC, so I was pleased to see us run the ball and to be able to get everyone in for a lot of playing time. We have a few bumps and bruises, but nothing serious and with our deep roster we will need everyone in good condition for the rest of this week."
U18: Busy Week for u18s July 6, 2009
The u18s are getting ready for a very busy period of rugby beginning tonight (July 6th) with a rescheduled game against Yeomen at Fletcher's at 7:00pm. That begins a period of five nights of rugby, including a game in Collingwood on Wednesday against the Georgian Bay Titans, culminating in a match on July 10th against Nottingham RFC u17s at Fletcher's. It appears as if the weather will cooperate and provide us with a beautiful Canadian summer evening to play the game. Fletcher's president, our own, John Twomey has promised that the bar will be open during the game. So come out to support the club's next generation of players.
With three games and two practices this week will certainly be extremely busy and while next week gets a little lighter the competition gets better. After practice on Tuesday night the u18s (and u16s) will meet the overseas visitors from Monmouth College who arrive in Aurora for a two night stay. The two games against Monmouth are planned for Wednesday night at Fletcher's and then our guests are on their way Thursday morning. The u16s will have a practice that night but the u18s will be on the road north to Barrie to play the game originally scheduled for Wednesday.
That makes it five games and three practices in two weeks! Good luck and the rest of the season will seem just a little quieter.
Senior: Practice Venue Change for Tuesday June 29, 2009
The senior men and Under 20s will train at Dr. G.W. Williams H.S. in Aurora on Tuesday June 30 - back to Fletcher's on Thursday July 2.
This is to accommodate the U-18s playing at Fletcher's on Tuesday and to provide some coaching help for the U-16s at Williams on Tuesday - Especially front row - I will bring the scrum machine!
We have three games on July 4 at Brampton - so please keep me advised on your availability.
U-20s play next on July 6 at Stratford vs. South West Wolf Pack in a cross over match with a West division team
- car pooling will be arranged for the Monday night.
Senior: Black Saturday for Sr Men June 28, 2009
The Senior Men hosted Soney Creek yesterday coming away with three wins. Again the First side kept the fans on their feet as they scored a last minute try to win after minutes earlier making a penalty kick to tie. The second won handily and our combined U20/Thirds side contested well to come away with the win.
Scores from the weekend:
Stoney Creek Men I vs Barbs: 15-22
Stoney Creek Men II vs Barbs: 0-46
Stoney Creek Men III vs Barbs: 10-22
Barbs Women II vs Saracens: 17-29
U16: June 26 & 27, 2009 June 28, 2009
The Aurora Barbarian U16s had a busy weekend playing an exhibition match Friday night against an English touring side and then a league Saturday morning against Markham RFC.
Aurora hosted Kenilworth School Friday evening at Fletcher's Fields. Kenilworth is an impressive side that is one of top-ranked junior teams in England . They amply demonstrated their handling skills and running prowess, creating numerous overlaps and crossing patterns against the Barbs. If Aurora did not contain the ball immediately out of the scrum or lineout, they were forced to scramble to run down the breakaways. The skilled and well-rehearsed English tourists moved the ball virtually at will. Not everything went their way though. Aurora demonstrated on several occasions that they could move the ball sharply down the field. They had several opportunities for tries snuffed out by knock-ons or desperation defense from Kenilworth . The final score (60-0) was less important than the chance for the Barbs to test themselves against a first-class U.K. team and to discover the international camaraderie of the game. Aurora entertained their guests in the clubhouse with a lasagne dinner and then to an impromptu run-around at dusk on the field as the players and parents introduced the English boys to football. Aurora will be hosting a Welsh team, Monmouth School, July 14-16 and then Wensleydale School from England , July 27.
Images:
The league game against Markham on Saturday morning at Fletcher's did not go to plan. The first half was excellent with the Barbs attacking Markham from all parts of the field. Aurora opened the scoring early when 8-man Matt Acchione punched the first try across the line. The game see-sawed back and forth and Markham eventually scored an answering try. The Barbs reorganized and pressed hard, especially in the forwards. They were rewarded with an excellent try by prop, Kolby Boissineau . Markham evened up the game just before halftime, but Aurora left the field pleased with their efforts. Markham shuffled their line-up and their game plan and caught Aurora flat-footed. They scored several times with dramatic open-field runs which the Barbs just could not contain. The hooker, John McNally scored a consolation try, but the game was done. The final score was 39-15.
Man of the Match: Matt Acchione
Hearty Hurrahs go to: Kolby Boissineau , Peter Busciglio, Mike Griffiths and Michael Chiaravalloti (Chevy)
The team will go back to the drawing board over the next two weeks. July 4 is an off-day. It next faces the Toronto Saracens at Fletcher?s Fields July 11. Kick-off is at 10:30 a.m.
Senior: U20 Season Kicks Off Tomorrow Night June 7, 2009
The U-20 season kicks off in earnest TOMORROW NIGHT - MONDAY JUNE 8 at Fletcher's versus Markham. Kick-off time is 7:30. The Schedule is posted below.
2009 Ontario Junior A Rugby League Schedule
All kickoffs will be at 7:30 pm unless otherwise notified
All games will have 40 minute halves
Mon Jun 8
Markham @ Aurora
Mon Jun 15
Aurora @ Irish Canadians
Mon Jun 22
Aurora @ Toronto Scottish (played Sun May 31)
Mon Jul 6
Inter-divisional games
Aurora Barbarians @ South West Wolfpack
at Stratford Northwestern HS
Mon Jul 13
Oshawa Vikings @ Aurora
Mon Jul 20
Balmy Beach @ Aurora
Mon Jul 27
Aurora @ Lindsay Gryphons
Mon Aug 10
Ajax Wanderers @ Aurora
Mon Aug 17
Semi-final games
West 2nd place @ East 1st place East 2nd place @ West 1st place
Kickoffs will be at 7:00
Mon Aug 24
Final at FF
Kickoff at 7:00
Senior: Weekend Results June 7, 2009
A wonderful effort in Brantford as the Sr Men took all three against Brantford. We had an outstanding effort from our emerging U-20s playing as our third team. Our future looks good as these young guys develop. A solid performance from the second team against a strong Brantford side and a huge come back by the first team to win on the last sequence of play.
Congratulations to all.
Scores from the weekend:
Barbs Men I vs Brantford: 29-27
Barbs Men II vs Brantford: 44-29
Barbs Men III vs Brantford: 24-19
Barbs Women I vs London: 5-20
Senior: Weekend Results June 1, 2009
Scores from the weekend:
Scottish Men I vs Barbs: 8-7
Scottish Men II (U20) vs Barbs: 27-5
Scottish Men III vs Barbs: 15-38
Scottish Women I vs Barbs: 31-0
U14: Results from Mississauga 10s on May 30th June 1, 2009
22 players partook in the 10s tournament at Mississauga, for many it was their first game of rugby and Andrew, Bryson and Cole even scored their first tries. Well done guys.
The Black team played against Highland, (winning 15-10), Ajax, (winning 6 tries to 0) and our last game a hard fought physical game against Saracens again winning (17 to 10).
The first game jitters were evident against Highland as we started a little tentative going down by one try early. After another couple of unforced errors we found our game and came back with two tries to take the lead . Highland didn?t give up, and scored to come even in the second half. The boys continued with sustained pressure and were rewarded with a nice try in the corner to complete the win. With the second game against Ajax we took an early lead and never looked back scoring 6 unanswered tries. The last game was, as indicated a hard fought physical challenge. Our boys put enormous pressure on their defense which resulted in a try in the corner and continuous pressure was again rewarded with an additional try. Saracens did answer with an opportunist try, but we quickly responded with a score to further build our lead.
I would also like to thank Pat Fennel for helping out with the water and also Matt's dad for running the line. On closing a special thanks to Theron who was our referee, it wasn?t easy.
The Blue team played Highland2 (0 tries against 4), Mississauga (1 try against 3) and Saracens2 (4 tries against 2). The first game against Highland was a one way affair but we learned afterwards that the team consisted of 1st team players. During the break we regrouped and practiced bridging and defensive lines. This helped and the players regain their confidence and during the next game they camped on the Blues try line but could not translate all the pressure into points. It was nice to see all the smiling faces after the game and during the last game the team fired on all its cylinders with excellent tackling, ball carries and line breaks.
We think that the tournament laid a good foundation for the rest of the season and we hope that everyone is now hooked on the game.
We will play our 1st league game against Nomads next Saturday June 6 at 8.30am. We were invited by Saracens to take part in their festival and both the 15's and 10's games will be at Sunnybrook. We will send out the address and directions later this week.
Saturday June 13th we will host the u14 10's at Fletchers.
Minor: ABRFC Minor Rugby Tournament Results June 1, 2009
The U10's played in their first tournament of the season on Saturday May 23 at Fletchers Fields and came away with 2 wins and 2 losses. There were eleven teams in the U10 division which allowed for some excellent competition. The team played its first match against the Oakville 1 team and kept pace for much of the game, but unfortunately Oakville pulled away to win 9 tries to 4. For many of the Barbs, it was their first rugby game and the team put forth a solid effort. In the second game against the Oakville 2 team, the Barbs learned from some of their errors in the first game, and both teams put on an amazing display of offence with 16 tries being scored in total. However, Oakville prevailed by a score of 9 tries to 7. The Barbs concentrated more on looking for space and supporting each other and played a better game in the third match against Oshawa, this time winning by 9 tries to 7. The game saw some excellent defensive play by Aurora, particularly in the second half. The Barbs continued to improve in the final game against Ajax and won by a score of 7 tries to 5. Aurora was excellent at looking for support and came up with some stellar defence in the second half to seal the victory. Coach John and Coach Martin were very pleased with everyone?s effort, particularly with the leadership shown by the experienced players, as well as the enthusiasm and improvement shown by all team members. A big thank you goes out to all parents who supported the team. We are looking forward to the next tournament to build on what we learned this past Saturday.
Coach John Edgecombe
U18: ABRFC u18 Practices to Begin June 2nd May 25, 2009
The first practice for the u18 men's team will be this coming Tuesday night at Williams HS in Aurora. According to coach, Sandy Townsend, "June is a really busy month for players finishing up their years in high school. There are YRAA play-offs, hopefully an OFFSA appearance, graduations, athletic banquets, exams, etc and even if we won't play our first league game until the end of the month, I want to see as many players out as possible over the next two weeks. It is not too late to register, so if anyone is still considering playing over the summer, they should download the form and bring it practice."
The u18s will practice on the east end of the east field beginning at 6:45pm. By June 2nd all ABRFC junior and minor teams will be practicing at Williams.
The u18s have done very well in the past few years winning the Toronto u18 championship in 2005 and reaching the semi-finals in 2008. They are also the primary feeder group for the new u20 team and the senior men's program.
This summer in addition to league play the u18s will play two exhibition games against teams from the UK. On July 10th they play Nottingham u17s and then on July 13th-16th they host Monmouth College from Wales. We will be looking for host families for the two nights that Monmouth are visiting. More information will be available in the next few weeks.
Senior Men and Under-20s - Week of May 25 May 25, 2009
This will be a rugby filled week - READ AND LEARN
Regular training will be Tuesday and Thursday at FLETCHER'S FIELDS - 6:30 for touch, 7:00 start
On Wednesday - All Barbarian men and women are invited to "SCRUM CLUB" - a session exclusively for our club devoted to scrummaging under the supervision of Kevin Wirchowski, the scrum coach for the Canadian national team. Kevin will be at Fletcher's Fields at 6:30 with our scrum machine to cover body position and binding techniques as well as "the shove" for effective scrummaging.
Kevin will also be at the men's session on Thursday to help prepare us for our matches versus the Scottish.
FIRST TEAM WILL PLAY SCOTTISH FIRSTS ON FRIDAY MAY 29 AT 7:00 PM AT FLETCHER'S FIELDS
SECONDS WILL PLAY SCOTTISH SECONDS ON SUNDAY MAY 31 AT 1:30 PM AT FLETCHER'S FIELDS
UNDER 20s WILL PLAY THEIR FIRST LEAGUE GAME VS. SCOTTISH U-20s ON SUNDAY MAY 31 AT 3:00 PM AT FLETCHER'S FIELDS
On Saturday May 30, Canada plays Wales at York University Stadium at 2:45 PM. Barbarian Dean Van Camp is in the squad and likely to start. The curtain raiser features Ontario select players vying for positions on the Ontario Blues in an inter-squad match. The game will feature Aurora Barbarians: David Nielsen, Nolan Ott, Zach Pancer and Steve Shortly. That games kicks off at 11:00AM.
See the Rugby Canada website for general admission tickets but the club has an exclusive touch-line tent with bleacher seating, food and beer at a price of $100.00/ticket. Contact John Reich, Steve Hall or Brian D'Andrade to reserve a ticket.
SrMen: A Proud Day At Stoney Creek. A Clean Sweep May 25, 2009
Over 50 Barbarians plus supporters made the long trip to the escarpment at Stoney Creek and in the late afternoon, all went home feeling proud. It was an exciting day in the sun.
The Thirds, full of young angelic faces and a couple of crusty veterans, had a slow start, but in the second half, settled down, came back and at the final whistle it was 37-26 for us. Many of this team will be on the newly formed ?under-20? side, managed by General Lee and coached by Peter Pan D'Andrade. This is a very positive move for we now have teams at every age level with a strong sense of continuity. Incidentally, Kenny's pride and joy, Matthew is making his mark! [Who can forget Kenny at 18?!]
Celebration of Life
Simon Allen
1946-2009 and beyond
Simon's family welcomes his friends to come by their home and share a memory or two.
Our afternoon will be informal but rugby players must keep their head and shoulders above their hips.
Sunday, May 24
9 Boardwalk Drive ( Lakeshore Blvd. & Woodbine Ave. )
Anytime between 2:00PM and 5:00PM
Lingering friends will move across the street to the Boardwalk Pub after 5:00PM
There is limited street parking but there is space at the pub
Your donation to cancer research will have Simon smiling
Jr: U14 Boys Schedule May 17, 2009
The Director of Junior Men's Rugby, Sandy Townsend, is pleased to announce that the u14 league schedule has been released and we are part of the Central Division that consists of Aurora, Markham, Nomads and Saracens.
The u14s have been hard at work already this season. They had excellent turnouts for the three pre-season practices in the Aurora Dme and the momentum continued with additional outdoor session in Schomberg in the first few weeks of May.
All ABRFC junior and minor teams, except the u18 teams, begin outdoor practices on Tuesday May 19th at 7pm at Williams High School in Aurora.
We are still accepting on-field registrations as a few programs still have space. If you are interested in joining please download the Rugby Canada registration form and bring it completed to your first practice.
Our schedule is as follows:
30th May Free Day 10-a-side Tournament
6th June Nomads @ Aurora
13th June Free Day 10-a-side Tournaments
20th June Markham @ Aurora
27th June Aurora @ Barrie
11th July Aurora @ Saracens
18th July Aurora @ Nomads
25th July Free Day 10-a-side Tournaments and Interprovincial u14s
8th Aug Aurora @ Markham
15th Aug Saracens @ Aurora
22nd Aug, 29th Aug, 13th Sept, Cup Play
Please mark these days in your calendar and use it to plan your vacations. Please note the playoff games starting at 22nd of August are very important because these games will determine our standing far the finals.
Games were Aurora is named first will be played at our home field: Fletcher Fields. We will let you know the location of the other games and if not Fletchers they should not be too far away.
On 25 July the two Ontario U14 teams will play against the teams from BC and Alberta. The plan is to have tournament games for the players that are not part of the provincial teams on the same date.
Sandy
Simon Allen 1946-2009 May 8, 2009
It is with profound regret that the Aurora Barbarians Rugby Football Club acknowledges the passing of one of its most dedicated sons ? Simon Allen. Simon fought a 10 year battle with cancer and notwithstanding several victorious rounds he eventually succumbed to the relentless monster.
Simon began his Canadian rugby career with the Irish Canadians RFC. A utility back with moments of brilliance and a keen love for the sport, Simon flourished later in his rugby life as the conscience of the game. An outstanding contributor to the programs at the Aurora Rugby Club and later the Aurora Barbarians, Simon was also an avid supporter of the McMaster University rugby team and held office as the Director of Heath and Safety for the Ontario Rugby Union helping to pen a model for strategic development within our union.
Simon was outspoken in his belief that good health is our most precious possession and that awareness is the first principle to remaining physically and mentally sound. Simon was committed to raising the standard of care and consideration for every rugby player from house league to National Team.
Within the Barbarian family Simon was known for his comprehensive game reporting where his love of club was obvious. His criticisms were useful, his insight far reaching, his enthusiasm never waning. Simon?s rugby world was a shining star. For those that shared his rugby stage, it sparkles a little less brightly today.
Simon is survived by his dear wife Lynn, daughter Tracy and son Shaun. The consummate humanitarian, Simon?s body is bequeathed to science and the family will forgo a funeral in favor of a memorial service and celebration of his life and ours at a time to be determined.
Farewell my friend!
John Reich
President, ABRFC
Sr: Weekend Update May 8, 2009
Tomorrow's Sr Mens game versus Balmy Beach has been postponed, tentatively to Saturday June 13.
The Sr Women will play at the Markham Field at noon.
Tomorrow the men will train where they have been this past week in Richmond Hill at 10:00AM.
Next week the club will train at the Country Day School on Tuesday and Thursday night starting at 7:00PM. CDS is on the east side of Dufferin Street , just north of King Side Road in King Township
Junior: Registration Day April 25 Apr 23, 2009
The second pre-season registration for all ABRFC minor and junior teams is this coming Saturday, April 25th from 10am to 2pm at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex on Wellington Street East, in Aurora.
"We are trying a new venue for this, our second registration, and we are looking for another record number of young players to sign up for the summer season", Said club Director of Junior Men's rugby, Sandy Townsend. " We were delighted with our turnout in March and with the high school seasons about to kick-off we are hoping for more players to register early. Everyone who signs up will receive a ABRFC t-shirt and anyone who is u12 will also receive their own rugby ball."
The rugby season has just started but already the calender is full of activites. Besides the registration on Saturday, the club is hosting the second of three pre-season indoor sessions at the Aurora Dome for anyone u16 or younger. The cost is $20 for the two sessions with the last session on May 3rd. The start time is 10 am on Sunday. You can sign up on Saturday or Sunday morning.
Not only are the younger players getting busy but the senior men and women have been braving the cold evening weather to practice at Sheppard's Bush in Aurora on Tuesday nights.
SrMen: Thursday Practice Apr 22, 2009
Reminder that training for the men is at AC Milan this Thursday - We have one pad from 7-9 PM.
Our next pre-season game is this Saturday April 25th in Oakville at 1:30pm.
