BANFF – The Banff Bears men’s rugby team potent offensive firepower was on full display over the weekend in a big way as the local club fights for a playoff berth.
The Bears flattened Lethbridge RFC, 75-7, on Saturday (July 13) at Banff Rec Grounds to move up into fourth place in the rankings with two crucial games remaining.
Ben Rada scored three tries, Daniel Dixon added two, and with one each were Jeremy Woodcock, Charles Noel, Scott Chisholm, Mark Hooper, Dean Bond, and Liam McCartney.
Elliot Smith had a brilliant day of kicking, going 11-for-11 on conversions.
“We gotta keep disciplined and we got to play our game,” Rada said. “We might be very small compared to every other teams, but we’re very quick - we can beat them outside, if we play smart we can always beat ‘em.”
Sunday’s blowout was Bears’ back Duncan Thorburn first match of the season, and he said the Rocky Mountain club is as relentless as ever on the pitch.
“I know we get guys and lose guys because there is a lot of turnover in Banff, but this club is really good at being a family more than a rugby team and having the communication on the field and off works in favour for us in scoring tries and winning games,” Thorburn said.
The Bears record improved to 4-3 before playoffs in the Calgary Rugby Union (CRU) begin Aug. 17. The top four teams earn a playoff berth.
There is little room for error over the next two matches for the defending CRU division 3 champion Bears due to both opponents – the Calgary Saracens and Calgary Rams – also jockeying for playoff positioning.
The Bears take on the Saracens on July 20 in Calgary and the Rams on Aug. 10 in Banff.
“It’s crucial for us now to make the playoffs,” Rada said. “This last month we’ve been collecting guys to train and play for us, which has worked and we do need the bodies. Come playoff time, last year we only played with 14 (players), so hopefully we keep put numbers up and take it home.”
The Bears captured the 2018 championship after ripping through the Calgary Holy Goats, 54-26.
The Bears went on to play in the provincial finals against the Edmonton Clansmen, of the Edmonton Rugby Union, but were a man short of a full 15, after the Clansmen refused them the right to field an extra import player.
Prior to the match, Banff was granted special exemption to field the player by both the Calgary and Edmonton rugby unions, on the condition its opponent agreed.
The Clansmen denied it and Banff lost the match, 20-12.
The Bears have always been the black sheep in the league due to its higher rate of international players joining the team.
In 2017, there was a dispute between the club and CRU over import players, which caused the league to ban the Bears from the playoffs due to its use of import players.
The Bears are hoping a rule change in the future will modify the definition of a Canadian player in the CRU.
