Despite a brilliant season, the Chilliwack Crusaders will have to wait at least one more year before ending their championship drought.
The Crusaders fell to the Comox Valley Kickers by a score of 24-21 in the Men ’s Division 3 Final in Burnaby this past Saturday (May 4). It was the second-straight Division 3 title for the Kickers, who eliminated the Crusaders in last year’s semi-final.
The match was a tightly contested one, with Comox Valley scoring the opening try, but failing to convert. This left the door open for a motivated Crusaders squad who collected two unanswered tries from Colton Dirks and Colton Derouin to secure a 14-5 lead.
Comox Valley rallied in the second half with two converted tries of their own, handing the defending champs a 17-14 advantage.
Chilliwack though, showed no signs of quitting, taking a late lead yet again with Leki Palaiti converting an Andy Fourie try.
But the Kickers were determined to defend their title, scoring a try with just six minutes remaining until the final whistle, before holding off a late charge from the Crusaders to secure their second-straight championship trophy.
READ MORE: Chilliwack Crusaders off to Burnaby for B.C. Rugby Division 3 final
It was a disappointing end to a season that overall, had plenty of positive takeaways.
The Crusaders cruised to a club-best 11-1 record to finish second in the standings and look set to be a playoff threat once again next season.
“This is the farthest we’ve come in years,” said Chilliwack scrum-half Tyrone Brown. “We have to be proud of that.”
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