SrMen: Pre-Season in Stoney Creek Apr 22, 2009
The SrMen saw pre-season action against Stoney Creek on Saturday April 18th. Coach Hennessy was suitably impressed with the display of effort on the weekend. While no official score was kept, the Barbs showed good form in contact and support play as we crossed the try line a few more times than the Creek. More effort is needed by all both in terms of fitness and skill as the regular season fast approaches.
Images:
SrMen: Pre-season at Stoney Creek Apr 15, 2009
Reminder that training for the men is at AC Milan this Thursday - We have one pad from 7-9 PM.
We have about 10 players confirmed for Stoney Creek - if you can't make it Thursday - please let me know if you are available to play Saturday - Stoney puts on a meal and they have a keg party going on afterward.
We will car pool from Dave and Busters (407 and 400) at 12:00
Senior men will play Stoney Creek on Saturday April 18
Game will be at Saltfleet High School
108 Highland Rd W
Stoney Creek, Ontario
L8J 2T2
The game is secheduled for 3 x 30 minute periods starting at 2:00PM
SrMen: Pre-season Marshall 7s Canceled This Weekend Apr 9, 2009
The Marshall Seven's on 11 April 2009 has been cancelled due to unplayable grounds at Oakville and no available indoor facility.
Practice resumes on Tuesday at Sheppard's Bush unless further notified.
Jr: Indoor Announcement Apr 6, 2009
Due to scheduling changes at the Aurora Dome, the first indoor clinic for all junior players planned for April 12th has been rescheduled for May 3rd starting at the same time. The club regrets any inconvenience this might cause but the decision was completely out of our hands.
"I would encourage anyone who signed up for the clinic to invite their friends to the clinics beginning at 9am on the 19th. Being in the Dome is great way to start the season and teach the basics to players before we get outdoors. The three sessions should give our new players a fantastic opportunity to learn. The cost is $25 for all three Sunday mornings", said Director of Junior Rugby Sandy Townsend.
Jr: Largest Pre-Season Registration in ABRFC History Apr 5, 2009
On Saturday March 28th the club held its first junior and minor registration for the 2009 season at the Aurora Leisure Complex. It was the largest in club history with over 60 players registered. According to club Director of Junior Men's Rugby, Sandy Townsend, "It was the most registrations we have had at this point of the year. The people started showing up around 10:15 and didn't stop until we packed up at 2:00pm. In fact, u14 coach Tom Kennelly showed up at 1:55 and proceeded to take six blank forms for the Schomberg connection."
It took a whole handful of volunteers to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. Among those helping out were Director of Junior Women's Rugby Danielle Richer, Kerry Purdy, Khalil Arjam, Chris Gans, and Steve Hall.
Club sponsor and local realtor Sean Herbinson provided cookies and coffee to fuel the volunteers and the players while the parents filled out the forms.
Another club sponsor, Sharksfin was there with their excellent looking products for sale to parents and players. Brian D'Andrade, the owner of Sharksfin, also designed the cool t-shirts that are given away to those who register early.
There will be additional chances to register during the month of April including the pre-season training for those u16 and under at the Aurora Dome on Sunday April 12th, 19th and 26th. Start times are 10 am, 9 am and 10am. If you can't make those times, the club is holding a second pre-season registration on Saturday April 25th at the Stronach Aurora Recreation Centre from 10-2 pm.
The club, will, as per usual, also register players at thier first practice but it is a habit that we are trying to get away from.
Townsend was delighted with the turnout,"It is a great beginning to the season. It is super to meet the parents and welcome back players from last season. It also gave us a chance to find some new coaches and parent volunteers as well as contact potential new sponsors. Plus Sean's coffee and cookies were an excellent lunch!"
Jr: ABRFC Junior Coaches Get Jump on Pre-season Recruiting Apr 5, 2009
(L to R): Sandy Townsend, Dave Christie, Dave Downer
On Thursday March 26th ABRFC u16 coach, Dave Downer and u18 coach, Sandy Townsend, took in the pre-season friendly at the Aurora Dome between Keswick High School and Denison High School. It also gave them a chance to meet with the coaches of both high schools.
According to Townsend, "it is difficult for Dave and I to get to local schools because of our own busy schedules in the spring so this was a great opportunity to renew our ties with both schools, their coaches and their players. We were able to remind players of the upcoming registrations in March and April plus inform the coaches of our offers to help coach or provide other assistance. The club has a great reputation among the high schools and we were there just to keep those lines of communication open."
For Keswick coach Dave Christie it was a chance to say hi to his clubmates and take some good natured teasing in front of his students. Dave is a big supporter of the club and has been sending more and more players out to the club each summer.
For Denison coach Kevin Julyen it was a chance to meet the coaches and learn about the club. "We have always had one or two Denison kids out each year but we are hoping for more", said Townsend, who was impressed by the talent he saw.
Rugby Referee's Clinic April 5th at SAC Mar 12, 2009
If you are interested in earning some extra money this summer, why not become a certified ref. The TDRRS is holding a clinic at St. Andrew's College in Aurora on April 5th. It is easy to get to and the club will pay for any registration costs. All contact information and directions can be found here.
SrW: Kevin Jones to join Senior Women's Coaching Staff Mar 12, 2009
With the return of Head Coach Michael Fealey now confirmed, the Aurora Barbarians Senior Women's team is positioned to continue the development work he initiated last year. To further enhance the program a decision was made in January to appoint an assistant coach who would compliment Fealey's acumen in back play and work primarily with the forwards placing focus on individual and unit skills.
It is with great pleasure and excitement that the Aurora Barbarians announce that Kevin Jones will be joining the Senior Women's coaching staff for the 2009 season. Jones has had a distinguished career spanning several decades where he has worked with individuals at various stages in their rugby careers. His coaching resume has included work with the Wanderers, Crusaders, and Markham rugby clubs; both the men's and women's teams from the University of Toronto; the ORU's U-21, Men's and Women's sides; and most notably Rugby Canada's U-19, U-20 and Senior Women's teams. Jones has also won several awards for his work within the rugby community. The most noteworthy of these being: Ontario's Provincial "Coach of the Year", the Coaching Association's "Coach of the Year" and induction to the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame. The Senior Women's programme is very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Jones and eagerly await the start of the season.
"We are looking for a larger turnout than last year" says Director of Junior Men Sandy Townsend who is hoping to minimize the stress of on-field registrations by having as much of the paper work done well before the season begins. "We know that the club is fielding teams in all divisions from u8 to u20, we have coaches in place, and it is our intention to fill our rosters for each team prior to moving outside in May. That would reduce the volume of paper at the first few practices and allow us to complete not only our registrations but be in a position to order ABRFC gear for distribution."
Townsend, along with the other Directors (Danielle Richer for Junior Women and Graham Brown for Minor) have already had several pre-season meetings to organize the coaching positions and are eager to begin the season. "A new innovation for this season will be pre-season training on Sunday mornings on April 12th ,19th and 26th in the Aurora Dome for the u14, u12, u10 and u8 teams. We were only able to secure the practice times very recently and as a result, we were not able to include them in the registration costs. We are charging a flat rate of $25 for the three pre-season sessions. We hope to make this an annual part of our pre-season preparation in the future." said Townsend.
The club is looking to be on the fields in mid-May at Williams HS in Aurora as usual with the younger teams having Tuesday and Thursday practices throughout May and into June while the older players will have to wait until their high school season are over before beginning practice.
U12: Koos Nominated for Campbell's Chunky Most Valuable Coach Jan 30, 2009
Koos accepting 2007 Rugby Ontario U12 Championship Plaque
The club has nominated Koos (Dirk) Coetsee for the Campbells' Chunky Most Valuable Coach award. He is one of our U12 coaches. He has been a cornerstone of the junior coaching staff for years. When referees were needed at the minor age level, he was the first to get certified. When we need a coach to run a special U13 program, he volunteered without hesitation.
We are very lucky to have Koos and he is one of several first class volunteers that make our junior program the envy of most other clubs in Ontario.
"I'm delighted to have the club nominate Koos for this award. He is a tireless worker and huge supporter of the club beginning when he contributed to our successful launch of the flag program. He has spent countless hours coaching, refereeing, dealing with convenors, and driving all of southern Ontario to provide a quality program for our players", said Director of Junior Men's Rugby Sandy Townsend. "He has made my job and everyone else's in the club so much easier, because of his commitment."
Twenty nominations will be selected from all eligible nominated coaches to receive other fantastic prizes, and from those nominations, four finalists will be selected. These finalists will be featured on TSN and www.tsn.ca/chunky. The public will then vote for who they feel is deserving of the Chunky MVC title.
For more information on the Campbell's Chunky Most Valuable Coach you can visit www.tsn.ca/chunky.
U18: ABRFC u18s Get Early Start to Season Jan 30, 2009
Dave Downer (ABRFC u16 Coach), Zach Watson, Aaron Carpenter, Sandy Townsend (U18 coach), Adam Honsberger, Cory Burroughs, Eric Selvaggi
The snow was blowing and wind was howling outside the school gym but inside everyone was quiet and attentive as Rugby Canada's Aaron Carpenter put a few ABRFC u18s through a pre-season handling practice. Aaron is visiting local high schools to hep RC promote the May 30th clash between Canada and Wales at York University and on this occasion he spent some time with a few club players.
The skills that Aaron focused on were basic passing, catching, running and much to the coaches dismay, kicking, but it was the precision that he demanded that impressed the players and coaches. Passes had to right at the target, hands had to be in place and lines of running had to be exact. These are the same skills required of the national team players and Aaron stressed that you can't win games without getting the basics correct.
The ABRFC u18 season will begin in late June, but registration is fast approaching with signs scheduled for late March and April. If you are interested in playing at the u18 level, or on any ABRFC team this summer, please contact Director of Juniro Men's Rugby Sandy Townsend or keeping checking here for more information.
SrW: Fealey Set To Return Jan 27, 2009
Fealey
After a successful season on and off the field, the Aurora Barbarian RFC Women are happy to welcome back Senior Women's Coach Michael Fealey for the 2009 season.
In May 2008, the Aurora Barbarians welcomed new Senior Women's Head coach Michael Fealey to Canada and were excited to commence what turned out to be one of the most successful seasons the Senior Women have experienced in the past several years.
Despite enjoying the Barb's hospitality, the end of the Senior Women's season meant that Fealey was to return to England to resume his head coaching duties with London's King's College Women's RFC and assistant coaching position with his own club, Beckenham RFC.
The Aurora Barbarians are pleased to announce however, that Michael Fealey has once again accepted the position as head coach of the Senior Women's side with the Aurora Barbarian RFC for the 2009 summer season.
After the Board's first meeting of the 2009 season, the following portfolios have been assigned:
John Reich - President
Khalil Ajram - Club Secretary, Fixtures
Graham Brown - Minor Rugby and Treasurer
Leighton Chong - Membership and Communication
Brian D'Andrade - Social
Virginia Edwards - Director At Large
Chris Gans - Community Development / Donations and Sponsorship
Steve Hall - Vice-President
Daniel Richer - Director of Junior Development (Women's)
Meaghan Sheahan - Director of Women's Rugby
Sandy Townsend - Director of Junior Development (Men's)
John Twomey - Fletchers Field Rep
Congratulations to those elected to the Board this year, and best for a successful 2009 season.
2008 Stories
SrMen: 2008 ORU Player Awards Dec 3, 2008
The Ontario Rugby Union has announced winners of the player awards for the Marshall Premiership and the Aurora Barbarians are winners in two prestigious categories.
Flanker Shaun Allen has been named as "Player of the Year". In addition to his outstanding contribution to the Senior Men's First Team League Championship, Shaun also started four games for the Niagara Thunder and was an assistant coach with the OUA Champion McMaster Marauders rugby team.
Scrumhalf Bryn Davies is the Marshall Premiership's "Rookie of the Year". In 13 league games, Bryn amassed a total of 9 trys, 7 penalty kicks and 46 converts for a total of 158 points, best in the Marshall Division. During the Barb's McCormick Cup defense he added a further 3 trys, 3 penalty kicks and 16 conversions.
The Club congratulates Shaun and Bryn both of whom are graduates of our Junior program. Well done gentlemen.
I invite the club to attend the presentation of these honours at the Ontario Rugby Union Awards evening which will be held in conjunction with the Ontario Rugby Union Hall of Fame inductions and a Rugby Canada fund raising dinner at the Royal York Hotel on Saturday December 6th.
Tickets are: $125/person or $1000./table (Seating: 10) and can be purchased by email rugbyregistration@osrc.com or by phone at 416.426.7050
Last week, the club held it's Annual General Meeting where the new 2009 Club Executive was elected. Congratulations to the following members:
John Twomey - 2 years
Meaghan Sheahan - 2 years
Daniel Richer - 2 years
Khalil Ajram - 2 years
Steve Hall - 2 years
Brian D'Andrade
Graham Brown
Sandy Townsend
Virginia Edwards
Leighton Chong
Chris Gans
John Reich
The new Exec will meet in December to select portfolios. Once again congratulations.
Leaside High School Successfully Defends Toronto Rugby 7's Junior City Championship Title: November 14, 2008
On Thursday, October 30th, Leaside High School successfully defended its Championship of the Toronto and District Secondary School Junior Rugby 7's Tournament, going undefeated in pool play and winning convincingly in the play-offs 36 ? 5 in the semi-final versus Malvern Collegiate Institute and 38 ? 14 in the final versus Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.
Under Alf Scharlach, veteran Barbarian player/coach, and with the assistance of community coaches, Leaside runs three 7's age grade teams in the fall - bantams, juniors and seniors. Leaside also features three 15 aside teams in the spring season. Though none of the school's junior roster have yet progressed to the Barbarians, the Leaside programme has recently produced promising up and coming Barbs in scrum-half Daniel Santos, who also played for Ontario Games Champion - Toronto Rugby Union U18s this summer and started for Trent University this fall, and forward Michael Zsolt, who started for Ontario U-18 this past summer and played prop for the Univerity of Western Ontario.
Social: 2008 Awards Banquet November 14, 2008
Rookie of the Year, Best Back and MVP Bryn Davies
November 1st, the Barbarians took time out to recognize outstanding members of the club both on and off the field. The evening of fun was had at The White Rabbit in Newmarket and was well attended by both Senior Men, Women and Old Boys. Congratulations Barbs on your accomplishments from 2008 and looking forward to an exciting 2009.
"My new hobby - watching paint dry" —
Please find below an excerpt from reflections by our roving reporter Simon on this past Saturday's loss by the Senior Men First side to the Irish Canadians.
And so another great season winds down and ends, unfortunately, on a particularly sour note. It is time to relax, put the kit away and enjoy the time off. Hopefully we learn from every game situation and increase our overall knowledge of the game and how we as a club, and as individuals, approach the game.
It is time to take stock of our progress over the last 5 years. The Aurora Barbarians Men's Program has achieved a huge level of success:
Three consecutive league titles
Three McCormick Cup Finals, one victory and two semi-finals
Huge growth in the seconds and third teams
Significant growth of the Junior and mini programs
The Aurora Barbarians beat the Balmy Beach R.C. to ensure the Barbs place in the 2008 McCormick Cup Final, (their third consecutive Cup Final), and a chance to repeat the success in winning last years McCormick Cup Final.
The Barbs will play the Irish Canadian R.C., in the Cup Final, next Saturday, October 25th at 3:00 p.m. at Fletcher's Fields. The Irish defeated the Toronto Scottish R.F.C., 22 - 19, in the other semi-final.
This was a day for fast, open and exciting rugby, and the Aurora Barbarians played an outstanding game, showing all of the team strengths that they have developed over the last five seasons. This epic semi-final did not disappoint the anticipation for a close and tough cup tie and provided wonderful entertainment for the fans. The quality of the game was assured as both teams decided to play a fast open style of rugby. The speed of decision making and the lines of attack will, hopefully, have impressed the guests from RugbyCanada including NSMT Head Coach Kieran Crowley, Geraint John, RC High Performance Director and Tim Murdy, Head Coach Men's Under 20. Certainly, the sheer entertainment factor from the two teams provided a great show case for Ontario rugby
Great weather, fan support and entertaining rugby made for a beautiful Saturday. The day started off with the Mens Seconds side against the Beach III in their final round robin game of the Gee Gage competition. Inspired and determined rugby resulted in a well deserved win, and puts the IIs in the Final of the Gee Gage against the Crusader IIs next Saturday at 12:45pm.
The Firsts continued the success on the day, but had the crowd on end with a tight first half game. The side eventually settled and were able to finish strong with a win over the Beach Is to advanced to the Finals against the Irish Canadians Is. The McCormick Cup final will be played at 3:00pm on the Stadium pitch.
Beach I vs Barbs Men I: 49 - 16
Beach III Barbs Men II: 62 - 7
Rep: Four Barbs Selected to Maccabi Games in 2009 October 19, 2008
Four Senior Men Barbs have been selected to represent Canada at the 2009 Maccabi Games. Congratulations to Jacob Chai, Jesse Hayman, Zach Pancer, and Dan Resnick
SrM: Hayman wins scholarship October 19, 2008
Senior Men and University player, Jesse Hayman has been selected as one of two recipients of the 2008 George F. Jones Scholarship. For more information, please see the following file.
Uni: Pancer Puts the Points On October 19, 2008
Queen's University recorded a 106-0 win over Trent University in OUA play on Oct 6th. This past weekend, he again contributed to the win over RMC as Queen's recorded a 92-20 win. For more information, visit the OUA site.
Social: Awards Dinner To Be Held Nov 1st October 11, 2008
This year's Annual Awards Dinner is going to be held at The White Rabbit in Newmarket. Please confirm with Brian your attendance by October 24th. Contact information can be found here and the map found here.
SrM: Game Times for Oct 18 October 11, 2008
The playoff game times for October 18th have been altered from our regular match times. Please find below the new times as published on the ORU website of this day:
12:00pm Beach III vs Barbs II
2:00pm Beach I vs Barbs I
Social: Team Ryan Addison Featured on SNAP Aurora October 8, 2008
In this month's SNAP Aurora issue, the participants in this year's Terry Fox Run were showcased. Below you will find a letter sent to the membership by Tara Doctorow who oraganized the Aurora Barbs entry this year:
Hi All
I just wanted to personally thank everyone that came out and supported TEAM RYAN ADDISON yesterday. It was a great turn out once again and I still can't believe it didn't rain on us.
I also wanted to thank a few individuals who did a lot of work to make yesterday happen.
A very special thank you to Brian D'Andrade for his fabulous t-shirts that looked amazing on everyone and to his little helpers Mackenize, Hannah, Olivia and Alexa as well. If it were not for them we wouldn't have sold out and be ordering more t-shirts. [....] I would also like to thank Brian for organizing our social after the run at Vinnies Bar and Grill. It was a wonderful time had by all.
Another special thank you to Terry Reynolds for setting up a TEAM RYAN ADDISON photo shoot for SNAP newspaper. Look for our story and picture in the coming weeks.
