Fraser Valley defended its regional McKechnie Cup title following a 17-14 victory over the Vancouver Rugby Union.
Fraser Valley, which draws its representative players from Lower Mainland clubs including Burnaby Lake Rugby Club, remained undefeated in inter-union play since the McKechnie Cup was reinstituted in 2013.
Burnaby Lake players figured in all the scoring for Fraser Valley.
Scrum half Cody Rockson scored the game-winning try, taking the ball from the base of a scrum and darting over the try line from 22 metres out. Fly half Geoff Ryan converted the ensuing convert to give Fraser Valley its second straight cup and third overall.
Jeke Gotegote also tallied a try for the winners, while Ryan tacked on a second conversion and a three-point penalty goal.
“During the last 20 minutes there was a feeling that we had the game. Our defence was solid and (Vancouver) couldn’t get past us,” said Burnaby Lake and Fraser Valley head coach Kris de Scossa in a B.C. Rugby press release.
Vancouver led 7-3 at half time, but could not close out the win for would have been the union’s first cup title since 2001.
“We stuck to it and never doubted that we were going to come back,” added de Scossa. “It was really nip and tuck all the way through.”
The cup competition was used as a final selection for B.C. Rugby’s 125th anniversary tour of South America next month.
In the final leg of the Ruth Hellerud-Brown Cup, Vancouver blanked Fraser Valley 24-0. Vancouver Island earlier clinched the cup following a 43-20 win over Vancouver back on June 7.
Vancouver won the under-20 men’s Dunbar Cup with a 54-0 victory over Fraser Valley.
