Balmy Beach Rugby Senior men’s team wins McCormick Cup Championship in last game played at Fletcher’s Fields

By JOSHUA McGINNIS

The Senior Men’s Balmy Beach Rugby first divisional team beat the Brantford Harlequins in a close match to win the prestigious McCormick Cup Championship last week.

The final score was 17-15 for Balmy Beach Rugby.

This was an extremely hard-fought game between two rival teams, and it also marked the last match to be played at the Fletcher’s Fields rugby facility in Markham.

Balmy Beach and Brantford have built up an intense rivalry over the past five years.

Balmy Beach eliminated Brantford during the playoffs in the 2022 season, but Brantford would come back for revenge in 2023, edging out Balmy Beach in that year’s McCormick Cup final, 26-20.

This year’s championship game on Saturday, Sept. 28, was tight throughout, with tough defence and penalties handed out all game long.

According to the Balmy Beach Rugby’s coaching staff, neither side was gaining much control over the score, with the lead changing hands throughout the match. 

As the game was nearing its end, Balmy Beach found itself down by three. But in the last few minutes of the match, Balmy Beach front Jamie Cain made a game-changing interception and scored the winning try to give his team a 17-15 lead.

With just 30 seconds left in the match, Balmy Beach’s Kyle Lagasca made a bold tackle against the Harlequins, which gave Cain the opportunity to land a try to secure the win.  

Balmy Beach head coach Iain McLeish was extremely proud of the team’s effort and dedication to earn the victory. 

 “When thinking about this game, I can’t help but think about a New Zealand All Blacks rugby philosophy: Players don’t own their jerseys. Instead, they are the caretakers of their shirts, and it’s their job to leave the jersey in a better place than they found it,” he said.

“The cup win this year marks the 17th McCormick cup win for Balmy Beach Rugby, breaking our tie with the Markham Irish for the most wins in Ontario history. Just in time for our club’s 70th anniversary in 2025. With this in mind, I can’t help but reflect on the generations of Beach players, coaches, and volunteers that have made this club what it is today: the strongest rugby club in Ontario.”

The match also marked the last time any team will play at Fletcher’s Fields, a storied venue for  Ontario Rugby for 58 years. The venue featured six playing fields, seating hundreds of spectators, and was home to six rugby clubs and Rugby Ontario.

McLeish had this to say about the field’s closing:

“Even though it won’t directly affect us, I do feel like losing Fletcher’s takes away something special from rugby in Ontario. There are not a lot of places that can host big events like youth 7’s tournaments or adult finals days. Both types of events can have over a dozen teams playing and need multiple fields in close proximity. We don’t have many places like that in Ontario and it’s a shame to see one of them go. I don’t know what that is going to mean for the future of finals days, but I hope that something can be figured out that allows the larger rugby community to come together in one location again.”

The venue was sold to the City of Markham in 2021 for $21.5 million dollars which will go to the Canadian Rugby Foundation.