Lastly, I would like to thank the Aurora Barbarians. I am proud to be apart of a club that really knows how to rally together and support fellow team members with whatever life brings them. It means a lot to some of us to take part in this run and sell the t-shirts as Ryan was not just a friend to us but family and that is something that the Barbs will always be to me.
Thank you to everyone who raised money for Terry Fox and for buying the t-shirts for Toronto East General Hospital. I look forward to next year's run already!
Tara
Uni: Barbs Women Shine at Brock October 8, 2008
The Brock Badgers Women defeated the York University womens team 62-0. Featured in the side were U19 star Courtney Blum and Senior Women Michelle Saabas who contributed two tries each. For reference, here is the article.
Congratulations also to Blum who was named Brock Athelete of the Week (more).
SrM: Seconds Squeak By Scottish October 8, 2008
This past Saturday, the Senior Men Second XVs took on the Scottish Seconds in round robin play. With ten minutes left in the game Brian D'Andrade kicked a penalty to put the squad ahead 27-15. With a little help from the Scottish kicker who missed a penalty in front of the up-rights with a minute left, the Seconds were able to come away with the win.
The next game for the Seconds will be October 18th as they take on the Beach IIIs. We'll need some help from the Scottish who take on the Dragons and a big score on the Beach to make it through to the second round.
SrW: Bendavid Selected to NSW7s WC Qualifier October 1, 2008
Nathalie Bendavid has been selected to the National Senior Women 7s side that will compete in the NAWIRA World Cup qualifier match in October in Nassau, Bahamas. This pool of 16 atheletes will not only be competing to qualify Canada for the 2009 World Cup of Sevens in Dubai in March of 2009, but also for a spot on that 12 player squad. Visit the Rugby Canada site for more.
SrM: Convincing Win Over Nomads October 1, 2008
Saturday Sept 27th, Quarter Final McCormick Cup action placed the Mens I against the Nomads I. In a fairly one sided victory, the Is outscored the Nomads 85-5. The Nomads never gave up though playing a very physical game to the end. Scoring summary can be found on the York Region Sportsboard. The Is will return to action October 18th in semi-final match agains the Balmy Beach.
The IIs on the other hand let a first half lead slip away as they fell to the Toronto Dragons 19-16 in round robin play. The IIs will be playing this week Oct 4th, so if you're available and haven't been making it out to practice, make it a point to come on out this Thursday.
SrMen: Is and IIs Finish With Wins September 21, 2008
Photos by Nick Mitchell
Both the Senior Men Firsts and Seconds finished the regular season Marshall Premiership play with wins over the Balmy Beach RFC. For the Seconds this is their first win over a Beach IIs side since 1991. The side put 8 tries on the board finishing with a 54-38 win. The Firsts also won 39-5 in a highly physical, contested match, and were presented with the League Championship trophy as pictured above after the game.
Next Saturday is the quarter-final round of the McCormick Cup with the Firsts matched against the Toronto Nomads. The game will be played at Fletcher's.
U20: Canada Team Pictures September 21, 2008
Images supplied by Rugby Canada
Team images from this summer's Nations Cup provided by Rugby Canada:
SrMen: Aurora Barbarians "three peat" as Champions in the Marshall Division September 14, 2008
Team Pix by Nick Mitchell
This was one of the better games of rugby that the Aurora Barbarians have played this season and, with this win, the Barbs are crowned as the 2008 Marshall Division Championship, to add to their 2006 and 2007 Marshall title. A Hat trick of three League Division titles in the last three years is a huge achievement and the result of a great deal of hard work, solid rugby with exciting and brilliant moments over the last four months.
This was a game that had all of the classic ingredients for an interesting and exciting battle in the fall rugby season - the Crusaders field was in good shape, (showing what regular watering can do for any pitch), and there was plenty of rain during the game courtesy of Hurricane Ike to turn this game into a tough forward struggle between two very good teams. In fact, Ike started to drop the rain 4 minutes after the opening kick-off, and the rain became progressively heavier as the game went along. (see Mens 1st Team report for more...)
Barbs Men I vs Oakville: 21 - 10
Barbs Men II vs Oakville: 15 - 30
Social: The Aurora Barbarians Golf Classic September 14, 2008
Images from N. Mitchell and N. Taylor
A great big THANK YOU to all the Attendees, Sponsors and Volunteers in making The Aurora Barbarians Golf Classic
a successful fundraising initiative. Firstly, I would like to recognize and thank all our sponsors for their fantastic support:
Palaimon Solutions for their support in assuming the Title sponsor and showcasing the event with their top notch
and innovative print products which definitely raised the profile of the event.
Deville Electric for their support with the Gold Sponsor Level which again definitely enhanced the image of the event.
Randy LeGrow ? State Farm in assuming the Bronze Sponsorship which definitely added an insurable feel to the day.
Rugby Canada for all their prize donations.
Belinda Stronach and Magna Golf Club for their exceptional contribution to our event.
Denise and Tony Otten for all prize donations and sponsorships.
Mizuno Canada for again raising the profile of our event with their presence and prize donation.
Steamwhistle Brewery for their hole sponsorship and beverage donation.
Individual Hole Sponsors ? a very appreciative thank you for your support.
Without volunteers an event like this would definitely not be a success. To Nick Mitchell, Cary Purdy, Denise Brown,
Carolyn Vincent and Pat a great big thank you for your wonderful help and organization on the day.
Here?s hoping that all in attendance enjoyed their day and on behalf of the Aurora Barbarians RFC it was
a pleasure to host you all and we look forward to doing the same in 2009. Planning is already underway in making
our golf event bigger and better.
Regards
Brian D?Andrade
ABRFC Social Director 2008
View images from the Golf Tournament here:
SrMen: Change in Training Venue September 9, 2008
For the rest of the season, the Senior Men training has now moved under the lights to
Sheppard's Bush - Industrial Parkway South in Aurora. This is a turf facility, and only soccer or running shoes are permitted on the field. Training starts at 7:00pm. Let's be there sharp!
Minis: ORU Tournament September 8, 2008
U-12 co-ed Rugby go 4-1 in final tournament to finish 2nd in Ontario
On Sunday September 7th, our U-12 tackle Rugby team competed in the ORU Final tournament of the year at Fletcher's Field. With a total of 16 teams competing, our team excelled in its pool beating Lindsay(5-0), Mississauga(3-2) and Oakville(3-2) to advance to the quarter final game against Ajax. Despite the adverse weather conditions, our players persevered and came up with their best Rugby of the season, defeating Ajax by 4 tries to none to earn a berth in the U12 Provincial final game. After 4 games in the mud and miserable weather the team, which was led by the stellar play of Mathew Carrick and Quintan Coetsee, came up a bit short in the end and ended a fantastic day of rugby in a very respectable 2nd place. All hats are off to these girls and boys for a great year. Way to go!
View images of the U10 and U12s from the Tournament here:
SrMen: Saturday Sweep September 8, 2008
The Senior Men took on the Brampton Beavers this past weekend and came away with two wins. The Seconds, pictured above, celebrate their victory, and the Ones bounce back from a loss against Stoney Creek to defeat Brampton.
Brampton Men I vs Barbs Men: 13-67
Brampton Men II vs Barbs Men: 19-43
U16B: Season's End August 31, 2008
photo by Mr. Selvaggi
The Aurora U16s lost to their nemesis, Markham, in the Eastern division final, Thursday night. The Barbs were hoping to pay back Markham for a regular season defeat and for brief periods it looked like they might do that. Aurora came out firing from the opening whistle and pinned Markham down in their end for five full minutes. Aurora miscues and a series of penalties let Markham off the hook. Read more here.
U14B: Junior Men Advance to Finals August 24, 2008
photo provided by S.McNally
The U14 squad took on Lindsay in a semi-final game on August 23rd, and came away with a win, advancing to the finals vs the Nomads on Sept 7th. The team scored only one try, but it proved enough as Lindsay were held scoreless themselves.
It was a tough, physically demanding game, as Lindsay play hard and showed great defense on their own line ? where much of the 2nd half was played. The team was 6-1 in the season, losing their opener against the Nomads, so the final game is much anticipated as a chance to redeem. The U14 men have benefitted from a strong bench this year, and talent stretches right across the squad. That's become obvious as the team has faced lots of competition with a single star player or two, that have been easily dispatched.
SrW: Ontario Women's Bowl Champions 2008! August 24, 2008
Congratulations to the Aurora Barbs Sr Women who beat York 25 - 7 to win the OWL Bowl.
The Women demonstrated good defence and dominance in the pack which let the backs have the space they needed to play running rugby. Stand in Captain Virginia Edwards had her best game of the season at no 8 - and was named player of the match.
Amber Beckett contributed two tries, one long range effort by Courtney Blum and a short ball back inside to Michelle Sabaas from Jenn Carter led to the last try. Martha Goodrow kicked 1 penalty and 1 conversion.
Congratulations again to the Women on a fine season and thank you to Michael Fealey for an excellent first season as Women's Head Coach!
SrM: Venue Change for Games at Stoney Creek Aug 23rd August 21, 2008
Games at Stoney Creek will be played at Dofasco Park
Normal kick off times 12,1:30 and 3.
Here are the directions:
QEW over the Skyway Bridge to Centennial pkwy
Turn right (south) at Centennial pkwy
Follow Centennial up and over the hill to Mud St. (Wendys/Tim Hortons on corner)
Turn left on to Mud St.
Follow mud st.to the first light (First Rd.)
Turn left on First rd.
Dofasco Sports park is on your right.
If you were not at training on Thursday but are able to make it, please contact JR.
SrW: In Consolation Finals on Saturday August 21, 2008
The Senior Women will be competing at Fletcher's in the consolation finals against York. If you're in town come on out and cheer them on.
U16B: Squeak Through To Finals August 18, 2008
The Aurora U16s got their money's worth on Saturday, winning their semi-final game versus Ajax in overtime, by a score of 24 - 22. The Wanderers showed up with players missing from their earlier regular season defeat making for a very entertaining game for the spectators, but leaving the coaches and parents with no nails on their fingers. For more, please read the game report
Junior: Ontario Summer Games August 17, 2008
The TRU sent both a U18 Boys and U19 Women side to compete in the Ontario Summer Games held this past week in Ottawa. They were successful in their quest as both sides came away with gold. The Aurora Barbs were well represented on both the player front and coaching/management front. Naveen Neethling from the U18 Boys was voted Most Valuable Back.
U18 Boys
Graham Cadney
Winston Cho
Matt Lee
Josh McLardy
Mark McKittrick
Naveen Neethling
Jordan Querino
Daniel Santos
Eric Shannon
Frank Stronach-Walker
Zach Watson
U19 Women
Julie Cain
Ali McKittrick
Coaching/Management Staff
Jesse Hayman (U18 Forwards Coach)
Michael Fealey (U18 Head Coach)
Khalil Ahjram (General Manager)
Tamara Dixon (Womens Manager)
SrMen: Black Saturday August 17, 2008
photo by Nick Mitchell
It was a Black Saturday as all three Senior Men sides won in action against the Toronto Scottish, on August 16th. The IIIs set the tone, with stalworth players Brad, Brian, Charlie, Colin and JR leading the way. Possibly the highlight of the game was the dump tackle by JR in mid-field. Playing typical Barbs rugby, the ball moved through several hands before tries were scored.
Scottish Men I vs Barbs Men: 10-45
Scottish Men II vs Barbs Men: 0-38
Scottish Men III vs Barbs Men: 7-29
U18B: Ousted in TRU Semi-Finals August 14, 2008
The undefeated u18s season came to crashing halt on Monday night in a 13-5 defeat by Balmy Beach. It was a tight game from the opening whistle, but a Beach try with less than five minutes to go sealed the win.
For more, please read the game report
U16B: Qtr Final Win Over Brock August 12, 2008
The Aurora U16s won their quarter-final playoff game 51-34 against Brock in a "try-fest" at Fletcher's Fields on Saturday. Playing under rare sunny conditions that lasted until the final whistle, the Barbs posted their largest number of points for the season, scoring 9 tries while allowing 6 against. For more, please read the game report
The U16s will host Ajax on Saturday at Fletcher's for semifinal action.
U18B: First Round Win Over Markham August 8, 2008
The ABRFC u18s advanced to the TRU semi-finals with a hard fought 10-5 victory last night over local rival Markham. In a very physical encounter that threatened to boil over several times, the Aurora side kept their cool to secure the win.
The u18s finished league play undefeated and second overall but were never really favoured going into the match against a team loaded with Ontario rep players plus others from the OFSSA gold medal winning program at Stouffville High. Markham had defeated Aurora 15-5 in their quarter-final match up last season and looked just as strong this year. See full game report below...
Markham U18 Boys vs Barbs U18: 5 - 10
SrM: Keys Gets Start Against Gloucester August 7, 2008
From Rugby Canada website: With the North America Four tournament wrapped with a third successful campaign for Canada West, a group of players from these two North America Four (NA4) squads has been selected to take on Guinness Premiership side Gloucester this Friday, at York University in Toronto (more)
U18B: Undefeated in Regular Season July 31, 2008
The u18s completed their undefeated regular season with a convincing 37-10 defeat of the Toronto Irish last night at Fletcher's. It was a total team victory with strong forward play and explosive running and finishing from the backs. According to coach Townsend, " we had a slow start, but eventually our pace and power were just too much."
ICRC U18s vs Barbs U18s: 37 - 10
U19W: Tough loss in Orillia July 31, 2008
Wednesday the Barbs Under 19 Women travelled to Orillia to play the final game of the regular season and to seed them for the playoffs which start next week. In second place in the standings heading into the game, a win with bonus points was necessary to put them in first and position them against the winners of an Irish/Brampton match up.
Conditions were muggy and wet as light rain was in the sky for the first 10 minutes of the game. The Barbs had Orillia under continued pressure in the first half but were unable to captilize. Winning all of their own scrums and almost all against the head, the quick defense from the Orillia backs had the Barbs on the back foot. Orillia eventually scored in the second half as they tight-roped the sideline to put an uncoverted try in. Lots of work in upcoming practices before the Women resume play next week in playoff action.
Barbs U19 Women vs Orillia Women: 0 - 5
U18B: South Hunsley Strong Opposition July 29, 2008
The u18s lost their season long unbeaten streak 24-10 to South Hunsley School (SHS) from Yorkshire last night at Fletcher's. Despite the loss coach Sandy Townsend was pleased with the evening, " Except for the result on the pitch it was a great night. We gave 30 rugby players the chance to play against international opponents, learned something about our skill level and met some wonderful people. To me, tonight, is a great part of rugby's tradition." See full game report below.
South Hunsley vs Barbs U18 Boys:
Part 1
Part 2
U19W: Cain and McKittrick Headed to Ontario Games July 28, 2008
A series of tryouts for the Toronto Rugby Union have skinnied down the list of Under 19 Women attending the Ontario Summer Games in Ottawa to include Julie Cain and Alison McKittrick. Congratulations to these two individuals who have been rewarded for their hard work and athleticism during the trials and the course of the season.
U14B: League Leading Finish to Regular Season July 28, 2008
The U14 men completed their regular season this past Saturday, with a great finish, and a league leading 6+1 result. The U14's haven't lost a game since May, and despite some off-field injuries and absences they have consistently been able to field a strong side. The weekend's result of 17-12 against the Beach was the icing on the cake in a season that saw the team convincingly face down old rivals like Lindsay, Oshawa and Markham. With the playoffs starting August 16th, the team is alone in first place and will continue to focus on basics in the practices leading up to quarter finals. With many players new to the game this year, combined with a number of veterans who have been with the Barbs for many seasons, the U14 men have capitalized on team strength, with virtually all positions putting up points across the season. This depth and strength make the u14 men a great young rugby side, and one that speaks very positively for the next few years of Junior rugby for the Barbs.
U16B: Ready for Quarter Final Action July 28, 2008
The Barbs played two games this week, an exhibition match against an English touring side, The Glyn School, and a league game against Lindsay. This positions the Barbs for the quarter-finals which start August 9th. Game reports can be found here:
July 24 - The Glyn School
July 26 - Lindsay RFC
U18B: Eleven Make TRU Rep Side July 28, 2008
Congratulations to the following Barbs who have made the Toronto Rugby Union U-18 Boys Team for the Ontario Summer Games from August 13-16 in Ottawa, Ontario.
Winston Cho
Michael Joseph
Mark McKittrick
Josh McLardy
Naveem Neethling
Jordan Querino
Daniel Santos
Eric Shannon
Frank Walker
Zachary Watson
Michael Zsolt
Also representing the Barbs will be Michael Fealey, Coach, and Khalil Ajram, TRU Manager.
Weekend Senior Results: July 27, 2008
Saturday saw Mother Nature in command as lightning and near torrential rain ruled the day. The Women encountered stiff opposition as both sides were downed by second place Toronto Scottish. Meanwhile on our home pitch, the Men took on the Toronto Nomads currently in the bottom of the Marshall. The IIIs game was canceled, so an exhibition game was played against Muddy York. The IIIs game is rescheduled for this Thursday July 31st.:
Nomads Men I vs Barbs Men: 10 - 50
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Nomads Men II vs Barbs Men: 0 - 30
Scottish Women I vs Barbs Women: 36 - 10
Scottish Women I vs Barbs Women: 34 - 0
U18B: Georgian Bay Result July 24, 2008
The u18s continued their winning ways with a hard fought 38-0 victory in Collingwood against the Georgian Bay Titans. The score may have flattered the visitors has the Titans forced Aurora to work hard for every single point. This game was a chance for the Titans to demonstrate their vast improvement from earlier in the year when they had been swept aside in a tidal wave of running rugby by Aurora in their first league game. (Please see the full report
)
U18B: Exhibition Play July 22, 2008
Last night the u18s continued their winning record in a convincing 49-7 defeat of the Toronto Saracens. The exhibition match, played at Fletcher's, was scheduled to give the Aurora players another opportunity to demonstrate their strength and skill for the coaching staff and to allow the Saracens a chance to play on their bye week. See full report for more.
Weekend Results: July 20, 2008
The Senior Men faced the Irish Canadians in weekend action with the First IVs suffering their first loss of the season (18-15), but manage to maintain their 1st place in Marshall Premiership standings. The Seconds won, and thirds came up on the short end.
The Senior Women IIs played the Yeoman winning in fine fashion. The Women's I game is rescheduled for Tuesday at Fletchers.
Weekend summary:
Barbs Men I vs ICRC I: 15 - 18
Barbs Men II vs ICRC II: 33 - 22
Barbs Men III vs ICRC III: 18 - 36
Barbs Women II vs Yeoman II: 30 - 17
Ajax U16 Boys vs Barbs U16:
Midweek Results: July 17, 2008
Wednesday night the U18 Boys took on the Yeoman for the second time in the week, coming away with a win once again. The U19 Women took on visiting Caledon and were able to squeak a win in with a last minute try.
