May 24th - Aurora Barbarians vs Canadian Irish In addition
to the international game, Kent Havoc will also be hosting a top-notch,
amateur rugby game three weeks before the Canada Selects game.
Also held at the Chatham-Kent Community Athletic Complex in Chatham,
Ontario, this preliminary game will be held on May 24th, 2008
at 4:45 pm and will feature the Irish Canadians and the Aurora
Barbarians. Both teams play in the highest level amateur league
in Ontario – the Ontario Rugby Union’s Marshall Premiership
League. Last year the Aurora Barbarians finished first in the
league while the Irish Canadians finished third. Both teams will
be expected to vie for the league championship again this year.
This game will feature the highest level of club rugby as yet
played in Chatham, and likely will be fielding around a dozen
members of Canada's national elite players squad between them. May 24th Games
Aurora Barbarians The Aurora Barbarians Rugby Football Club was established in 2002 when two very successful clubs merged -- the Aurora Rugby Club and the Toronto Barbarians. The Club supports three Men’s Squads, two Women’s Squads, several youth teams and a mini rugby program. Several club members have played for the Canadian national team. For more information about the club, check the Barbs website -- www.aurorabarbarians.com Irish Canadians A founding member of the Ontario Rugby Union, the Irish Canadians rugby club supports nine rugby teams. Since 1950, the ICRC has won the most Senior Men’s Cups (14) and the most Senior Men’s League championships (11). In the last five years, the Irish Canadians have won two Cups and three League titles. The club has also supplied the most players to the Toronto Super League franchise since its inception in 1999. For more information about the club, check the Irish website -- www.irishcanadianrugbyclub.com . The day will also feature
two curtain raiser games – both of which will be played at
CCI Field off of Lansdowne Ave. (just north of Murray St.). In the
first game, the Kent Havoc will play their first league game of
the season against the Kitchener Knaves. The Knaves competed in
the Niagara Rugby Union A2 league last year. For more information
about the club, check the Waterloo County website --http://www.waterloocountyrugby.com/knaves.html Detroit RFC The second game will feature Aurora
Barbarians 2nds versus the Detroit RFC. The Detroit club competes
in the Midwest Rugby Union and is celebrating it 40th anniversary
in 2008. For more information about the club, check the Detroit
RFC website -- http://www.detroitrugby.org/
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