Anxious to expand its provincial championship program, the B.C. Federation of School Athletic Associations, as BC SCHOOL SPORTS was then called, appointed Bill Westcott commissioner. Only eight teams competed in this two-day event, but the competition was intense. In the championship final, Point Grey took advantage of a ten-man scrummage (which the laws then allowed) to force a Magee offside during extra time. David Whyte's successful penalty kick gave Point Grey an 11-8 victory. During the early years there was both a fall and spring championship. Vancouver and Victoria had traditionally competed during the early part of the school year, whilst the newer schools outside of these areas chose to play in the spring. Growth in the sport, coupled with the pressure to crown only one champion, led to the adoption in 1979 of a single championship. Continued growth led to the dual championships for AA and AAA schools.

The AAA champion receives the R.P. Woodward Shield, named after the man who had been an icon in British Columbia rugby since arriving from England in 1887 at the age of 18. Woodward played, coached, managed and administered the sport for the next fifty years before retiring to the role of spectator until his death in 1957. Donated in 1957 by the BC Rugby Union, the Shield was initially competed for in an informal way, with the coaches of the Vancouver and Victoria champions phoning each other to arrange the game. Some years produced no game because the coaches were unaware of the protocol. That was certainly the case in 1966 when David Thompson School was the Vancouver winner of the New Zealand Shield. The AA championship began in 1991.

The annual championships have not been without a few "glitches" since the beginning. A British Columbia Ferry strike in 1977 caused havoc as tournament organizer Derek Hyde-Lay attempted to hastily fill spaces vacated by schools that had qualified but withdrew reluctantly. Trophies have gone missing, some permanently. Two sportsmanship trophies (named after Bill Westcott and Alan Worsley) and the original second and third place shields have never been recovered since being placed in the care of the winning schools. A province-wide teachers strike in 1987 forced the cancellation of the tournament, and in 1993 a Vancouver schools’ dispute resulted in that zone being unrepresented.

Many highlights over the years are worth recalling, too many to document in this brief historical look at the history. Some of them are:

• Prince George being reduced to fourteen players for their 1988 final game
• The goal-kicking "shoot-out" won by Princess Margaret in 1973
• Merritt's three return trips in 1992
• D.W. Poppy's extra time drop goal in 1992
• St. George's victory over favoured Oak Bay following a twenty-five minute injury delay in 1993
• The first Players Banquet introduced by Commissioner John Narbett in 1983
• The 1975 entry fee of only $20
• Senior and age-grade players who have represented Canada, including Rugby World Cup Captain Mark Wyatt from Oak Bay, as well as Gary Johnston who was Canada's Head Coach (1997-1990) and Assistant Coach (1997-2003)
• Norkam's 1983 triumph, after three second place finishes
• Prince of Wales "threepeat" 1984-1986
• Three officials for each game after 1998, and the revised tournament format in 2006, where other sites around the province were used for Day One games, and Friday was designated a 'day of rest'.
• More scholarships available to players
• In AAA, Kitsilano made it to the final 4 for the first and only time in 2002, whereas Carson Graham has made it every year from 2000-2007, winning it twice
• In AA, Rockridge has been the gold medal winner from 2004-2007

Doug Sturrock

Thirty-Three Years of Provincial Championships

1971-72 Point Grey 1972-73 Princess Margaret Senior 1973-74 (Nov.) St. George's 1973-74 (Apr.) Oak Bay 1974-75 (Oct.) St. George's 1974-75 (May) Oak Bay 1975-76 (Oct.) Magee 1975-76 (May.) Lord Tweedsmuir 1976-77 (Oct.) Magee 1976-77 (May) Victoria 1977-78 (Oct.) Magee 1977-78 (May) Victoria 1978-79 Magee 1979-80 Oak Bay 1980-81 Mountain 1981-82 Magee 1982-83 Norkam 1983-84 Prince of Wales 1984-85 Prince of Wales 1985-86 Prince of Wales

1987-88 Semiahmoo 1988-89 Abbotsford Senior 1989-90 Oak Bay 1990-91 St. Michaels University 1991-92 St. Michaels University (AAA) D.W. Poppy (AA) 1992-93 Oak Bay (AAA) Aldergrove Community (AA) 1993-94 St. George's (AAA) Langley (AA) 1994-95 Semiahmoo (AAA) Glenlyon-Norfolk School (AA) 1995-96 Carson Graham (AAA) Highland (AA) 1996-97 St. Michaels University (AAA) Aldergrove Community (AA) 1997-98 Shawnigan Lake (AAA) Collingwood (AA) 1998-99 Lord Byng (AAA) Collingwood (AA) 1999-00 Oak Bay (AAA) Robert Bateman (AA) 2000-01 Oak Bay (AAA) Collingwood (AA) 2001-02 Carson Graham (AAA) Collingwood (AA) 2002-03 Oak Bay (AAA) Collingwood (AA) 2003-04 St. George's (AAA) Rockridge (AA) 2004-05 St. George's (AAA) Rockridge (AA) 2005-06 Carson Graham (AAA) Rockridge (AA) 2006-07 St. Michaels University (AAA) Rockridge (AA)

BCSSRU Presidents 1971-74 William (Bill) Westcott* 1974-77 Bill Turpin 1977-78 Tony Whitham 1978-80 Claude Marsden 1980-86 John Narbett 1986-87 Greg Ponsart 1987-90 Douglas Sturrock 1990- Brian Lynch * Deceased

BCSSRU Commissioners 1971-74 William (Bill) Westcott* 1974-77 Bill Turpin 1977-78 Tony Whitham 1978-80 Claude Marsden 1980-86 John Narbett 1986-87 Greg Ponsart 1987-90 Douglas Sturrock 1990-2005 Brian Lynch 2005- Stephen Rowell * Deceased

Honorary Life Members Don Burgess Paul Carnes Marty Godsmark Garth Henrikson Ian Hyde-Lay Brian Lynch Claude Marsden David Milne 'Buzz' Moore John Narbett Michael Smith Doug Sturrock Bill Turpin Tony Whitham