Barbs U18 Boys vs Yeoman U18
Caledon U19 Women vs Barbs U19
Monday Night Double Action: July 16, 2008
Monday July 14th, the Junior Boys Barbs were in early week action as make up games were played. The U16 Boys played Brock RFC, and the U18Boys took on the York Yeoman. Both sides had convincing wins over their opponents with scores of 48-0 and 58-0 respectively. Please find below links to images on our website , Facebook , and game summary .
Brock U16 Boys vs Barbs U16
Yeoman U18 Boys vs Barbs U18
Ontario Summer Games U18Boys Update: July 14, 2008
Congratulations to Michael Fealey who has been named head coach of the TRU U18 Boys side participating in the Ontario Summer Games, and to Khalil Ajram who will be manager of the side.
Ontario Summer Games U18 & U19 Trials: July 13, 2008
Toronto Rugby is looking for U-18 boys and U-19 girls to represent Toronto Rugby at the 2008 Ontario Summer games
The first trial will be Sunday July 20 at Fletchers
U19 Girls 12-2pm - please be there by 11:30 to register.
U18 Boys 2-4pm - please be there by 1:30 to register.
The cost will be $10 for the trial.
We are looking for representation from all of our teams. The coaches and managers will give the players information regarding the second trial on Sunday.
The Ontario Summer Games takes place Aug 13 (we leave for Ottawa at noon on the Wednesday) 14, 15, 16 (we come home on the Saturday afternoon)
The cost per player is $150 (includes transportation, accomodation, game jersey, shorts socks t-shirt and kit bag)
For more information please email Chris mckee at kaisermckee99@hotmail.com
Courtney Blum, pictured above, representing Canada A scores winning try against Wales in exhibition game. For full review of the game, please see the Rugby Canada site for more.
U18B: Game Report July 12, 2008
The u18s continued their winning ways with a comprehensive 24-10 victory over the Toronto Irish on Wednesday night. The Barbs scored three first half tries to get ahead early and a stought defense in the second half prevented the Irish from getting back in the game. See the full game report
here.
Senior Representive Action: July 11, 2008
This weekend both our Senior Men and Senior Women will be missing players as they get the call-up to representative rugby. The Barbs Senior Men are hosting Stoney Creek in regular season action at Fletcher's on Saturday but will be missing the following to NA4 action:
The Barbs Senior Women will be travelling to Ottawa on Saturday but will be missing:
Courtney Blum
Martha Goodrow
as they take part in the inaugural Women's Under 20 Nations Cup at Appleby College which kicks off today. More information can be found here.
Congratulations to the men and women who have made this distinction and we wish them the best!
Images from Midweek Action: July 11, 2008
Barbs U18 Boys vs Irish Canadians U18
Orillia U19 Women vs Barbs U19
SrMen: Game Summaries Available July 7, 2008
Our roving reporter Simon Allen recovering from ailments, has graciously found time to provide game reports for the past five Senior Men's games, putting us up-to-date with a pending Scottish review. He would like to apologize to the faithful many, who enjoy so much his analysis and anectodes, but who have not been able to read them to date. Simon has promised to return to his normal/semi-normal services. Please find below the game summaries.
The Aurora Barbs U16 team defeated Oshawa 2 by a score of 40 - 15. The first half was a see-saw battle that saw the two sides trade try for try, with the halftime whistle finding them knotted at 10 - 10. (more)
The SrWomen IIs played the Toronto Saracens for the second time this season and unfortunately were unable to better them. The Is took on visiting London and came away with a 33-33 tie.
Meanwhile the SrMen took on the Marshall rookie Toronto Scottish who have made their return to the premier Ontario league with a bang. In the first four games of the season, the Scottish Is were undefeated including wins over perennial favourites the Irish and Beach, but finally falling narrowly to the Cru in their fifth game. Their IIs and IIIs have been doing equally well this season. Saturday was a big day for the Barbs Men then who came away with wins in two of the three games. Stay tuned for Sr Men game reports!
See the gallery for pictures from this weekend's games:
Oshawa 2 U16 Boys vs Barbs: 15-40
London Women I vs Barbs: 33-33
T. Saracens Women II vs Barbs: 57-0
Barbs Men I vs Scottish: 45-31
Barbs Men II vs Scottish: 10-20
Barbs Men III vs Scottish: 35-5
U16B: Ontario U15s Faced Tough Challenge July 4, 2008
The Aurora Barbs U16 team took on the Ontario U15 squad in an exhibition match at Fletcher?s on
Thursday night. While Ontario had a good group of talented athletes, the Barbs demonstrated that
they were no slouches either. Knowing that the Ontario players have had limited time working
together, Aurora poured it on from the opening whistle and camped out in the Ontario end for the
first 10 minutes of the game (more)
Double Header: U19 Women and U18 Boys Winners July 2, 2008
In mid-week action, the U19 Women kicked off Wednesday evening against visiting Barrie RFC. The experience and depth of the Barbs side showed as they prevailed against the rookie Barrie side.
The ABRFC u18 team opened their season in dramatic fashion last night with a resounding 74-5 defeat of the visiting Georgian Bay Titans from Collingwood. Aurora scored two tries in the opening five minutes and then never looked back. They attacked with pace, accurate handling and overwhelmed their opponents with nine tries in the first half. (more)
U14B: Three headed to BC July 2, 2008
The Ontario Provincial U14 squad will benefit from the speed, skills and toughness of three of our U14 young men's team this year. From left - Mackenzie Diggins, Vaughan Keeble and Mitchell Harris were all selected to be part of the 24 man roster, and will travel to BC in August to take on squads from Alberta, Manitoba and BC. The club congratulates these three young players, and recognizes our young men's programs as developing a great next generation for future Barbs sides.
U19W: Provincial Selections July 2, 2008
Congratulations to Courtney Blum, Mackenzie Higgs and Karen So who have been selected to the 2008 U19 Ontario Team. Mackenzie and Karen are part of the Ontario squad competing in the Eastern Canadian Championships in Prince Edward Island in July. Courtney will compete as part of the Ontario squad playing in the National Rugby Festival being held in Ottawa in August. (more...)
NSMT: Bryn Keys Scores June 29, 2008
photo by Pamela Smortchevsky
Aurora Barbs' Bryn Keys scores try for Canada in loosing effort against the French Barbarians in Esquimalt British Columbia.
On Sunday afternoon, the Sr Women Ontario side hosted the Quebec provincial side at Fletcher's Fields with a 3pm kick-off. After enduring at least 3 delays due to lightning, the full game was finished under sunny skies, finally concluding approximately 6pm. The score: Ontario 34 - Quebec 19.
Senior Barbs Women Nat Bendavid and Haley Cone put in a big effort as they worked tirelessly around the field and in the set pieces. Check out some of the Ontario Senior Women's action here.
Sr: Captains' Dinner: June 24, 2008
Saturday evening the Barbs held this years Captains' Dinner where the respective coaches presented each individual with this years mug. The women were dressed to impress and the fellas... well another story (Image Gallery). Thanks to Brian for putting on such a wonderful spread which was greatly appreciated after the days efforts on the pitch.
Congratulations to this year's Captains:
Womens I: Nat
Womens II: Meaghan S. and Danielle R.
Mens I: Rob C.
Mens II: Neil D. and Jesse H.
Mens III: Khalil A.
Weekend Recap: June 23, 2008
The day started out at Fletcher's Field with the U16 Boys defeating the visiting Peterborough Pagans. The TV game affected the womens' games also, shifting theirs up an hour as the twos and ones took on visiting Toronto Saracens. Unfortunately they were not able to come out on top. The change in schedule appeared to have had a postive effect on the men, as it was a Black Saturday for them with all three sides defeating the Nomads.
See the gallery for pictures from this weekend's games:
Saracens Women I vs Barbs: 22-12
Saracens Women II vs Barbs: 24-0
Barbs I vs Nomads Men I: 52-10
Barbs II vs Nomads Men II: 24-22
Barbs III vs Nomads Men III: 43-10
BCC Update: Canada Over US June 23, 2008
Bryn Keys seen above celebrating with members of Canada's Churchill Cup squad after their win over the US on Saturday June 21 in Chicago, made several contributions to the final scoreline with his speed and heads-up play. To read the official write up from RC, please visit
here.
SrMen: This Week's Games - June 21 June 20, 2008
Aurora Barbarians at Toronto Nomads will be this week's TV game and broadcast on Rogers Cable on Sunday June 22 at 2:00PM
To accommodate TV coverage, ALL OF OUR GAMES HAVE BEEN MOVED UP 90 MINUTES
Barbs III at Nomads III (Nomads field)- 1:30 PM
Barbs II at Nomads II (Nomads field)- 3:00PM
Barbs I at Nomads I (Stadium field) - 4:30 PM
SrMen: Down at the Beach June 18, 2008
International action on Saturday forced a change in schedule for the the Senior Men as they travelled to T&G Gage Park on Sunday to take on the Beach. We were unable to complete a sweep of the Beach as the IIIs lost a close one in the dieing minutes when two tries were scored by the Beach to put them ahead 25-28.
The junior boys played their first game of the season, downing their hosts, Oshawa 1, 49 ? 7 in Oshawa on Saturday. The Barbs came out strong from the opening whistle, punching in a try at the 3-minute mark and never let off the pressure. Aurora put across four tries in the first half and five in the second. Offensively, the team was balanced with strong attacks coming from both the forwards and backs. Despite having only practiced together for two weeks, the players gelled nicely, playing good supportive rugby. Aurora scored from both their set pieces and from good aggressive loose play. While there were many wonderful tries, the final one was spectacular as it came off a free kick awarded on the Barbs? 5-metre line. It was tap and one pass to inside-centre, Leo Dubinskij, who evaded a forest of defenders to score under the posts at the other end. Aurora ?s try-scorers were: Alex Conguista (two), Zach Moore (two), John Grant, Cody Williams, Brandon Lewis, Eric Selvaggi and Leo Dubinskij. Leo also kicked two converts.
Men of the Match were: Zachary Moore and Brandon Lewis.
Hearty Hurrahs go out to: Eric Selvaggi, Dustin Bachheta, Steven Cosby, Nicky Reynolds, Jimmy Nickerson, Andrew Carr, Corey Burrows and Eric Godwin.
Getting their first ?cap? as Aurora U16s were: Mike Kunanec, Rene De La Fuente, Alex Lewicki, Corey Burrows, Michael Moody, Thomas Gans, Jimmy Nickerson, Ian Shannon, Leo Dubinskij, Lucas Badgery, Jamie Saabas, Steven Cosby, Thomas Hunt, Andrew Carr, Cody Williams, Bryan Kurtz, Eric Cane, Liam Martin, Dustin Bachheta, Dakota Malloy, Alex Pelrine and Matt Riggs.
The U16s next play the Peterborough Pagans on June 21 at Fletchers Fields. Kick-off is at 10:30 a.m.
Barbs in Rep Play: June 13, 2008
Several ABRFC Senior Men will be representing Canada this weekend as games take place in Chatham, ON on Friday and in Markham, ON on Saturday. Friday's match sees the Canada Select XV side face an England Counties side. From the Aurora Barbs will be Oliver Atkinson, Steve Shortly, Dave Nielson, Nolan Ott and Jeremy Campbell. (more...)
On Saturday at Fletcher's Field as part of the Barclays Churchill Cup competition, Canada will face Argentina 'A' at 4:30pm. From the Aurora Barbs will be centre Bryn Keys. (more...)
Selvaggi Continues to Impress: June 13, 2008
Last month, ABRFC Junior Eric Selvaggi helped the CDS Junior Cyclones to a 41-24 win over Upper Canada College in the CISAA finals. To read more about Eric and his accomplishments, please see the recent article in the King Sentinel by Jon Yaneff. (more...)
U18 Boys Practice Starts June 10th: June 9, 2008
Above: Director Sandy T appeared on Aurora Sportsbeat on June 2nd to talk about the success of our junior program and some of the exceptional athletes currently involved in them: Dylan Mundy, Eric Selvaggi (both Canada u17), Martha Goodrow (u20) and Courtney Blum (u19) that represented Canada over the winter.
Reminder that practice for the U18 Boys starts June 10th at Williams. The first game of the season is June 25th, please make every effort to get out to as many practices as possible.
Weekend Results: Womens June 9, 2008
The women enjoyed rugby both Saturday and Sunday, visiting the Toronto Nomads on Saturday and hosting the Ottawa Irish on Sunday. After last weeks' practices, the IIs showed improved rucking and defence, but unfortunately fell 10-0 to the Nomads. Image GallerySecond Team report
The Womens I took on defending OWL champs the Ottawa Irish who made the trek down the 401 on Sunday. With super efforts from the flankers Hayley Cone and Michelle Pearlman to secure ball and hit anything moving, the backs were in good form to take the ball on. The women prevailed 31-19.
Image GalleryFirst Team report
ABRFC Minis Tournament: June 8, 2008
Saturday June 7th, Fletcher's Fields was packed with minivans and the like as participants and fans arrived to attend the ABRFC u8, u10, u12 and u13 Mini Tournament. From 9am to 12pm there was action on each pitch as the minis endured the first taste of pre-summer heat. Much thanks to the organizers, referees, and participants who made the day a success! Minis Tournament Gallery
Mid Week Action: ICRC vs Senior Men: June 8, 2008
Last Thursday, the Senior Men II and III sides took on the Irish Canadian Men at Fletchers in make-up games of the May 24 series when the Is found themselves in Chatham. Both sides came away with wins as the IIs won 18-11 and the IIIs 22-8 in the slick conditions. Third team GallerySecond team Gallery
RC: Atkinson and Van Camp in Opening BCC Game: June 6, 2008
Oliver Atkinson and Dean Van Camp have been selected as part of the National Senior Ment Team that will take on Scotland A in the opening game of the Barclays Churchill Cup this weekend. It's being said that new National Team coach Kieran Crowley has "...size and pace in backline versus Scotland" (more...)
Minis Tournament: June 7th: June 4, 2008
The Aurora Barbs will be hosting a mini tournament on June 7th from 9am to 12pm at Fletchers Fields in Markham. Visiting teams from across the GTA will compete in age grade competitions for U8, U10, U12 and U13 teams. You're invited to come on out and cheer on the future Senior Barbs!
Women downed by ICRC: June 3, 2008
This past weekend, the Barbs Women played their Fletchers neighbours, the Irish Canadian women. In the first of the two games, though enjoying a 3 player advantage, the Seconds side were unable to capitalize on this advantage. The Irish worked hard around the pitch, grinding us down at rucks and mauls to come away with a well deserved win, 20-12. The Firsts experienced a similar fate, losing 37-5 to the Irish.
The upside of this is the team has identified areas that need work and improvement. Coach Fealey expresses the "Effort is great... We now need to move forward and get back to how we played against Waterloo and better... We can play, and we can play very well. Second team Gallery
Barbs Play Key Role in Ontario Dev XV Win: June 1, 2008
Under beautiful Ontario skies, the Ontario Dev XV played visiting Leicestershire County in the renewed provincial Sr Men rep rugby. Seven Barbarians took part in the match as the home side took a 27-22 win over Leicestershire County who earlier in the week defeated the Balmy Beach and the RCSL Niagara Thunder. Shaun Allen, Jeremy Campbell, Steve Shortly, and Dean Van Camp had strong showings for the day, with Jeremy, Deano and Shorts linking up for a beautiful try. Nolan Ott, Dan Resnick and Simba Sithole also had strong performances as strategic substitutions where made.
Gallery
Win One, Lose One, Tie One: June 1, 2008
While the Thirds were able to come away with a well played win, the Seconds and Firsts continue to try and find their form as the Seconds were downed 56-15 and the First tied 20-20 as the Oakville Crusaders visited Fletchers. This puts the newly promoted Toronto Scottish in first place in Marshall Division I standings, and it will become critical the men find form soon. The Seconds and Thirds play the Irish Canadians on Thursday June 5th at 7pm in mid-week action.
Third team GallerySecond team Gallery
U10 Season Kicks Off In Barrie: June 1, 2008
The Aurora Barbarians U10 Season kicked off in fine style this weekend. In 4 matches, the 'Barbs had 2 wins, 1 tie and 1 loss. The turn-out for the U10 was excellent with 11 players.
Congratulations to Barrie RFC for a great tournament. At 7:30am on Saturday, all heck was breaking loose in the skies above Barrie and Aurora and it look like the day was going to be a wash-out (quite literally!). But by 8:30am the skies began to clear and it turned into a fine morning for rugby - which proves conclusively that Mother Nature is a rugby fan!
(more...)
ABRFC will be at Yonge Street Festival: May 30, 2008
For the sixth year running the ABRFC will have a booth in Sunday's Yonge Street Festival. The club is a proud supporter of the World's Longest Street Festival. Booth organizer Sandy Townsend encourages all supporters and friends to drop by and say hello. "We welcome the opportunity to see friends and pass along that fact that rugby is, and has been, an important part of the sport culture in Aurora for many years." You can also purchase Aurora Barbarian gear at the booth.
U18 Practices Start June 10th: May 30, 2008
The u18s have their first practice of the 2008 summer season on June 10th at Williams High School in Aurora. Head coach Sandy Townsend is very optimistic for this season saying, " I'm delighted in the number of well-coached former u16 players that have already registered and with the experienced players returning from last year's team, we are looking forward to a productive season. Our season opens on June 25th and it is important that every player gets to as many practices as possible in the next two weeks. I know the high school season has just ended, but it is important for players to get into the routine of Tuesday and Thursday practices."
It is still possible to register for the upcoming season. Registration forms can be accessed either via the Rugby Canada website, completed and filled before coming to practice. That is the preferred method or they can be completed on site before training. Either way players must bring the $200 registration fee before practicing or playing.
Weekend Results May 24, 2008: May 25, 2008
Both Senior Men and Women were on the road this past Saturday, coming away with wins in each of their respective games. The Men travelled to Chatham, and the Women to Waterloo.
The Seconds side set the standard early defeating the visiting Detroit RFC in a friendly match, and the First had a battle on their hands as they narrowly beat the Irish Canadians 17-12. Old Boy Nick Mitchell adds:
"My other plan was to see the Baa Baas roll over the Irish Canadians. The game was played there for promotional reasons. Well it was not a roll over at all! Despite dominating and dictating most of the play, we were behind for much of the game, but with 5 minutes to go, Geronimo [Marco Di Girolamo] ripped a hole through the green jerseys to secure a 17-12 win. [3 tries to 2]
The lads played well but had a lot of problems finishing the plays, resulting in 3 ?held-up? situations. Hats off to the Irish who defended magnificently."
Meanwhile in Waterloo, the Senior Womens' First side are now 1 and 1 with a convincing 45-5 win over host Waterloo. For an assessmet and details of the game, please read the
Womens First Team report
Sr Men in Chatham: May 24, 2008
The Senior Men First side are on the road today to take on their Marshall League counterparts the Irish Canadians at the new Chatham-Kent Community Athletic Complex. They will be hosted by the Kent Havoc RFC at this new site which will see its first international match between the Canada Selects and England Counties on June 13th.
