The sport of rugby dates back a couple of centuries. Here in Clark County it is still evolving from a grass roots beginning 11 years ago.
A demonstration of rugby’s expanding foothold here took place on Saturday behind the Vancouver Childhood Education Center. The Vancouver Sharks and Prairie Wolf Pack scrapped to a 26-26 tie on the final day of the Oregon Youth Rugby regular season.
The Sharks represent the old guard for youth rugby in these parts, having joined the Oregon Youth Rugby League in 2000. The Wolf Pack are a first-year squad — though they were greenhorns in name only.
Clark County now has four boys teams in Oregon Youth Rugby, an organization that formed in 1999. The Battle Ground Bulls are the defending champions of the developmental division, and were undefeated this spring in league matches. The Camas Mean Machine draws players from east Clark County and plays in the Oregon Youth Rugby second division.
Prairie and Vancouver are in the top division, which includes the eight most-established teams. The Wolf Pack are coached by André de Klerk, who helped establish the Sharks program a decade ago. The Sharks are coached by Gareth Kautz, who in the spring of 2000 gathered some fellow high school students to create the Sharks.
The Prairie club is an offshoot of the Battle Ground Bulls. Until this season, the Battle Ground squad drew players from several north Clark County schools. This season, the Bulls stood on their own as an all-BGHS squad and played in the developmental division, while the Wolf Pack called Prairie home.
The results on the field have been predictably mixed. Prairie went 3-3-1 and Vancouver was 0-5-2 in league play in the most-competitive division. The Mean Machine, which draws players from Union and Washougal in addition to Camas, won once.
The Bulls, meanwhile, went 6-0-1. They have no seniors on the team, and plan to jump to Division II in 2011. First, the Bulls — led by captain and top scorer Vinny Ganassin — will be trying to repeat as Division III champions in the playoffs, which begin this weekend and run for several weeks at Delta Park in north Portland.
All four local teams will take part in the tournament at Delta Park. Prairie and Camas drew byes and will play in the May 15 semifinals of their divisions. Vancouver and Battle Ground play quarterfinal matches on Saturday morning.
Another big Ride
Nearly 1,000 cyclists hit the road on Saturday for the 27th Ride Around Clark County.
The ride is staged each spring by the Vancouver Bicycle Club to welcome the riding season and provide the chance for cyclists to test their stamina or just take a leisurely pedal around these parts.
Volunteers from the VBC mark out four circuits, ranging in distance from 18 to 100 miles.
Of the four routes, the 65-mile circuit is the most popular, according to Vancouver Bicycle Club board member and spokesperson Lauren Baker.
“The 100-mile is a pretty tough route,” she said, noting that it is also early in the riding season and many folks do not have the stamina for a hilly, challenging 100 miles.
On the other end of the spectrum, the mostly flat 18-mile circuit is popular among families and beginning riders.
The RACC is an example of how the VBC caters to cyclists from the casual to the competitive. The club stages group rides almost daily, and all riders are welcome, Baker noted.
Cycling, she noted, attracts people of all ages, from all walks of life. She said riders need not pay the $15 annual membership dues to join a ride.
“Riding in a group is safer, more fun, and inspiring,” Baker said.
Better last than never
The last team to enter the last county-wide bowling tournament for this season became the bowling year’s last champion.
With a pair of 700 series, the team of John Wisinski, Darin Burrows Sr., and Douglas Burrows III captured the 11th annual Clark County United States Bowling Congress Trios Championship.
The tournament for three-player teams was held Saturday and Sunday at Allen’s Crosley Lanes, and drew 35 entries.
Wisinski rolled a 710 series, Douglas Burrows a 704, and Darin Burrows a 690 for the scratch total of 2,104 pins. The champions’ scratch score was more than 200 pins higher than the runners up. Their handicapped total of 2,236 pins won the tournament by 46 pins.
With its tournament season complete and winter league play winding down, the Clark County USBC will hold its annual membership meeting at 7 p.m. on May 13. All Clark County USBC bowlers are welcome for this meeting, which will be held at the Clark Public Utilities office at 1200 Fort Vancouver Way.
Never gets old
John Deuwaarder turned 95 on May 1. On May 10, the Vancouver man will be giving nationals another shot.
The USTA National Indoor Championships for men 80 and older will be held May 10-15 at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver. The annual event has become a regular tournament on the CGM calendar in recent years. Spectators are welcome.
There are divisions for players ages 80-84, 85-89 and 90 and older.
In addition to Deuwaarder, John Barton of Vancouver and James Unger of Washougal are entered in an tournament that draws competitors from around the nation.
PAUL DANZER covers Community Sports for The Columbian. Reach him at 360-735-4521 or paul.danzer@columbian.com.
