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Chilliwack rugby stars Bermuda bound

A trip of a lifetime looms for two Chilliwack players who will wear Canadian colors on a rugby tour to Bermuda.
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Brohan Jansen (left) and Mitchell Byrne are playing for Canada's U15 rugby team

Two Chilliwack teens will represent Canada in an international rugby tournament.

Mitchell Byrne and Brohan Jansen left today, and they’ll arrive in Bermuda Thursday. They’ll both play for an invitational U-15 squad put together by tour manager Rick Bourne.

Of the 15 players making the grade, only four are from BC.

Byrne is a 14 year old student at Chilliwack Middle School.

He represented the Fraser Valley East zone at last summer’s provincial tournament in Victoria. His team finished second to the Island South squad.

Byrne plays rugby in the spring and summer and football in the fall. He was an all-star running back last year, playing for the bantam Chilliwack Giants.

Jansen is also a Grade 9 student at CMS, and he did the Bermuda tour last year. He was so impressive, in fact, that he was named MVP of his team.

At various points, Jansen has represented the Fraser Valley, British Columbia and Canada in competition. He plays locally for the Chilliwack Crusaders Rugby Club, and was his team’s MVP last year.

Byrne, Jansen and their new teammates have been practicing since November at Jericho Beach in Vancouver.

After nine days away, they’ll be back in Chilliwack March 28.

 

l The Chilliwack Crusader rugby men are 0-3 in early-season play, dropping their most recent match on the road last weekend.

Chilliwack fell 20-0 to the University of British Columbia.

They visit the Surrey Beavers Saturday before finally returning home for a game against Richmond March 22.