Slaughter Cup teams undefeated

The Slaughter Cup

The Slaughter Cup is the annual rugby grudge match between the law schools of UBC and UVic. Drawing from their pool of students, each school fields a team to secure bragging rights and the privilege to drink cheap beer from a dusty trophy.

The Slaughter Cup is named after the late Todd Slaughter, who organized the first UBC-UVic grudge match in 1985. Mr. Slaughter had a career in the British Navy before coming to Canada to study Law as a mature student. Todd is remembered by alumni who played in the inaugural Slaughter Cup as a gentleman who always did right by his friends and his clients.

Saturday March 5^th was a heck of a day for rugby.  The UVic cheer contingent (amongst it’s ranks Dean J. Webber) was out in full force at Connaught Park with their signs and slogans, and the dreary Vancouver sky parted and shone down on a hard fought 15-7 victory for the incumbent champion UVic-Men and a riveting 10-10 tie for UVic-Women.

Women’s Game Recap

The women’s rugby program brought the ruckus on Saturday after a one-year hiatus. This year’s match was played using modified International Touch Rugby Federation rules, which for the uninitiated, is 50 minutes of non-stop action that rewards speed, skill, and lightning-quick decision making. Robyn Finley scored both of UVic’s trys (5pts each), both of which were scored after breaking the line and sprinting over half the length of the field with the opposition in hot pursuit.

The game ended in a 10-10 tie, a most respectable result considering the team was comprised exclusively of 1Ls, had only one substitute player compared to UBC’s 10, and the fact that half of the team had been travelling since 5:00am that morning.

Brooke Haberstock and Robyn Finley were named co-MVPs, with Kaitlin Keufler and Chelsea Harris winning the much respected title of “Working Class Hero”, the person who gives 110% and was integral to the team effort, but doesn’t get to revel in the glory of scoring a try. Also, let it be known that Ms. Harris laced up the boots and played in the full-contact men’s game, and then immediately after played in the women’s match.

Men’s Game Recap

The men’s game was full of big runs, big plays, and even bigger hits. Kean Silverthorn brilliantly intercepted a line-out pass and ran it in all by himself to draw first blood against UBC. Defence dominated the rest of the first half and both teams were held at bay. Play was halted right before half-time due to a UBC leg fracture and a subsequent visit by Vancouver’s finest paramedics.

After the excitement of the ambulance visit, play resumed for the second half. Justin Wong put his leadership and experience on display by devising, communicating, and executing an on-the-spot play off the lineout, where the forwards came together as one, giving Justin opportunity to score UVic’s second try. David Litner then put the final nail in the coffin in the final 15 minutes by intercepting a pass and running it all the way in.

UBC rallied in the final minutes of the game and managed to break the otherwise impenetrable UVic defence to score a try (5 pts) and kick in the conversion (2 pts) for what was the last play of the game.

Sabdeep Sidhu, Justin Wong, and Simon Pinsky were named Men of the Match, with David Litner crowned MVP. Honorable Mention went to Bryn Green’s face (you’ll know what I mean when you see it).

The “Working Class Hero” award for all guts and no glory went to Matt Janssen for laying several crucial hits on the UBC forwards that were instrumental in securing a UVic victory.

Sabdeep Sidhu is a man of many talents. Not only was he named as a Man of the Match, he also managed to win “Jerk du Jour”, the moniker awarded to the player who did the stupidest thing on the field that day. In a dazzling display of incomprehensible incompetence, Mr. Sidhu mistook the 5m line for the goal line. Not only that, he was then immediately penalized for not releasing the ball, thus losing ball possession and forcing his own team to concede hard won territory to UBC. Keep on trucking, Sab.

 Women

Emily Compton

Robyn Finley

Brooke Haberstock

Chelsea Harris

Kaitlin Keufler

Erin Linklater

Ceilidh Stubbs

Kaitlyn Tourangeau

Sebastien Bondurant

Gio Boscariol

Parker Elliot   

Ian Gauthier

Bryn Green 

Ibrahim Halawi

Chelsea Harris

Mike Harrison

Nojan Kamoosi

Dave Matchat

Marcus Mueller

Matt Janssen

Thomas Laboucan-Avirom

David Litner

Simon Pinsky

Mike Shryver 

Sean Tamboline

Samson Rapley

Sean Richey

Patrick Rippon

Sabdeep Sidhu

Kean Silverthorn

Justin Wong