The Second side join them in Chatham as they take on visiting Detroit RFC side at near by CCI field.
Three of the Barbs Senior Men have made the side that will compete against Scotland 'A' and Argentina in the opening round of the Barclays Churchill Cup. Congratulations to Oliver Atkinson, Bryn Keys and Deav Van Camp. Atkinson has recentely returned from overseas where he played for English Division One side Moseley RFC this past season. Both Keys and Van Camp were part of the Canada West, Canada East sides respectively that played each other in this past weekend's game at Fletchers which saw the West win in the last few seconds of injury time. (more...)
Kicking Clinic Wed May 28: May 23, 2008
Back by popular interest, this coming Wednesday May 28, 2008, newly arrived Coach Fealey will be conducting kicking practice from 6pm to 7:30pm at Fletcher's Fields. While directed mainly to the women's side, all are welcome to attend. For more information, please feel free to contact Michael at womenscoach@aurorabarbarians.com.
NA4 East vs West: May 19, 2008
Barbs spent the Saturday of the long weekend supporting our club members as they played in the NA4 East vs West game. Tied 15-15 in the dieing minutes, the West scored the last second during injury time to secure the win over the East, 20-15. More images can be found in our Gallery and on Facebook.
Canada East vs Canada West: May 15, 2008
This Saturday ? May 17 Fletcher?s Fields is hosting the first leg of the North American 4 competition with Canada East playing Canada West at 2:00PM. Three Barbs players will participate as Bryn Keys is on the West Squad and Dean Van Camp and Nolan Ott have been selected to the East. There are no league games. I expect a full turnout to support our clubmates.
- JR
Weekend Results: May 13, 2008
The Senior Men side were in Brampton this past weekend coming away with only one win. The Thirds and Seconds were defeated 22-0 and 12-0 respectively, while the First team came away with the lone win 72-8.
Check out the revamped Gallery page for a few shots.
The Senior Women were downed by our Fletcher's Fields neighbours, the Toronto Nomads
Junior/Minis Practice Update: May 9, 2008
Our U12 coed and U14 Boys teams begin practicing at Dr. GW Williams High School on Thursday May 15th at 7pm. Our U10 coed team will begin practicing the following week on Thursday May 22nd at 7pm. Coaches will have tournament ,game and practice schedules for all teams at the first practice.
Our U16 and U18 programs will commence in late May and early June. Details to follow on this website shortly.
It's Time!!!: May 7, 2008
This weekend the senior men kick off their season with three games at Brampton. While we have seen enough bodies at training over the past three weeks to fill two squads, there has been no consistent commitment to practice and lots of guys have waited until this week to come out.
This is the week to get back into it! If you cannot make training Thursday at Fletcher's you need to contact me or Leighton for registration to be ready to play on Saturday.
RC: Webb's Side Stories: Dean Van Camp May 7, 2008
The phone rings, and on the third ring, Dean answers. Instantly, he recognizes the voice on the other line as Rick Farrally, then national sevens manager. Trying to play it cool, he hears the words out of Rick?s mouth and they sound like tragedy from a soap opera. But instead of sorrow, Dean feels delight.
The voice says ?Dean, there?s been an injury... (cue the sad music) can you fly to South Africa tomorrow?? (Strike up the band!)
Without so much as a conscious thought, the word 'yes' erupts from within him and comes out as something between a shriek and a yell... (more...)
NA4 Teams Announced: Apr 30, 2008
The NA4 East and West teams have announced their squad that will compete in this years NA4 Tournament. Representing the Aurora Barbarians are Dean Van Camp and Nolan Ott playing for the East and Bryn Keyes for West, all of whom have been plying their trade out west with the Velox Valhallians. To read more about these stories:
(West Announcement)(East Announcement)
Selvaggi featured on YorkRegion.Com: Apr 30, 2008
(by John Cudmore) "Life is full of bumps and bruises for Eric Selvaggi.
It?s difficult to avoid considering the 15-year-old Woodbridge resident is on the roster for four rugby teams.
In addition to the under-16 boys squad at Country Day School where he is in Grade 10, Selvaggi will also suit up with the Aurora Barbarians this season. That is, when he isn?t busy training with the Ontario provincial team for which he has been a two-time member, and competing to reclaim his outside centre spot on Canada?s under-17 men?s national team."
(more...)
Bendavid off to Amsterdam: Apr 28, 2008
Nat will be off to the Amsterdam sevens tournament being held May 17th ? 18th, 2008, as part of the National Senior Womens 7s Team. She's part of the 12 player Canadian contingent who are hoping to impress as the coaching staff are narrowing down the squad to the final 15 that will compete in the World Cup in 2009.
(more...)
Brantford Tourney: Apr 25, 2008
The Senior Men will be competing in the Brantford Tournament on Saturday April 26th held at the Harlequins grounds. As noted on the Harlequins' site, competition will be high as we join host Brantford, the Beach, a trial Niagara Thunder (RCSL) team, the Toronto Nomads, and Markham. Please plan to be in Brantford by 9:30am so we can properly warm up. We'll be wearing our regular kit, if you are in need, we will have some available Saturday for purchase. We tentatively plan to have two sides, so if you've been ducking practice this week, come on out for a run around. (map)
Fealey to take over reins of Aurora Women's Team: Apr 22, 2008
Laura, Courtney, Michael Fealey (New Sr Women's Coach)
The Aurora Barbarians RFC are pleased to announce the newest member of the Club - Mr. Michael Fealey, who will join the club as the new Head Coach of the Barbs Women's Team who compete in the Ontario Women's League - Ontario's pre-eminent women's competition.
Fealey, who has coached extensively in English county age grade and some women's teams, will look to take the team to the next level. With players such as National Sevens & Fifteens Carded player Nat Bendavid and U19 star Courtney Bloom along with a pair of U17 national team players coming into the mix, Fealey is looking to have a back to basics approach to start.(more...)
PEAC To Offer Elite Rugby Program: Apr 14, 2008
Some may recognize the name Neil Doctorow as the shifty back who has served the Barbs for many years, but he has been busy the past few years as he worked hard to establish a successful alternative school for the student athlete. He is a director and co-owner of Premier Elite Athlete Collegiate (PEAC), and has enlisted the assistance from fellow Barbs to help ensure success of the elite rugby program. (more...)
2008 Season Kick-off - Aurora Barbarians, where to from here?: Apr 11, 2008
Senior Web Contributor Simon Allen shares his thoughts on the club and the 2008 Season; what we as a club and as individuals are doing and need to do to ensure our success.
Please join us in congratulating proud new parents Rob and Jen who welcomed Payton Maddox Carter into the ABRFC family on Saturday April 5, 2008 at approx 8:30am. She was delivered at Markham Stouffville Hospital and weighed in at 7lb 2oz at a length of 19 1/2 inches. So now the question, will she join Dad in the frontrow or Mom in the backs!
Passing of Ian Galbraith: Apr 7, 2008
It is with great regret that I advise you of the passing of Ian Galbraith, former coach of the Toronto Barbarians in the 1980s. Ian was a great inspiration to the club and led us to the McCormick Cup Final in 1984 and 1985. Ian joined us after many successful years as a player with the Vancouver Rowing Club where he was part of an outstanding front row that also included Aurora Patriarch Jack Heald.
The club salutes Ian and offers condolences to his family.
JR, President ABRFC
U12/U14 Pre-Season Practices: Apr 7, 2008
ABRFC's Director of Junior Rugby, Sandy Townsend is pleased to annouce that the U12s and U14s will have three pre-season practices in the Aurora Dome starting Sunday April 13th. On behalf of the junior players, Townsend, and Chris Gans, Director of Community Development, have been trying to get extra practice time for the younger players at the beginning of the season. The time became available when the ABRFC winter academy program stopped earlier than anticipated.
Townsend is pleased that the youngsters will get this early start saying, "we have had a great start to our registrations and many players in this age group (u12/u14)are coimg to rugby for the first time. This opportunity will give them a head start on the season." The sessions will be run by the age grade coaches and will involve basic passing and running. Each session will be one hour long and they will run from 2 pm until 3 pm. The cost for all three session is only $20.
"We didn't find out until recently that the time was available and we were unable to include this cost in the registration fee and that is why there is the extra cost" said Townsend. "All those who are registered are invited and we are opening the door to those who played last year and anyone else that wants to join."
For more information or directions contact Director of Community Development, Chris Gans.
Touring U17 Men Win Third Straight: Apr 7, 2008
Selvaggi and Mundy in starting line-up as Canada's U17 side goes undefeated at the Millfield Festival in Somerset, England. (more...)
Touring U17 Men Win Second Straight: Apr 3, 2008
ABRFC Juniors Eric Selvaggi and new Barb Dylan Mundy are part of the Canada's U17 side which is playing in the Millfield Festival in southern England. Today it has been reported that they are now 2-0 as they have defeated both Romania and France, 45-0 and 38-15 respectively. To read more about the games, please see the Rugby Canada website: Romania (45-0) France (38-15)
Aurora Women nominated for Carding Support: Apr 3, 2008
Aurora Senior Women Nathalie Bendavid and Kim Donaldson have been nominated for carded support as members of the National Senior Womens Team. This is acknowledgment of their great effort in their pursuit of excellence in rugby.
(more...)
Pre-season legs saw game time as the Senior Men competed in the 2nd Annual MPL Indoor 7s held at the BMO Field, Toronto. In this four team round robin tournament, the Barbs displayed excellent early form as they went undefeated, maintaining the winning ways of last season. The early season tournament also allowed new head coach Bart Hennessy to assess the fitness and skill level of the team and set the tone for practices in the upcoming weeks.
Our second registration date for the 2008 Outdoor season is Saturday April 5th at the Aurora Leisure Complex from 10am to 1pm. Our outdoor junior season will commence in mid-May as soon as the York Region District School Board allows us on the field at Dr. GW Williams. More information is available in our online brochure(click here).
Canada U19 Women earn second win: Mar 31, 2008
Laura, Courtney, Mystery Coach
Friday saw the Canada U19 squad that included rookie Courtney Blum playing outside centre, defeat an England under-19 development side 19-15 at Heythrop Park. (more...)
Canada U17 Men Fall to Cardiff Blues: Mar 31, 2008
After defeating the Cardiff Blues South Under-16s last November, the Canadian side fell to the Blues this tour 31-12. Eric Selvaggi saw game time in the second half.
(more...)
MPL Indoor 7s this Sunday: March 28, 2008
The Aurora Barbs Senior Men have entered a side in the second annual Marshall Premier League Indoor Sevens tournament which is booked for Sunday, March 30th, 2008, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at BMO Field, Exhibition Place in Toronto.
If you're looking for some early season rugby action, come on out and support the team as they compete against three other Marshall Premier sides.
(more...)
Blum in First IVs: March 28, 2008
Courtney Blum, representing Canada at the U19 age grade, has been selected to the First IVs side that will compete against an England U18 Development Squad today. (more...)
This is Courtney's second game with the Canada U19 squad who are in the UK on an Easter Tour. The squad opened the tour with a convincing 53-0 win over a U18 Scotland Development side earlier in the week (more...)
Aurora Masters Lacrosse to play marathon game: March 25, 2008
Sport Aurora and the Aurora Barbarians RFC are supporting Aurora Masters Lacrosse as they play a marathon game of lacrosse to promote the cause
"Determined to Oppose Violence Everywhere"
We've seen some feedback asking if there is still indoor training, and the the answer is YES. With a little more than a month left till preseason games, we can be found in the Aurora Sports Dome on Thursday nights from 9pm to 10pm.
So come on out for a run around!
Yet Another Barb to Represent Canada!: Feb 28, 2008
The Aurora Barbarians are proud to announce that Eric Selvaggi has been selected for the U17 Men's Team to represent Canada on a tour to Millfield England at the end of March. Eric is a Grade 10 student at Country Day School and was a member of the under 15 Ontario team last summer. Eric is the first player from our junior program to attain such a level of success. Congratulations to Eric and his family and good luck in England!
Men's Pre-season Schedule: Feb 25, 2008
Senior Men, please check out the preseason schedule.
Upcoming MPL Indoor 7s Tournament on Sunday March 30th for those members contacted by the coaching staff. It was highly competitive last year with ABRFC falling short in the semis after leading the pools.
Hennessey Head Coach of Sr Men: Feb 1, 2008
On behalf of Peter Keir, Director of Senior Men?s Rugby , I am pleased to announce that Bart Hennessey has accepted the position of Head Coach ? Senior Men for the Aurora Barbarians RFC.
Bart is a career Barbarian whose skill and enterprising play helped carry our club through lean years. Bart is also a past president of the club. Unselfish and unflappable, Bart transitioned to coaching in 2003 without hesitation because he saw an opportunity to help the club.
Bart has been the Head Coach of the senior Women?s program was nominated for OWL Coach of the Year in 2005. After two years as backs coach with the senior men I am excited at the prospect of him leading the initiative to capture League and Cup honors in 2008.
The club is fortunate to have Bart working with the team. Please join me in congratulating Bart and welcoming him into this important role.
John Reich
President
Bendavid Featured on RC Site: Jan 30, 2008
Our very own Nathalie Bendavid who is headed to San Diego next month as part of Canada's National Senior Women's Sevens team shares here experience in reaching this level of play. Read about the commitment, determination and dedication that is required to make it.(more...).
Junior Registration for 2008 Season: Jan 30, 2008
Registration dates for 2008 Outdoor season are Saturday March 1st and Saturday April 5th at the Aurora Leisure Complex fro 12 noon until 2 pm. Our outdoor junior season will commence in mid-May as soon as the York Region District School Board allows us on the field at Dr. GW Williams. More information is available in our online brochure(click here).
Indoor Junior Program Commencing Feb 8th: Jan 30, 2008
Our Junior Indoor program will commence on Friday February 8th at 8:30pm at Holy Spirit Catholic School, 315 Stone Road Aurora Ontario. Cost of the program is $50.00 and it will include two (2) sessions in the Aurora Dome in April (time and date TBD). The Indoor Program will run every Friday night from February 8th to April 25th ( excluding March 7th, March 14th and March 21st - March Break/Easter). If you are interested, please download the registration form and bring it to the first session on February 8th. (click here) . Please note this program is limited to players born in 1992, 1993 and 1994.
Attending the San Diego Sevens?: Jan 24, 2008
If you're making your way to San Diego for the USA Sevens Tournament, drop on by Henry's Pub on Friday Feb 8th at 6pm to show your support for our Canadian players, meet some fellow Canadians, and down some beverages. There will be food, a free t-shirt and Happy Hour drink specials till 8pm. Entry to the event is "by donation".
There will also be door prizes for those in attendance. To learn more about how to get entry to the event or help with Tourney tickets, please see the flyer for more details.
Bendavid makes NSW7s: SQUAD ANNOUNCED FOR SAN DIEGO SEVENS: Jan 24, 2008
From the RC Site:
Canada Women?s Sevens head coach Natascha Wesch is pleased to announce the athletes that will represent Canada at the 2008 USA Sevens tournament.
"The athletes selected to San Diego are those that fall in the top 24 in our program. These athletes are all in the same mix in terms of being looked at as potentially being part of the world cup squad,? comments Wesch.
Canada, the defending champions of the competition, will enter two teams, Canada and Canada A. The 21 traveling athletes will face teams representing USA Rugby, Samoa, South Africa, in addition to a Canadian University team
The tournament gets underway on Saturday, February 9th with round-robin play and will conclude on Sunday, February 10th with the championship match.
Courtney Headed for Higher Competition: Jan 24, 2008
Rookie junior women's player, Courtney Blum, has been selected to the Canadian National U19 side that will be touring Europe in March. To assist her in this huge accomplishment, a fundraising event is being held at Orleans Restaurant in Newmarket on Feb. 17, 2008.
There will be a live band, and silent auction at the affair, so come on to the party!
If you are interested, please see Nat Bendavid or JR for tickets ($10)
Last night, several Barbs attended the ORU Awards Dinner in Markham to renew some friendships with those in the rugby community and celebrate an excellent 2007 season. Nick Taylor who filled in for Rick Powers, did an excellent job emceeing the night. There were both silent and live auctions to support the rugby academies to be held in Ontario in the near future.
During the evening's festivities, JR accepted the ORU League Award for the Senior Mens side winning the season, Jeremy won the Rookie of the Year award, and Dave won the Player of the Year. Also inducted into the ORU Hall of Fame was Kevin Jones who had coached the Toronto Barbs in the early 90s. Congratulations to you all. (photos)
Van Camp makes NSM7s squad: Nov 27, 2007
Dean Van Camp has made the Senior Men 7s squad that will be playing in the Dubai and George, South Africa International Rugby Board sevens tournaments. The tourney starts this Friday with finals being played on Saturday.
Bryn Keyes and David Nielsen have also made the squad as Non-Travelling Reserves.
ABRFC Joins Aurora Santa Claus Parade: Nov 25, 2007
Saturday the club participated in the Aurora Santa Claus Parade. The float constructed by Deej and truck driven by Patty, held the McCormick Cup on display as coaches, spouses and players paraded down Yonge St. wishing on-lookers happy holidays. (photos)
ORU Announces 2007 Awards Nominees: Nov 21, 2007
Aurora Barbarians have been named as one of three finalists in FIVE categories of the Annual Awards Presented by the Ontario Rugby Union. The following individuals are being recognized for their outstanding effort.
Ontario Women?s League ?Player of the Year? ? Natalie Bendavid
Ontario Women?s League ?Rookie of the Year? ? Courtney Blum
Ontario Premiership Marshall Division ?Player of the Year? ? David Nielsen
Ontario Premiership Marshall Division ?Rookie of the Year? ? Jeremy Campbell
Ontario Premiership Marshall Division ?Coach of the Year? ? Drew Macpherson
The Club congratulates the nominees and thanks the Nominating Committee of the Ontario Rugby Union for recognizing our teammates.
Award winners will be named at the Annual ORU Dinner on Saturday December 1 to be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites 7095 Woodbine Ave in Markham, Ontario. Tickets are $115 per person. Tickets are available through Fran Mason at the ORU Office 416.426.7050. Please note a tax receipt is available for $60.00 if paying by cheque by making it out to ?Rugby Canada?.
The ceremonies also include inductions to the Ontario Rugby Union ?Hall of Fame?. This years inductees are Kevin Jones from the Toronto Saracens RFC, Natascha Wesch from Rugby Ontario, Paul (?Fuzzy?) Ambrose from Balmy Beach RFC, Paul Wilson from Peterborough RFC and Bob Illman from South West Ontario Rugby Union.
John Reich and Sandy Townsend appear on "Aurora Sportsbeat" with the McCormick Cup for a year end wrap-up of the Barbs' season - To be aired this week on Aurora Cable & Internet - Channel 10 in Aurora/Oakridges
Queen's and Seneca awarded Silver: Nov 12, 2007
In OUA Men's rugby action, the Brock University Badgers defeated Queen's Golden Gaels 22-6 at Fletcher's Fields in Markham on Saturday Nov 10th. Bryn Davis, Steve Shortly, Will Sorensen and Zach Pancer represented Queen's. (more...)
