Years of blood, sweat and tears were all made worthwhile over the weekend.
Squamish's Axemen Rugby Club has clinched the team鈥檚 first championship victory since the group was reborn five years ago.
The local team beat second seed Richmond RFC 33-3 in the Division 3 final on Saturday at Burnaby Lake.
鈥淚t was real step up in terms of physicality and competitiveness on the field,鈥� said Axemen鈥檚 fly half, Neil Irwin, in a news release.
鈥淩ichmond were fantastic and made us work hard all the way. We knew that we were capable of grinding teams down, so we stuck with that game plan and progressively the scoreboard told the story.鈥�
鈥淭he weekend win was hugely satisfying in and of itself, and a very emotional occasion,鈥� said Cian Starogardzki, player and manager, told The Chief.
鈥淭o have been so close over the last few seasons, and worked so hard, it meant a lot to a lot of people to raise that trophy.鈥�
While Richmond seemed to have the upper hand at first, Starogardzki said the Axemen鈥檚 win-by-attrition style of gameplay allowed the team to recover and then some.
鈥淲e know we have the stamina to keep on going and wear them down, and also the key thing is we have a very strong bench,鈥� said Starogardzki.
It was an approach, he said, that was fostered by the group鈥檚 coaching team, which saw the addition of Keith Reeves as an assistant coach this year.
Head coach Blake Mahovic and assistant coach Phillip Maas were the other two making up the coaching staff on the team.
鈥淭eams can鈥檛 defend against us for 80 minutes, you know? They get worn down,鈥� Starogardzki said.
There were several players in particular that Richmond couldn鈥檛 defend against.
Matthew Jolley, Jack Couzens and Stephen List scored a try each. Blake Mahovic secured two tries, and Neil Irwin made four conversions.
Beyond having a good game, Starogardzki said the Axemen have enjoyed a good season.
Recruitment was strong this time around, with both new and old players investing heavily into the team, he said.
Drawing fans to their Sea to Sky games also helped give the team forward momentum, Starogardzki added.
And the time spent community-building off the field has been a big boon to the group, he said, adding that the Axemen have been sharing their craft with youth in town.
The team鈥檚 win is timed perfectly, as a new crop of young players training in the Axemen鈥檚 youth groups are starting to come of age.
Starogardzki said the club hopes to have two men鈥檚 teams next year, as well as get the women鈥檚 team up and running.
The win 鈥済ives something to build on,鈥� he said.
听
.
听
