The Sea to Sky Eagles will be without one of their key players when they line up for the Grand Final of the B.C. Rugby League (BCRL) tournament this weekend.
Skipper and playmaker Matty Upton, who dislocated his shoulder three weeks ago against Kelowna, will be out of action when the Eagles square off against the Surrey Beavers in the final on Saturday (July 6) at 2 p.m. at the Capilano Rugby Union field in North Vancouver.
Head coach Keith Reeves said the injury to the 27-year-old Australian is unfortunate, especially given the fact that he has played in every game since the club's inception last year.
"It's really tough on Matty. He's played through this season's good times and last season's tough times. Along with Ally Mac, he really deserved to play in the final," Reeves said.
The Eagles will also be missing a couple of other players because of work commitments. Leading scorer Harvey Bell recently landed a lucrative contract at the Calgary Stampede, for example. However, Reeves remained confident entering Saturday's match.
"Surrey are a real tough team who really get in your faces and try to provoke you. We will beat them with skill and pace," Reeves said. "We've lost a few key players but this year our squad is strong enough to cope with such losses.
"In our last two games, we scored over 100 points and we will continue to play open, attractive rugby. We want to build a fan base and the best way to do that is to give them something that is attractive to watch."
The Grand Final will be preceded by the Plate Final featuring Kelowna against Richmond at noon.
