Some things can be counted on.
It rains in Victoria in January, Canucks hockey fans will always fret and England will miss penalty kicks in the soccer World Cup.
And the University of Victoria Vikes win the annual Wightman Boot Cup rugby series against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. The Vikes have triumphed consecutively for the last 16 years.
But the winds of change could be blowing. The Vikes are certainly up against it today in the second leg of the 43rd Wightman Boot series in Vancouver.
The Thunderbirds, a member of the lower level B.C. Division 1 compared to the B.C. Premiership Vikes, upset UVic 29-16 in the opening leg in November at Wallace Field.
That leaves the Vikes with the daunting task today of having to win the second leg of the total point set by at least 14 points at UBC in order to retain the Boot for the 17th straight year.
Complicating matters for the Vikes is that the program is a victim of its own success and is often missing players because of national team commitments. That will be the case again for today’s game with top-tier UVic players Sean Duke, Pat Kay, Sean Duke, Nathan Yanagiya and Kane Wyatt away with the Canadian sevens team preparing for next weekend’s IRB Las Vegas Sevens.
UVic head coach Doug Tate says his roster depth will be tested. That’s nothing new. What is new is to be behind in the Boot.
“We’ve held the Boot a long time, but this is going to be a challenge, especially with some of our guys missing,” Tate said Friday.
“But this will be a good opportunity for some of our other guys to step up. UBC is trying to get back to the B.C. Premier Division and they have a strong team. But we’ve had a good week of practice.”
The Boot competition began in 1968 after some teammates absconded with colourful and loquacious former B.C. League player Brian Wightman’s beloved old cleats that he refused to throw out, and bronzed one of them. That bronzed boot is the prize the two schools fight over each year.