In OCAA Men's rugby final, the Seneca Sting were defeated by the Humber College Hawks 30-13 as they unfortunately suffered their first loss of the season. Khalil Ajram was the Sting's starting prop who were co-coached by Dave Ashwood. (more...)
Donaldson in win over Welsh: Nov 12, 2007
Kim Donaldson started at loosehead prop for the NSWT as they defeated Wales 25-3 in Taffs Well RFC, just north of Cardiff. For more about the game, please see the Rugby Canada website.(more...)
ABRFC Awards Banquet Wrap-Up: Nov 6, 2007
Saturday the Club took time out to honour players and patrons during the annual ABRFC Awards Banquet. In a packed TKs, dinner, drinks and awards were on the menu. The first order of business was welecoming the McCormick Cup which the Senior Men's team won by defeating the Balmy Beach Club, 18-14 last weekend. We then went on to the awards presentation, special presentation to JR (see below) and a slide show of the year in review.
Jose Romelo Lagman was kind enough to create a slide show of the McCormick Cup finals which can be viewed here:
ABRFC Honours Club President, John Reich, for 30 Years of Service: Nov 6, 2007
JR, James, Brian
Saturday Nov 3rd, the ABRFC honoured John Reich, current Club President for his 30 years of dedicated service both on and off the pitch. Current membership and many Old Boys attended the banquet to honour him. Those who could not be in attendance sent letters and emails of tribute. (more...)
Bendavid capped in 45-3 win over Scotland: Nov 6, 2007
Nathalie Bendavid started at hooker as the NSWT touring in the UK defeated Scotland 45-3 in Hughenden in Glasgow. (more...).
Queen's University Advances to Final: Nov 6, 2007
Senior Barbs Men's players Bryn Davies, Steve Shortly and Will Sorenson helped Queen's advance to the OUA Championships in their 18-13 win over Western. They will face the Brock Badgers in the gold medal game on November 10th at Fletcher's Fields in Markham.
McMaster will face off against Western in the bronze medal game. Look for Simba, Jesse, Graydon, and Sasha. (more...).
The McCormick Cup comes home to Aurora Barbarians after 51 years!!: Nov 1, 2007
The Aurora Barbarians R.F.C. attained their goal for the season, by winning the 2007 McCormick Cup and completing the elusive Ontario rugby double of winning the cup and league title. This was the first win in the Rugby Ontario McCormick Cup for the Barbarians since 1956, a long gap, but worth every moment of waiting!!
This was an exciting cup final, and the result was always in doubt for the full 80 minutes. The game was tough, hard and typical of cup rugby, as both teams played flat out rugby.(more...)
Seconds win consolation final: Nov 1, 2007
The ABRFC Seconds side set the tone on Saturday as they won the consolation finals 29-24 against the Toronto Dragons.
Derek Thomson, former coach of the Toronto Barbarians (circa 1982): Oct 27, 2007
It is with regret that I announce the passing of Derek Thomson, former coach
of the Toronto Barbarians (circa 1982) on October 25, 2007. Derek lifted the
club out of a period of malaise with a high energy enthusiasm for the game
of rugby. Derek also coached at Thornhill High School in the mid-80s ? an
important feeder to the club as that time.
Former Barbarians Club Captain and Canadian International Ian Macmillan writes:
"Derek was the catalyst to the Barb's developing their own style of
"open rugby". There was a group of great athletes in the Club at the time and
Derek came in, recognized the talent, and helped the Club develop it's own
style. He was a mentor for me, and helped me tremendously in the development
of my own skills, confidence and game. I remember at one of his first
practices at Victoria Park, he was working on getting our backs to come
up as a unit, and much faster on defense. We weren't getting it so he
stepped in to show us how to do it. He lined up at inside centre, came up like
a rocket, and almost knocked Randy Scott out! From that point on he had
our attention! We had a great run in the early to mid 80's and Derek was
one of the major reasons for that. He was a fabulous coach! "
For those of us fortunate to have been influenced by Derek ? so say we all.
Funeral arrangements are TBA.
John Reich
Barbarians make Cup Final with solid win over Stoney Creek: Oct 23, 2007
The Aurora Barbarians Rugby Football Club will compete for the McCormick Cup next Saturday after a good semi-final win over the Stoney Creek Camels RFC. This was a comfortable win for the Barbarians as they were able to outscore the Stoney Creek team by 37 ? 8. The Creek team played a solid and competitive game for 50 minutes and it was only when the Barbarians? fitness and bench strength started to wear down the Creek team in the final 30 minutes that it became clear that the Aurora Barbarians would compete in their second successive McCormick Cup final. (more...)
Saturday October 27 - Cup Day: Oct 23, 2007
There are nine games scheduled for Saturday at Fletcher's Fields including: field hockey exhibition, Junior, Old Boy, Gee Gage Cup (second teams), Intermediate Cup and McCormick Cup consolation and Championship rugby games.
Of interest to the Aurora Barbarians is:
10:45
Exhibition - Wanderers Old Women v Aurora Codgers - Field#2
ROGERS TV McCormick CUP - Balmy Beach 1 @ Aurora Barbarians 1 - Stadium Field
Bryn and Will play part as Queen's takes 1st place in East: Oct 23, 2007
The Queen's Golden Gaels (5-1-0) wrapped up first place in the OUA east heading into the playoffs with a 41-0 win at RMC (2-4-0) as the match marked the season finale for both teams. The Gaels held RMC from scoring thanks to a stingy defense and dominated the Paladins scoring 41 points on the day. (From OUA site)
OUA Top Scorers - October 14, 2007: Oct 19, 2007
Bryn and Cino are 1 and 2 in the OUA as their team's Queen's defeated Western (16-13) and Windsor defeated Trent (28-12) respectively over the weekend.
See the OUA site for the top twenty scorers.
To make things clearer... if you missed the hyperlink on (16-13) score... from the OUA site:
October 15, 2007 - Queen?s 16, Western 13
The Queen's University Golden Gaels (4-1) came out on top against the University of Western Ontario Mustangs (4-2) 16-13 in front of a large homecoming day crowd in Kingston, Ontario Saturday afternoon. The Gaels were responsible for giving the Mustangs their second straight loss on the season in a narrow victory.
After falling behind 3-0 in the opening minutes of the game on a Mustang penalty kick by Mustang Andrew Buxton-Forman, the Gaels tied the game minutes later with a penalty goal of their own from scrum half Bryn Davies. Another Davies kick followed yet another penalty conversion by Buxton-Forman to tie the score for the second time. At the 30 minute mark James Potter scored a try and Davies added the convert to give Queen's a 13-6 lead at the break.
In the second, Davies kicked his third successful penalty kick before the Mustangs had one late push and a try in injury time from Matt Barrett to make the final 16-13 for the home side. Queen's is in first place in the OUA east while Western sit at second with a 4-2 record in the west.
Training for week of October 15, 2007: Oct 16, 2007
Training resumes TUESDAY (Oct 16) 7-9PM and THURSDAY (Oct 18)6-8PM at the Sheppard's Bush turf facility. *** Note time change for THURSDAY ***
McCormick Cup: Both sides thru Quarters Oct 15, 2007
The Aurora Barbarians RFC won their quarter final game against Brantford Harlequins RFC in the annual fall classic of Ontario Rugby, the McCormick Cup. This was an excellent game of "cup rugby", and the Barbs played some of their best rugby of the 2007 season. The forwards were outstanding and the backs played well in the difficult conditions, light and persistent rain that made handling difficult. The field was in excellent condition, firm and grass covered and the temperature at game time was a comfortable 10 degrees Celsius, with a light wind across the field. (From First Team report)
Pictures from this past weekend can be seen on the Marshall Premiership Rugby group on Facebook
The Seconds side continue winning in their playoff action against the Irish Canadians RFC. In slick weather, the team came away with a tough fought 18-5 win.
Pictures of that game can be found here.
ABRFC Players Lead Bradford in RO 7s: Oct 5, 2007
This past week several ABRFC u18s helped Bradford District High School (BDHS) reach the Consolation Final of the Rugby Ontario 7s held at Fletcher?s. There presence in the presence in the line-up; however, was not enough as BDHS team fell 20-0 to O?Neill.
Starting for BDHS were scrumhalf Eric Shannon, while Josh McLardy and Winston Cho played in the backs. Other ABRFC players helped out behind the scenes at the tournament including Scott Armstrong, Graham Cadney and Greg Lane who are part of a rugby class at BDHS. Sources indicate that the latter used the cover of helping at the tournament to enjoy a day out of class. If true, I say go for them!
In the pool round of the tournament BDHS defeated Markville 21-5, Don Mills 48-0 and Pine Ridge 44-0. They met high school powerhouse Barrie Central in the semi-final but they found themselves on the wrong end of a 31-15 score against their northern rivals.
Other local schools that participated in the tournament include Sacred Heart and Denison both from Newmarket, and Leaside (with our very own Alf Scharlach coaching) from the Big Smoke. Not all results were available at press time.
Check later for results from RO 10s and 15s to be held later this fall.
Men 2nds win over Brock: Oct 2, 2007
The 2nds opened the first week of playoffs on Sept 29th, with a 19-5 win over homeside Brock R.F.C. Playing in ideal conditions, the Barbs made it difficult for themselves as some new faces were inserted into the side. Eventually they settled down and displayed some well worked ball between forwards and backs. The 1st team were off this past week, and both sides will return to play after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
NSWT: Bendavid and Donaldson Headed to UK: Sep 27, 2007
Nathalie Bendavid and Kim Donaldson will be part of the National Senior Women's Team that is headed to the UK to compete against Scotland and Wales. The tour is from Nov 1 to Nov 10th.
Senior Men IIs Play Brock This Weekend: Sep 27, 2007
This is the first weekend of playoffs and the IIs will be in Brock on Saturday to play Brock RFC. If you get lost or need some better direction, please contact (705-341-3275). The Is won't have a game but will have a run around this weekend.
Barbs crowned 2007 ORU Marshall Premier Division Champions: Sep 25, 2007
The Marshall Premier Division Trophy returns to Aurora for the second consecutive season as the Aurora Barbarians RFC completed the double over Crusaders RC this afternoon. This was a convincing win for the Barbs over a much changed Crusaders, a team that has had a tough second half to the league in 2007.
As many of you already know, the Barbs had clinched the league championships last Saturday, with their 53 - 20 win over Stoney Creek RFC. This afternoon, after the completion of the game, ORU Board Member and Director of Game, Colin Baker, (a long time Barbarian player and club member), presented the trophy to Club Men's Captain Robbie Carter. This was a return to tradition when the League Trophy is presented to the winning team on the last Saturday of the League season, irrespective of game location. (From First Team report)
Scores from this past weekend and prior:
22-Sep-2007
Barbs [52] vs Cru I [7]
Barbs [15] vs Cru II [33]
15-Sep-2007
Stoney Creek I [20] vs Barbs [53]
Stoney Creek II [2] vs Barbs [38]
Barbs in OUA action: Sep 25, 2007
Barbs enjoy continued success back at school. Three weeks into the OUA season, three Senior Men Barbs
are in the top twenty of the scoring leaders. Keep an eye on Bryn Davies and Steve Shortly at Queen's and also Andrew Papa Ziricino at Windsor. OUA Site
Also making his presence felt is Jesse Hayman at Western, who was part of Western's 31-8 win over Brock.
We will move under lights starting this Thursday, September 13 at
Sheppard's Bush - Industrial Parkway South in Aurora (where we trained under lights last year). This is now a "turf" field and running shoes or molded
soccer cleats are required.
Tues/Thurs - Sheppard's Bush 7-9pm
Davies, Shortly and Sorenson feature in Queen's Uni Win: Sep 11, 2007
Aurora Barbs scrum-half Bryn Davies, centre Steve Shortly and back row/lock Will Sorenson play key part as Queen's win 78-0 over Trent. (more).
Senior Men Swept By Beach: Sep 11, 2007
On Saturday Sept 8th, the Balmy Beach made the trek up the DVP to Fletcher's coming away with three wins, and at the same time handed the First team their first loss of the season:
Beach I [24] vs Barbs [17]
Beach II [43] vs Barbs [11]
Beach III [36] vs Barbs [11]
Support the Ryan Addison Foundation for East York General Hospital and the Terry Fox Run by purchasing a T-shirt for the run on Sunday, Sept 16, 2007. Cost will be $25 with all proceeds from T-shirt sales to the Ryan Addison Foundation.
Also register for the Terry Fox Run, acquire your pledge sheets and join the Aurora Barbarians, Friends and Family for a fun day and all for a great cause.
To purchase your Ryan Addison T-shirts see/contact Brian D'Andrade. T-Shirts will be available at training sessions and Game Day Saturdays.
ABRFC u18 Side Wrap Up: Sep 6, 2007
(click above for larger image)
The ABRFC u18 side wrapped up their 2007 season last Wednesday night
with a 29-10 loss to Alliston in the TRU u18 A Division Consolation
Final. The team finished the regular season with a four win and two
loss record that was good enough for second in their division and
seventh overall.
Their final game demonstrated some of the same qualities and
characteristics of the the entire 2007 season. They opened with an
early try by centre Josh McLardy (just returning from a long lay-off
waiting for his shoulder to repair), but then fell behind to the hard
charging
Timberwolves.
Then Alliston ran up 24 unanswered points before Aurora responded with a
well deserved forwards try that narrowed the gap to 24-10 with about
six minutes left. The score teased the many fans and supporters into
believing that there might be hope for a comeback. It was not to be as
shoddy tackling let an Alliston player dance down the sideline to score
from 80 metres out and place the dagger firmly in the heart of the Aurora comeback.
In the season the u18s opened with strong wins over Brock and Irish
before slipping up against Ajax. The next stage return matches with
their three opponents and resulted in a narrow victory over Brock and a
stomping of Irish. Everyone knew that a win over Ajax and Aurora would
finish in first. The game was tied at 7 just before the half time
whistle and visions of an upset were there for everyone to see. It was
not to be as poor tackling and a lengthy spell of poor decision making
left Aurora on the wrong end of a 24-7 score.
Their first round opponent was second place finisher Markham RFC and
despite a strong effort, Aurora tumbled 15-5 and into the consolation
play-offs. The rest is history.
Barbs Supporting NSMT in Toronto: Sep 4, 2007
Pictured above (left to right): Bryn Keys, Dave Nielson, Dan Resnick, John Reich, Kai Sorensen, Nick Mitchell, Bart Hennessey, Brian D'Andrade, Mark Hansen (Photo by José Romelo)
Several Barbs, new and old, were in attendance at the NSMT Toronto Fundraiser at the Royal York on Thurs. Aug 30th, lending support to the team. Overall the dinner was a success as Toronto wished the team well at the RWC 2007 in France. (more)
Senior Men?s Team ? Call-up: Sep 2, 2007
It was great to watch the turn out of debutant players in the third team game vs. Saracens last week. Later that day Colin Baker advised me that Irish, Nomads, Brampton and even the Crusaders have already forfeited their remaining third team games.
Next Saturday - August 8 we go up against the Beach for three games that will have implications at all three levels. The First team can clinch first overall with a win, the Seconds can accomplish something we have NEVER done as the Aurora Barbs if we can beat the Beach twos and the Thirds can win a split in the season series and move towards overtaking the Beach thirds in the standings.
With the return to school of a dozen regular players from, across the three levels of play it would be great to have the reinforcements we need from the ?Old Boy? crew that came out last week. A comprehensive three game win over the Beach would be a tasty appetizer to the League Championship and McCormick Cup titles we aspire to this year.
Training will be our usual Tuesday at GW Williams, Thursday at Fletcher?s trying to start at 6:00PM. Come on out or make me and/or the coaches aware of your availability for the 8th.
JR
Bendavid and Donaldson on NSWT Winning Side: Aug 31, 2007
"Canada defeated the USA 46 - 7 on Wednesday night at the National Sports Center fields in Blaine, Minnesota, Canada beat the USA 18 - 5. It was the second international between the two nations in the space of three days; Canada beat the USA 18 - 5 on Monday night." (more)
Mens First Team Continue Winning Ways: Aug 29, 2007
"What an excellent game by the unbeaten Aurora Barbs, the 11th win in 11 games and the tenth bonus point. A really good work-out against a tough and challenging Brampton Beavers R.F.C. team; this game renewed some excellent memories of a great rivalry between the Beavers and the Barbs dating back to Keenan days, and some old friendships and rivalries. So, what made it such a useful and enjoyable evening?"
Kim Donaldson Starts in NSWT Win Over US: Aug 29, 2007
From Rugby Canada website:
"Canada's senior women's rugby team has defeated the US women's team 18-5 in the first of a pair of tests taking place in Blaine, Minnesota. It is the first action for the ladies squad since the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup in 2006 where Canada finished in fourth place."
This past Wednesday, the Aurora Barbs U19 Women traveled to Gage Park to take on the Balmy Beach Club in the U19 Semi-Final match. In the tough fought battle the women played a strong defence, and put consistent pressure on the Beach in the first 15 minutes. They were eventually rewarded with a converted try. The remaining 15 minutes of the half, the defence remained but a lapse saw the Beach score an unconverted try. With both teams receiving wise words from their coaching staff, the Beach continued the pressure but the Barbs were up to task until the 20 minute mark when the Beach scored their second unconverted try. Beach 10 - Barbs 7. The last 10 minutes of the game, the Barbs came back playing better ball, with attacks from the centres pushing deep into Beach territory. Unfortunately they were not able to punch it over. Congratulations to the women on a wonderful season.
Aurora Barbs stalwart Oliver Atkinson has joined fabled English club Moseley
RFC. Moseley was promoted to England's National 1 after the 2005/06 season
and is re-tooling for a better year after a difficult inaugural season in
06/07.
Oilver leaves for England tomorrw and we wish him well.
Weekend Results for Aug 18, 2007: Aug 21, 2007
The Senior Men were back in town this past weekend as they battled the Toronto Nomads to straight wins.
Aurora Mens I [32] vs Toronto Nomads [14]
Aurora Mens II [54] vs Toronto Nomads [5]
Aurora Mens III [65] vs Toronto Nomads [0]
The Aurora Barbarians? season ended Saturday with a loss to the Brampton Beavers in their divisional semi-final playoff game. Brampton had a big team, both in numbers and in size, and they were well-organized as well. They moved the ball well and distributed their attacks all over the field. Aurora fought hard, but were denied tries several times just short of the try line.(more)
Mid-week Action: Men's First Team Enjoy First Win Over Oakville: Aug 16, 2007
The Barbs Senior Men's First Team continue their winning streak in Oakville as they defeated the Crusaders in Wednesday night action. A tough physical game with resulting score of 24-14 in favour of ABRFC.
