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"THE NEW. home of ihe North Shore Capltano Rugby Club at Klahanie. Park in West Vancouver. The covered stands are the first on.the North Shore since the “opening
of Kinsman Stadium over three decades ago. ;

oe Rugby Club builds state-of-the-art NV facility for their sport

mag | YOU build ‘it, they will

come.” Be

By ALP. Mecredie,
7 Sports Reporter” :

The ksuinting‘reftcin ‘from the”

iim A: Field of Dreams is’ getting
“reworking: : by. the: Capilano
‘Rigby Club. aren

More. fitting “to: their cir-

cumstances ‘would. be:’;‘*They. are.

ere; we should build it’;
=. Two years, ago the” executive’ of
the club: decided it: was time their:

members had their own facility. to,
call ‘home. ‘The’ club ‘was ‘formed ~
in’ :the!late.’60s when the. West”

Vancouver : Barbarians’. and" the

North: Vancouver.” All- Blacks

merged chibs....-"

“For' over 20: years’ the Capilanos

oe out’of..a' small office”
insman Park

‘and lowers in response i
- Tigation needs of the grass roots.

“Not your most family-oriented
kind of place.”
An intensive fundraising calen-

dar of events — and receipt of the _

last’ B.C. Go Grant from Victoria
—.over the past’24 months has

found. the, club to.be in the en-

viable position of boasting one of
.the » best rugby: clubs in: North
-America.” *

The, field itself is state of the
art, :

‘unique design’ of |. the -- field is

highlighted ‘by six com-

puter-operated. pods, .or pools,

_under'the sand field..Each pool —
raises —

man-made water tables ~"
to. the ir-

‘From a player’s point of view,
the field is great-because there are

“nO sprinkler. heads buried in the:

_ground,”? said Slay. ‘‘And from a
‘Maintenance. point ‘of view,. we

*~ don’t have to spend hours ‘trying

to dry the field off.”": .
Since . January over 50 matches

“have: ‘been © played « on: the field,

‘Shore.

:Costing over $200, 000, the-

with littie effect on the grass.

~ “We had the. English team
practise here a couple .of weeks
ago and.they were very impressed
with the condition of the field,”
said Slay.

The covered grandstand is the
second such facility on the ‘North
The aging .. Kinsman
Stadium grandstand is the other.

And when completed this sum- -

mer, the clubhouse will cover

6,000 sq. ft., with a weight room,
‘expanded bar with satellite dish,

‘and . babysitting services . for
children. A far cry from the club’s
‘previous digs.

“With .this new: club we are -

looking to create the kind of club
that any member of. your family
would feel comfortable in,’ said
Slay,

From all accounts, the $1.1 mil-:
lion facelift has rubbed off on the

action on the field. me
-“*We just ‘completed the best
season ' of ‘our . history,’’
proudly reported. ,
The club has: seven teams Play.

Slay

ing in a number of divisions. In-
cluded among the ' Capilanos’
championship teams were. the
junior, the third-division’ and ‘the
fourth-division squads,

There are nine Tugby clubs “in
the: Lower Mainland,’ with each
fielding an average ; of. :seven
teams. -

The club’s
dominated league play, claiming
the first’ Club’ Championship

award — bestowed upon the team :
“Slay, “‘the best Tugby- club, on the

with the best. overall record in ‘the
province -— for the North: Shore
club.

The winning -ways ended

abruptly: for the. team, however, .

when ' they sufferred a heart-
breaking upset in the playoffs.::
But the future looks bright ‘for

“ the seven-team club.

“Many of our members are ‘ace
tive in the community, coaching at
the» elementary ~.and «secondary
school levels,’’ said ‘Slay of | the

club’s’ building-with-youth phi.

losophy.
- The club gives ‘one’ outstanding

second-division team

‘ junior the ‘Denny Maynard ‘schol: os

arship. for furthering his post-
secondary school. education... This

year’s winner is Jeremy Duna

Also,- three. juniors “are ‘sent.
every year. to New, Zealand. fora”,
season on'a rugby. exchange: pro-
gram. Bob Bremner,’.: Robin:

‘Mahood and Mark Stenko are the -

current players Down Under: “
- Boasting: a: member. alumni list. :

of, over _ 500," the Capilanos : ‘are

poised -to . become,- according «to

continent.’?.

Practices. run throughout ° the:

summer months on Thursday at. :

6:30: p.m.,: and the.club. will be ;
hosting a:-number- of seven-a-side -

. tournaments and small, tours dur--

ing ‘July and ‘August. :
Once :15-a-side; action kicks off. ”
in September, the clubhouse will

be ‘given ia good: -workout every! *
Saturday morning and afternoon,

“For more information about the :
Capilano Rugby| Club eal: 980-