Excellence in rugby runs in the family of this Vancouver Island quartet

It’s taken thirty years, but four members of the Anderton-Teasdale family of Cowichan Valley can now boast of receiving the British Columbia Secondary Schools Rugby Union Commissioners XV jerseys, symbolizing their exceptional play during their high school rugby seasons and provincial tournaments.

This year, while captaining their respective Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds rugby teams, twins Iain Anderton-Teasdale and Bella Anderton-Teasdale earned the all-star jerseys.

The Cow High senior boys team finished fifth out of all AAA schools in the province – the school’s highest ever rank, while the girls, whose aim was to medal, had a strong performance and came third in the general classification.

“It is an honor to receive the Commissioners XV jersey this year,” the twins said in an email. “Especially because we know our oldest brother got it and now we know our dad got it too.”

The award is often given to a graduating student who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and play throughout the season.

In 2019, their big brother Dylan Taylor also earned the coveted BCSSRU Commissioners XV award after the provincial tournament where he was part of the T-birds squad that took sixth place at the event.

As for the twins’ father, Kim Anderton, he earned his all-star nod in 1995 when he was a senior at Highland Secondary in Comox. That year, Highland, an AA school, placed fourth in the province.

“To have received this in 1995 and then to see my son and daughter receive it was certainly a special moment,” he said. “The awarding of these jerseys to my children makes me extremely proud of what they have been able to achieve on the field as top athletes and as leaders/captains.

“For me as a player, this was the highlight of my high school rugby career as it meant that my coaches had recognized the effort I had put into training and trying to be a captain who not only led by example, but also encouraged his teammates to get the best out of themselves, both on and off the field.”

In other elite rugby news, Queen Margaret’s School graduate and Robin MacDowell protégé Carissa Norsten has been named the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series Rookie of the Year.

Norsten grew up in Waldheim, Saskatchewan and after MacDowell saw her play in her first match as a 15-year-old, he recognized her raw talent and convinced her to move to the Cowichan Valley to train at the MacDowell Rugby Academy. Since then, she has been ready for any challenge that comes her way.