Bendavid selected for Can-Am tournament: Aug 16, 2007
Our multi-talented Nathalie Bendavid has been selected to the National Senior Women?s Team that is playing in the Can-Am tournament in Blaine, Minnesota later this month on August 27th and 29th. (more)
Prior to these matches, she will be participating in the inaugural National Women's League (NWL) Final representing Ontario, as they take on British Columbia in Vancouver on August 18th. (more)
We wish her the best in both these endeavours.
Goodrow and Blum play in U19 Nationals in PEI: Aug 16, 2007
Blum (L) and Goodrow (R)
Junior Womens players Martha Goodrow and Courtney Blum are participating in the U19 Nationals taking place in St John's Newfoundland.
Aug 13 - Mens' Results
The 2nds and 3rds travelled to Brampton on Sunday coming back with a win and a loss in the slippery conditions:
Barbs IIs 42 vs Brampton 18
Barbs IIIs 10 vs Brampton 36
The First team travel to Oakville August 15th, to play their make-up game against the Cru. Kick-off 6:45pm depending on traffic.
Aug 12 - Womens' Results
The First team put in a strong effort loosing to the Saracens in the consolation semi-finals by the close score of 30-22. The 2nds faired better winning their consolation semi-finals 14-5 over the yeomen. This team composed of mostly Junior U19s will play Aug 25th in the consolation finals.
Aug 11 - Minis in Fergus Tourney
This past Saturday August 11th, the Barbs U12 Minis traveled to Fergus to participate in their annual Minis Tournament. The team went 1-2 in the extreme heat having one of their losses by a try to Ajax.
Aug 8 - Under 16 Boys play final league game
The Aurora Barbs lost a tough one to the Alliston Timberwolves at Fletcher?s Fields on Wednesday night. With injuries and a short bench, Aurora found their guests to be a fairly even match-up. The Timberwolves pounced quickly, scoring an unconverted try in the corner in the first two minutes of the game. The Barbs woke up and mounted a series of attacks of their own.(more)
A sixth Aurora Barbarian named for Representation Honours on August 11: Aug 2, 2007
Aurora Barbarian Bryn Keys will suit up for the British Columbia Select side
when they play the National Senior Men?s Team (?NSMT?) in Vancouver on
August 11. This game is part of the NSMT?s preparation for the World Cup as
they tour four Canadian cities in August to build momentum for the team heading off to France.
Bryn is a product of the Abottsford Rugby Football Club junior program where
his father was a coach and administrator. Bryn was selected to Canada U-19s in 2004 and
played in the World Championships for that age group in South Africa with
the Barbs? Nolan Ott and David Nielson. In 2006 he was a Canada U-21 selection with Nolan and David Poettcker for a tour to Cayman and versus the U.S. Collegiate All-Americans in Victoria B.C. In November 2006 the Canada U-21 tour to Ireland included Bryn, Ott, Poettcker and Nielson.
Bryn was carded by Rugby Canada in 2006 and transferred to Velox Valhallians
in Victoria BC where he played the winter season. He underwent shoulder
surgery in January 2007 and recovered successfully to play for the Canada
West Team in the North American 4 Championship Series and came to the Barbs
in June where he has demonstrated incredible talent and a willingness to ?just play?. The club wishes him well.
Under 18 Boys Game Summaries: Aug 2, 2007
Yesterday, the Barbs U18 Boys side completed their regular season in Ajax. Please find below game summaries for the past two weeks including yesterday's game.
This past Saturday, the Senior Women started their playoff action against defending OWL Champions, the Irish Canadian Women. Though strong effort was put in by both sides, the First and Seconds fell 32-0 and 29-5 respectively.
On the bye weekend, a mixed bag of Barbs took on Muddy York in exhibition play. No official score was kept, but the game was kept intersting as several players were playing out of position, but still provided entertaining rugby.
5 Aurora Barbarians to play for Canada Select Team vs Portugal "A" ? August 11, 2007: July 26, 2007
Game at Fletcher?s Fields, Kick-off at 2:00 p.m.
The Aurora Barbarians R.F.C. is proud to announce that 5 members of our club have been selected to play for the Canada Select XV against the touring Portuguese "A" team.
"This is a unique honour for the club and reflects on the quality of these individual players. Each of them has earned this selection by their dedication and hard work, and all players and members of club and Aurora Barbarians family are proud that they have received this recognition", says John Reich, President of the Aurora Barbarians. "I am proud for each player, but I consider the appointment of Marco as Team Captain to be due recognition of his outstanding contribution to Canada?s National team programs and all that he has achieved in his great career as well as his fine leadership".
The Toronto Nomads defaulted the league game due to an insufficient number of players. This goes into the record book as a 20 ? 0 victory for the Aurora Barbarians. Depending on the outcome of the other league games this weekend, the Barbs could occupy first or second place in the Central Division of the ORU league. The final league season game takes place against the Alliston Timberwolves on Wednesday, August 8 at Fletcher?s Fields. The playoffs begin August 18.(more)
Bryn and Zach Down Under: July 26, 2007
Bryn Davies and Zach Pancer are in Australia currently playing rugby as members of the University of New South Wales program. While down under, they met up with Ollie at the All Blacks vs Canada Game.
Week 8: Senior Men First Team Game Summary - revised: July 25, 2007
This was the type of game that no-one really wants or enjoys, and yet there are many good things to take away from the day. It was an encounter between the top and bottom teams in the Marshall Division, and the prospect of a lop-sided game was clear.
Perhaps the best part of the day was the fact that this was a well played game by the Barbs, and an incredibly clean and honest performance from the Saracens. This week 8 game comes at an important stage in the season, only six weeks to the anticipated National Invitational Club Championship, to be held at Fletcher?s Fields over Labour Day, 2007. The focus for the Aurora Barbarians RFC has been to manage the weekly commitment to the Marshall Division and at the same time develop the depth and continuity needed for this important tournament.
(more)
U16 Game Summary vs York Yeoman: July 23, 2007
The Aurora Barbs U16s romped to a 60 ? 0 victory over the visiting Yeomen on Saturday at Fletcher?s Fields. This was unexpected as the team had 3 players away with the Ontario U16s plus a host of players away with injuries or on vacation. Only 15 players were available to take the field. Luckily, the Yeomen only brought 13 players. (more)
Weekend Results for July 21, 2007: July 22, 2007
This past Saturday, Fletcher's was packed with Barbs activity as the U14 boys had their first victory over the Beach, U16 boys defeated the Yeoman, the Senior Men faced the Saracens, and the Senior Women took on the Nomads.
Balmy Beach U14 Boys vs Aurora Barbs [Win]
York Yeoman U16 Boys vs Aurora Barbs[Win]
Saracens Mens I [3] vs Aurora Barbs I [76]
Saracens Mens II [12] vs Aurora Barbs II [51]
Saracens Mens III [10] vs Aurora Barbs III [43]
Aurora Barbs Womens I [Win] vs Toronto Nomads I
Aurora Barbs Womens II [21] vs Toronto Nomads II [22]
U18s defeat Markham in Local Derby: July 22, 2007
Aurora defeated Markham 19-10 last Thursday night in an exhibition match held at Williams High School. Both teams had played hard matches the previous night and the objective was to give some new players a chance to shine. It certainly worked for Aurora has their young guns stepped up to push the side to victory.(more)
U18s edge Brock 14-12 in Physical Encounter: July 22, 2007
Last Wednesday night, the u18s defeated Brock RFC 14-12 in a very tough, physical game at the cow pasture in Blackwater. It was a key match for Aurora has they needed to win to keep pace with the division-leading Ajax Wanderers who had an easy night against the Irish. Aurora remains second behind Ajax but with a rematch on the last night of the regular season anything is possible. (more)
ORU Mag Sevens: U16 Consolation Champions: July 17, 2007
Aurora entered a team in the annual Magnificent Sevens Rugby Tournament held at Fletcher?s Fields on Sunday, put on by the Ontario Rugby Union. Sevens is a fast and furious game, which lasts only 15 minutes and has only seven players on the field for each team. The Barbs U16 team played four games in the round robin preliminaries, earning a third place finish out of five teams. Aurora defeated the fourth place team, Oshawa , in a playoff game to take the Consolation Championship.
Tournament MVPs go out to Leo Policelli and Scott Quagliarini. Hearty Hurrahs go out to all the players who came out and put so much out on the field. Fifteen minutes does not sound like a lot of field time, but the group was exhausted by day?s end.
Upcoming: Second Annual Fundraising Gala: July 15, 2007
Saturday August 11th is just around the corner. That's the date of the ABRFC Second Annual Fundraising Gala which will be held at the Oakview Terrace. This year the live band The Descendants will be playing in addition to the fabulous dinner, there will be a silent auction, door prizes and other suprises.
Get your tickets early! Deadline for ordering is July 31, 2007
Both Senior Men and Women were at home this weekend.
Men playing their scheduled game against the Irish Canadians:
ICRC II 17 vs ABRFC Men 8
ICRC III 17 vs ABRFC Men 10
and the Womens Seconds playing their rescheduled game against Peterborough:
Peterborough II vs ABRFC Women (forthcoming).
Malcolm Santer. Past President and Loyal Barbarian: July 14, 2007
Malcolm Santer, originally from The U.K., arrived in Toronto via Bermuda in the late 60s. He joined The Barbarians and proved to be a useful full back with remarkable tackling skills. He was very supportive of all Club activities, and was respected for his wit and enthusiasm. He was elected twice as Club President in the early 70s. During this time the Club began their junior development programme, a legacy that has led to our remarkable success in recent years. Malcolm died last week. Present Club members and even those Black Sheep under 45 are probably unaware of Malcolm's contribution to the Club; he retired to The Bahamas in the 80s and returned to Ontario recently.
It is important to remember those who helped our Club grow, and respect is due. We send our sympathies to Betty, his long time loving partner, and trust that she will be comforted by all the happy memories. Thank you Malcolm.
Junior Scores and Summaries updated: July 14, 2007
Game scores and game summaries have been posted to the Junior pages. Click on the date of the game to see summary. (Click here).
Barbs Win in Mid-week Action: July 12, 2007
The week 7 fixture against the Irish Canadian RC in the 2007 was a rare mid-week evening game, re-scheduled to accommodate the RCSL game this Saturday. The Aurora Barbarians RFC played well to maintain their unbeaten record with their sixth win and fifth bonus point, and recorded the league double against the Irish.
(more)
Weekend Results for July 7, 2007: July 10, 2007
The Senior Men took the trip down the QEW and came back with one win and two losses:
ABRFC Mens I 22 vs Stoney Creek 8 (Game report)
ABRFC Mens II 10 vs Stoney Creek 29
ABRFC Mens III 10 vs Stoney Creek 12
Women were at home at Fletcher's to Waterloo where they were downed:
ABRFC Womens I 7 vs Waterloo 33
ABRFC Womens II 5 vs Waterloo 34
Women's games this weekend July 5, 2007
The Senior women are playing Waterloo at home this Saturday at Fletcher's. Please note the change in time of the Firsts game - kick off will be at 10:30am. The Seconds will play at their normal 12:00pm time.
Also note that at 4:30pm later Saturday our very own Nat Bendavid will be participating in the Ontario vs Quebec NWL game (also televised).
NA4 East records win of US Hawks July 4, 2007
Dean Van Camp, starting on the wing for the NA4 East, scores try in 29-13 win over US Hawks.
Nine of the Senior Men's squad spent the weekend out East as the Toronto Xtreme visited the Nova Scotia Keltics on Saturday and then New Brunswick Black Spruce on Sunday before heading back home that same day.
The first game against the Keltics was won 22-5 and the last game against the Black Spruce won with a narrow 27-23 score.
Making the trip out east were: Steve Bowie, Leighton Chong, Marco Di Girolamo, Gian Montino, Dan Resnick, Simba Sithole, Kai Sorenson, Will Sorenson, and coach Drew MacPherson.
Also making the trip out East was Nat Bendavid from the Barbs Senior Women's side. She was representing Team Ontario as they won 103-0 over the homeside New Brunswick Black Caps.
All, we want to invite all members of the club to come and participate with our minor rugby teams in Canada Day 'friendly' touch games.
The club has a table and some field space this coming Sunday - July 1 in the town fields near the Aurora Leisure complex. The idea is that the sports that the town promotes will be on display as part of Canada Day festivities.(more)
Updated: Van Camp off to NA4 and Poettcker and Nielson to Canada U21: June 27, 2007
Dean Van Camp is off to Vancouver as the NA4 teams start the final leg of the competition on Friday — Dean will be representing the Canada East NA4 side. This competition brings together three other teams: the Canada West NA4, US Hawks and US Falcons to complete the four team tourney.
Meanwhile here in Ontario, Dave Poettcker and Dave Nielsen are taking part in the Canada U21 vs US Collegiate All-American games. The first of which will be played in Oakville Wednesday night, and the follow-up at Fletcher's on Saturday.
Boroughmuir High School tackle Junior Mens sides: June 26, 2007
Last night at Fletcher?s, Boroughmuir High School from Scotland swept both games in their stop of their 2007 Canadian tour. They defeated the u16s 25 -12, in a game that was closer than the score indicated, and then they turned it up a notch as their fist XV overwhelmed the u18 squad 45 ? 5. (more)
The Oakville Crusader's visited Fletcher's this past weekend and wound up on top in two close contested matches. The Firsts game has been rescheduled to a date tbd. Scores from the Men's game this weekend:
Cru II 21 vs ABRFC II 17
Cru III 24 vs ABRFC III 22
Meanwhile the Women visited the Scottish playing only the IIs game as their Firsts games has also been rescheduled. Score for the game has not been posted yet. For those not in attendance, you missed a thrilling try as prop Kameel sped down the field in a kick and chase, beating out the Scottish fullback to recover the ball for a try.
Atkinson and Van Camp Starting Against NZ U21: June 19, 2007
Oliver and Dean have been selected to the starting NSMT squad that will face the New Zealand U21 squad. "Oliver Atkinson (second row) wins his first start for Canada since starting against Italy last November in Fontannafreda." Deano starting at wing: "Should they get sufficient ball, they could be a potent scoring threat."
Girls High School All Star Game - Success!: June 18, 2007
Sunday was no cooler with the sun beating down on the group of select high school girls who made up what we hope to be an annual All Star event. Barbs U19 coach Ken, and several of the Senior Women`s side put the girls through their paces as they ran defensive, tackling and foot work drills. The girls were then broken up into North and South sides and practiced as units for a short time before game time.
As Bob Weir got the game going, there was some nervousness as many of the girls had not played together before, but within 15 minutes, things had settled and the forwards and backs were working together. The North scored some and the South scored some. All were winners on the day. Ken and the Senior Women were impressed with some of the skill and talent on the field that day and are eager to see some of the players return for summer rugby.
After the game, the girls were hosted to a lunch and surprise raffle which saw rugby balls, Barbs clothing, and Rugby Canada jerseys being won.
Many thanks to Ken, Nat, Amber, Hayley, Kameel, Leila, Marci, Meaghan, Michelle S., Virgina, GB, JT and the crew at Fletchers for their time and efforts on the day.
On a hot and humid Saturday, the Men hosted the Nomads and were able to come away with tough wins in all three sides. (Is game summary)
Nomads I 12 vs ABRFC I 35
Nomads II 17 vs ABRFC II 33
Nomads III 12 vs ABRFC III 38
The Women visited the Saracens but unfortunately lost both games.
ABRFC Womens I 5 vs Saracens I 57
ABRFC Womens II 15 vs Saracens II 32
In addition to the links to images being placed in the Rugby Forum, images are now posted on Facebook to the FatChinaMan's page and the Aurora Barbarians Rugby group. The Mens images will also be posted to the Marshall Premiership Rugby group created by José Lagman. Here are José's images from the day: 16-Jun-2007 Vol 1 and 16-Jun-2007 Vol 2.
Deano Sends His Best from NZ: June 15, 2007
"I am down in nz right now getting ready to play the
all blacks...i know it even sounds pretty crazy eh...but i am really
looking forward to it, it should be an unreal experience...
I just wanted to send an email to the club about the Dog River Howlers
fund that has been created to help NSMT and other age grade players who
are not carded and don't have the support of their club the way I do.
Kick-Off Time Change for 1st and 2nds: June 15, 2007
The kick-off times for the Is and IIs have been switched to accomodate the Xtreme vs Lancashire game at 5:00pm at Fletchers. For this Saturday the kick-off times are:
12:00pm IIIs
1:30pm Is
3:00pm IIs
Players, please be there 1 hour prior to kick-off.
Barbs featured in the Lancashire game are Steve Bowie at starting second row, and Marco, Simba, Gian and Rez in the reserves
Note:
Women's kick-off times have also been switched:
12:00pm Is
1:30pm IIs
Girls High School All Star Game: June 14, 2007
This Sunday June 17, 2007 at Fletchers Fields in Markham, select players from schools in York Region will participate in a first annual All Star Game.
Players will receive a clinic from members of the Senior Barbarians women's
team and then split into squads for the game at noon. Featured schools include:
Alexander MacKenzie
Aurora
Cardinal Carter
Dr. John M. Denison
Father Bressani
Huron Heights
Keswick
Langstaff
Maple
Markham District
Sacred Heart
St Joan of Arc
St Robert
St Theresa of Lisieux
Sutton
Thornlea
Atkinson Joins Van Camp Down Under: June 12, 2007
Second Row/Back Row Senior Mens player Oliver Atkinson (left) has been called up to join the NSMT in New Zealand as they take on the All Blacks in Auckland this Saturday, June 16. The game will be televised on The Score.
Weekend Results for June 9, 2007: June 11, 2007
The Senior Men came out on top with all three sides recording wins over visiting Brampton. The IIIs and IIs bounced back from their losses last week and handily won their matches recording scores of 45-5 and 79-7 respectively. Meanwhile the Is (game summary) had a harder time securing their win with a 19-15 score.
The Senior Women took on last years OWL Champions, the Irish Canadians, but came up short as both sides recorded their first loss of the young season. The IIs lost 22-10 and the Is, 43-12 in two hard fought matches.
Roving Reporter Returns: June 9, 2007
Our roving reporter, Simon Allen, returns for another year of exciting rugby to bring you recaps of the ABRFC Senior Mens games. If you are unable to come to the match, please visit the About Us section to see Simon's summaries. Here are the first two of the season: May 26, 2007 June 2, 2007
Aurora Barbarians at OFSAA: June 5, 2007
Above: Drew Macpherson, Alf Scharlach, Rob Kruus(background)
This Wednesday the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations
(OFSAA) ?AAAA? rugby championships open at the grounds of the former
Marshall Division Harlequins in Brantford. The elite competition will
feature the Leaside Lancers, Toronto District School Board Champions.
Leaside is coached by ABRFC veteran Alf Scharlach ably assisted by Drew
Macpherson and Rob Kruus. This is Leaside?s first visit to the
Ontario Championships since 1996. The Lancers are the number 10 seed in the
tournament. In their first match they will face Sir John A. MacDonald
representing the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association
and the number 7 seed at 4:00PM.
