Semiahmoo

We have to go back to September 1980 when Paul Horne began teaching at Semiahmoo High School. That first year, the Semiahmoo HS rugby team finished eighth in the province. This began decades of junior and senior high school domination on the peninsula.

Paul got together with some Semiahmoo alumni and, over a few pints, floated the idea of starting a Jr/Sr rugby club.

We were a pretty young group, learning what it took to play and run a rugby club. There were definitely some growing pains, such as not really having a constant home field. We played at various local fields. South Surrey Athletic Park was still a forest at that time. We played at Crescent Park, Bakerview, Sunnyside and, finally, Joe Brown Park, home of 5-yard end zones.

We were always in search of practice fields as well. We mostly practiced on gravel fields, which are not great for rugby. Sometimes we did practice at the old Semiahmoo High School (White Rock Elementary) when sunlight was available. Some of the lit gravel fields included HT Thrift, Jesse Lee, and finally Cloverdale Athletic Park.

Another issue we faced was finding a clubhouse for after-game functions. We were fortunate to have some tolerant parents, such as the Narods and the Fongs. They hosted several after-game events.

One of our failed attempts at a clubhouse was actually at the old schoolhouse on the Semiahmoo First Nations Reservation. We spent a month painting and repairing the electrical and plumbing. The grand opening was a bit loud, and we were evicted on opening night. We moved around the local watering holes, such as the OB and Sawbucks, and then the Viking House/Sand Castle Club.

If you grew up in this area in the 80s, SOB dances were legendary. I believe we paid for most of our costs from those dances.

Thanks to the leadership of club presidents Marsh McDonald, Brian Neuman, Byron Coulthard, and Pat Kennedy, we were able to put out a pretty decent product on the field.

We fielded two senior teams, the 2nd and 3rd division and the U19 men. Ultimately, this was our demise as we watched many top prospects leave the club to go to the VRU 1st Division clubs. That, along with a lack of a home to plant our White Rock roots, was an ongoing issue.

There were several highlights in those years: multiple Jr and Sr Fraser Valley Championships, and two BC final appearances. Our players started representing at the BC and Canada level at U-19. Our first Sr Canada rep was Mike Tupper, who played Canada 7s.

Another milestone for the club was our 1985 “Overseas with the SOBs” UK Tour, where we played some top UK clubs. Teams included the Old Reigatians, Weston Super Mare, Plymouth Albion, Torquay and a little Welsh village up in the valleys called Bedlinog.

Another special event was our Sharkhide 7 aside tournament on the sandy shores of White Rock beach opposite Semiahmoo Park. This tournament also saw the formation of eventual tournament champs, the Life Guard Rugby featuring Dave Narod, along with the Smith and Howlett brothers.  They were a dominant 7s team. That kind of grassroots fun is certainly missing in today’s game. I don’t think that the PETA folks would appreciate the mud shark grab.

The 1987/88 season started with an influx of kiwi imports that played into the 2nd half of the season. When they left, the players that they had displaced didn’t come back. We began to forfeit a few games. Then began the talks with Tsawwassen. Our biggest problem was obviously our top talent leaving for first division clubs, and they saw a Jr program and the opportunity to future growth in South Surrey. It was a natural merger and is evident if you look around today.