Congratulations to Leaside Lancers and their coaching staff and best of
luck from your club.
Dean Van Camp on his way to NZ: June 4, 2007
Dean will join other members of the National Senior Mens Team (NSMT) June 8th as they fly to New Zealand where they will prepare in Auckland for their game against the All Blacks in Hamilton on June 16. Canada will then travel to Rotorua where it will play a New Zealand Development XV on June 23.
Oliver Atkinson has been named to the Non Traveling Reserves for this tour.
The Mens side visited the Beach coming away with only one win. The Thirds, starting the game with only 13 players for the first half were quickly exposed as the Beach capitalized on the overlap. At full strength in the second half, the Barbs were able to better match their opponent, but were not able to put enough in to recover from the early deficit. The lone try was scored by Bart in the 31-5 loss. The Twos though at full strength, also lost 43-0. The Firsts came back with a win in their 32-8 victory. Stay tuned for game report.
Meanwhile up north at Fletchers, the Womens only played a first team game again because the yeowomen couldn't field a seconds team (we agreed to re-schedule rather than make them default).
Women's firsts beat the yeowomen 13-8, tries scored by Tamara and Nat, penalty kick by Jenn Carter.
ABRFC Junior Tournament a Success: May 28, 2007
The first official minor/junior tournament of the 2007 season held by the ABRFC at Fletcher's Field in Markham was a huge success. It was a great day of rugby as 350 players representing 32 teams enjoyed the great weather and fun filled participation. Everything started and finished on time with very few issues.
A big thank you goes to Steve McNally, who labored to produce schedules.
Harvey Libby, who handled refreshments. Laura Libby who tended to the few
injuries we had. John Spicer for providing a ton of cones and setting
up the fields of play. Victor, Thomas, Connor, John and Dylan - our field
supervisors who kept teams on schedule and marked down scores. Jesse,
Sasha and Khalil - our refs who did a great job. And finally to John T and
the staff at FF who did their usual fine job.
After the games on Saturday, the club got together at Fletcher's to announce this years Captains and acknowledge previous years captains. Social Director Brian D'Andrade organized a well catered event along with high quality door prizes. This years captains are:
1st Team - Robbie Carter
2nd Team - Neil Dunn
3rd Team - Brad Cain
Congratulations to these players as we look forward to their leadership both on and off the field. Pictures of the evening are available in the Forum.
Opening Day - Black and Blue:
May 27, 2007
Saturday May 26, 2007 was opening day of the season for both the Senior Men and Womens teams. It was Black and Blue as the Aurora Barbarians were victorious in both the Mens and Womens sides. The Senior Mens team competing in the Marshall Premiership took on the Irish Canadians at Fletchers Fields seeing each side put wins over their opponents. The Womens side of the OWL I, made the trek to Peterborough, playing to a convincing 17-3 win but unfortunately recorded as a default due to no ref.
Mens I 41 vs Irish 5
Mens II 38 vs Irish II 17
Mens III 52 vs Irish III 5
Womens I 20 vs Peterboro 0
See the Rugby Forum for pictures from the Men's games.
Dean Van Camp earns start against Maori:
May 23, 2007
Based on his score trying ability, Deano has earned his second start in the Barclays Churchill Cup Tournament (BCC) match against the New Zealand Maori.
All members of the Senior Mens Barbs who were listed saw playing time as the Toronto Xtreme were winners in their season opener against the Quebec Caribou. Strong forwards play by Rez, Gianny, Shaun, Will and Matt allowed the backs to run freely as Ash, Deej and Simba worked magic in the backfield with their Xtreme teammates. Game Photos>>
Deano scores try against Ireland ‘A’, but Canada on short-end of stick:
May 19, 2007
In Canada's opening game of the 2007 Barclays Churchill cup, Dean Van Camp, making his second start was able to put the ball down in the corner in Canada's 39-20 loss to Ireland ‘A’.
Participating in this weekend's Barclays Churchill Cup match against Ireland ‘A’,
"Port Perry?s Dean Van Camp earns his second starting spot on left-wing. He earned his first against Japan in 2005 playing in the centre against scored a try on his debut."
The Xtreme are playing this Saturday at Fletcher's at 2pm against Quebec admission is free.
Playing for the Xtreme from the Barbs are...
1 Dan Resnick
3 Gian Montino
5 Will Sorenson
7 Shaun Allen
9 Rob Ashwood
11 Simba
13 Marco D (capt)
16 Matt Chown
17 Steve Bowie
Minor and Youth Practices to Start This Week:
May 15, 2007
The Aurora Barbs minor and youth teams begin practice this week at Williams High School in Aurora on Tuesday night. Practices begin at 7 pm and players should arrive a few minutes early with mouth guards, cleats, shorts, rugby shirts and lots of energy.
The U8 and U10 teams are playing flag rugby this summer and their first practice is Tuesday May 15th. If you missed the first practice and are still interested in playing please contact coach Harvey Libby. Coach Libby along with John Spicer are back for another season on the sidelines with the u10s. Their first action is coming up at the first tournament of the year on May 26th at Fletcher's, hosted by our own club. Returning to the club as a coach for the U8s is Guy Morin. Guy was a valuable member of the front row club for the old Aurora club and we are
very glad to have him join the ranks of the coaching staff this summer. Their first practice was also on Tuesday night and I know that Guy is looking for a few more players to round out the team. Their first action is also on the 26th. So, if you are looking for a summer sport for that child with tons of energy, look no further.
The club's u12s have already been practicing and this week marks their second time on the field. Returning coaches Koos and Steve Willert have been busy in the off-season formulating practice plans and identifying key skills for the summer. They are eager to begin the fun lessons of tackling and contact. The players will learn from these two masters. The final team to begin this week are the u14s. Long time coach and organizer extraordinaire Chris Gans returns for another season at the helm of the u14s. The season opener is still a few weeks away but Chris and his fellow coach Steve McNally are keen and eager to begin on the right foot.
The u16s, u18 and u19s will all begin practices in June as the high school seasons finish. Stay tuned to this space for more information. It is still possible to register for the upcoming summer season of rugby. We will be accepting on field registrations on both Tuesday and Thursday night. if you have a friend who is interested in playing, bring him or her out
this week and let them get a taste of the action.
This past weekend the Senior Men and Women were at Fletchers in preseason action as the Men took on the Balmy Beach, and the Women, York. This gave coaches an opportunity to view new players, and old players at new positions, for the season which opens May 26th. More Pictures>>
Deano and Nolan in NA4 Action:
May 12, 2007
Dean Van Camp and Nolan Ott part of starting side in Canada East action against the US Eagles as they compete in round 3 of the NA4.
Please be advised that u8-u10 will start practices on May 15th, 7-8 pm at Williams
Toronto Xtreme Open Trial May 6, 2007:
May 2, 2007
In order to prepare for the 2007 RCSL season, the Toronto Xtreme will be holding a trial match on Sunday, May 6 ? 2pm at Don Mills Collegiate
The selection criteria for this years team is based on the need to develop players for the 2011 World Cup cycle, and to that end we are looking for players in their early to mid 20?s who you feel can eventually play at the North American/International level. (i.e. Ashwood, Carter, Deej, Damon, Potsy, Rez, Shaun, Sorenson, Simba)
We are very much trying to stick to that philosophy, as opposed to looking at older players (i.e. Brad, Charlie, GB, Leighton) or players who may compete at the RCSL/Marshall level but would struggle beyond that.
Next weekend, Saturday and Sunday April 28th and 29th, there will be a referees clinic at the Sport Alliance of Ontario building for all club u12 coaches/managers. The clinic is normally $100; it is being provided free for any club members who are involved with u12s.
This past Saturday, the Barbs ran Rugby Fest Day at the Aurora Sports Dome. The primary focus was to expose the younger members of the community to rugby.
What a success!! Over 50 players from the Barbs and clubs as far as Brampton and Cambridge attended the affair. The coaches put the players through various skill drills, and organized games to expose newer players to the laws. After the event, players were treated to pizza provided by Boston Pizza, and refreshments.
Mayor Phyllis stopped by to lend her support and added to the many positive comments received on the organization and attendance of the event.
Many thanks to Harvey, Chris, the other minor rugby coaches and Sharksfin.
Women - We’re outdoors:
April 22, 2007
Women's practices for Tuesday April 24 and Thursday April 26 will be on Racco Parkway, same as last week.
Practices begin at 6:30 and run until 8:00-8:30. Next week, we will likely return to our regular fields in Aurora.
Directions to the field: Racco Parkway is on the East side of Dufferin, just south of HWY 407. It is a dead end street, so just drive to the end, park on the road, and the field will be directly in front of you.
If you are lost or want more directions, please call 647-393-2080.
Senior Men - Practice and Important Dates:
April 22, 2007
This Tuesday will be our first outdoor practice. We'll be at Russell Tilt Park in the Oak Ridges/Richmond Hill area. There is a parking lot on the south side of the park off of Regatta Ave.
Practice starts at 6:30. Bring boots and be prepared for contact (i.e. mouthgard, etc).
Here's the map (SW side of Bloomington Rd and Yonge St).
Also mark these upcoming dates on your calendar: April 28 at Brampton cancelled May 12 at Beach May 19 Pittsburgh mini-tour
These dates are fast approaching. Get registered and paid up. Those interested in moving up the depths chart are encouraged to attend the mini-tour. Please confirm your interest with Pete.
ABRFC Coaches Get Smart Rugby
April 9, 2007 Over 20 club coaches, administrators, players and referees attended the Smart Rugby clinic given by Drew MacPherson last Thursday night at the Aurora Town Hall. The material, based on work done by the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions, is an important step in making rugby a safer more enjoyable sport, especially for children. Attending the clinic is also mandatory for anyone coaching contact rugby in Canada. ?With the session coming so early in the preseason, I?d like to think that we are far ahead of other rugby clubs in the province at this stage of the season?, said Director of Junior Men?s Rugby, Sandy Townsend.
The course covered stability and balance, proper positioning in the tackle, the ruck, the gate (and thankfully the refs in attendance were there to help) and body position in the scrum. Most of the hard work was done by Bart, Leighton and Ken Lee who served as willing and sometimes unwilling volunteers for the tackling scenarios. Their cheerful faces covered a palpable fear whenever Drew moved in for the tackle. Well, maybe not Leighton so much.
It was also nice to see a few local high school coaches, referees and former ABRFC junior coaches like Kerry Purdy in attendance.
Date Changes - Indoor Training U14 & U15 Teams:
April 4, 2007 The Aurora Barbarians RFC has rented some space in the Aurora Dome for the months of February, March and April for it's U14 and U15 teams. Please note the time for the April 7th session is in the morning:
April 21st from 8-9pm
April 28th from 8-9pm*
If you would like further information regarding these sessions, please contact Chris Gans.
Toronto Nomads RFC announce their inaugural indoor 7?s tournament to be held on Saturday March 24 at University of Toronto’s new Varsity Centre Dome field.
Deano demonstrates "power" at March Madness:
March 8, 2007
Dean Van Camp, currently playing winter ball out west at the Velox Valhallians, had a strong performance as Canada?s Carded XV?s defeated the UVic Vikes, 47-16.
Dean will also be making an appearance in "March Madness" as he plays for the NSMT who will take on the University of Victoria Vikings on Wednesday night. You can read about it here and here.
ABRFC Minor and Youth Registration 2007:
February 26, 2007
(click above image for larger version)
Registration for Minor and Youth Rugby will be held on Saturday, March 31 from 10 am - 1 pm
Aurora Leisure Centre
135 Industrial Parkway North
U8/10 Flag Rugby $150 (includes socks, shorts and uniform)
U12 Tackle Rugby $175 (includes socks shorts and uniform)
U14/U16/U18 Boys $200
U15/U19 Girls $200
Barbs in the CRN News:
February 26, 2007 Bears Beat T-Birds In First Leg
Aurora Barbarian Fly-Half, David Poettcker, plays part in Cal Golden
Bears win over UBC T-Birds in the first leg of the "World Cup".
Big Ups to Nat Bendavid:
February 19, 2007
A big CONGRATUALATIONS to our very own Nat Bendavid who has secured a spot on the National Senior Women 7s side that is competing in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament to be held March 29th-30th, 2007.
She has recently returned from the USA Sevens tournament held this month where Canada defeated the USA in the finals.
For those who don't know Nat, she is a fierce competitor, multi-talented rugby player and
dedicated athlete in addition to her day time career as a teacher. You will see her often coming
early to practice, staying later than others, and is a regular in the Men's sessions when the
Women's season has ended in the Fall.
Again, a very big congratulations on this excellent achievement, and best of luck in the upcoming tourney.
Indoor Training U14 & U15 Teams:
January 23, 2007 The Aurora Barbarians RFC has rented some space in the Aurora Dome for the months of February, March and April for it's U14 and U15 teams. All sessions are on Saturday night and the dates and times are as follows: Feb 3rd from 8-9pm Feb 17th from 9-10pm
March 10th from 8-9pm
March 17th from 8-9pm
March 24th from 8-9pm
March 31st from 8-9pm
April 7th from 8-9pm
April 14th from 8-9pm
April 21st from 8-9pm
The cost $50 per player and that price covers all 9 sessions. We are hoping to get 20 to 25 participants. There will be no formal registration evening. We will hold a sign-up starting at 8:30pm on Saturday February 3rd and February 17th at the Aurora Dome. Please feel free to bring along friends who might be interested in rugby. The goal of these sessions is to have a lot of fun and start to get ready for the 2007 outdoor season. It would be very helpful if you could reply by email to me to let me know if your son or daughter is coming. We would like to get a sense of numbers before we start on February 3rd.
More information on the Aurora Dome can be found at www.auroradome.com. For those who haven't been there yet, it a terrific facility. Please contact Chris Gans if you have any questions at (905) 727-7480.
Pre-Season Indoor Training
January 2, 2007 Some of you have been inquiring as to whether there will be training in the Aurora Sports Dome
this off-season, and yes there will be... we have scheduled Thursday nights in the New Year
starting January 11th.
When: Thursday Nights, starting Jan 11th.
Time: 9:00pm - 10:00pm
What: Touch Rugby/Training
Cost: $5.00/head/night
Perfect timing for after the Holiday festivities. There will be a combination of touch rugby and
skills training some nights.
Come on out for a run around. More numbers the better.
2007 ABRFC Board of Directors:
January 2, 2007 This year's Exec met on Wednesday, December 20th to discuss old business, new business and make elections.
We are pleased to announce the 2007 ABRFC Board of Directors:
ABRFC President - Mr. John Reich
ABRFC Vice President - Ms. Sarah Stern
ABRFC Secretary - Mr. Graham Brown
ABRFC Treasurer - Mr. Graham Brown
Director of Senior Men's Rugby - Dr. Peter Keir
Director of Senior Women's Rugby - Ms. Nat Bendavid
Director of Junior Men's Rugby By - Mr. Sandy Townsend
Director of Junior Women's Rugby - Ms. Virginia Edwards
ABRFC Equipment Director - Brian D‚Andrade
ABRFC Membership Director - Mr. Leighton Chong
ABRFC Social & Fundraising Director - Mr. Brian D‚Andrade
ABRFC Communications - Mr. Leighton Chong
Fletchers Fields Representative - Mr. John Twomey
ABRFC Community Development - Mr. Drew MacPherson
ABRFC Director at Large - Mr. Marco DiGirolamo
2006 Stories
From the Toronto & Distict Referees Society
December 22, 2006 Dear Members of the Rugby Community, We are all still struggling with the tragic death of Terri Callaway, and our hearts go out to Gareth and his four children who are enduring the pain and anguish of losing his wife and their mother, Terri... Continue>>
NSMT vs Italy November 23, 2006
Olli Atkinson in the starting lineup and Dean van Camp named... More>>
2006 Aurora Barbarians RFC Award winners November 23, 2006
Doug Heaton Award For Contribution To The Club: Denise Otten
James Green Award For Sportmanship: Leighton Chong
Most Improved Player (Junior Men): Jd Otten
Most Improved Player (Junior Women): Rhonda Westlake
Most Improved Player (Senior Women): Kemeel Franklin
Nigel Toy Award For Most Improved Player (Senior Men): Dan Resnick
Rookie Of The Year (Senior Women): Guinevere Kern
Rookie Of The Year (Senior Men): Andrew Ziricino
Jim Moyes Award For Best Back Play: Ivan Barron
Ryan Addison Memorial Award For
Outstanding Junior Player (Men's Section) Khalil Ajram
Outstanding Junior Player (Women's Section): Alex Forsyth
Bob Martin - President's Award For
Contribution To The Club: Harvey Libby
Most Valuable Player (Senior Men): Marco Di Girolamo
Most Valuable Player (Senior Women): Kim Jack
Congratulations to Nat Bendavid and Kim Donaldson! March 21, 2005
Recently, ninety of Rugby Canada’s long listed players for the National
Senior Women’s Team (NSWT), and around 30 other players keen to be included
on the long list went through a battery of four fitness tests... MORE>>
(story from rugbycanada.ca)
The Club Photo Gallery March 10, 2005
The 2004 Photo Gallery is now up in the Gallery section (sorry
for the delay).
Due to lack of server space the 2002 and 2003 galleries are not
available online. The galleries are now available for purchase for $10/gallery
year, or $25 for all 3 years (2002, 2003 and 2004). Please contact Paul
Payne if you would like to purchase a copy of these CD's. (All proceeds go to the club)
New "Social" Forum March 10, 2005
A new Social forum has been added to the Aurora
Barbarians Rugby Forum. Are you planning a little get together? Want to
see what everyone's doing this weekend? Or just a friendly reminder of up coming
events. Don't be afraid to jump on and yabber away.
High School Coaches’ Information Night March 8, 2005
The Aurora Barbarians Rugby Football Club (ABRFC) held their First Annual High
School Coaches’ Information Night last week in Aurora. It was an opportunity
for the Aurora club to thank area coaches who help the club in so many ways. There
were coaches from area public and private schools, many who are, or have been
players, with the very successful club... More>>
Martha Goodrow gets the start for Canada U-19 February 23, 2005
Coaches Natascha Wesch and Brad Skene have announced their starting line-up
for tomorrow's re-match against Wales at Shawnigan Lake School in British Columbia... MORE>>
(story from rugbycanada.ca)
Images supplied by Rugby Canada
Team Pix by Nick Mitchell
photo by Mr. Selvaggi
photo provided by S.McNally
photo by Nick Mitchell
photo by Nick Mitchell
photo by Jose Lagman
Photo by 
Blum (L) and Goodrow (R)
Saturday August 11th is just around the corner. That's the date of the ABRFC Second Annual Fundraising Gala which will be held at the Oakview Terrace. This year the live band The Descendants will be playing in addition to the fabulous dinner, there will be a silent auction, door prizes and other suprises.
