After clinching first place in the league and securing a first-round playoff bye with a win in their final game of the year earlier this month, the Axemen Rugby Club is gearing up for its first playoff game this weekend.
The Division 2 semi-final matchup against Coquitlam United RFC will be played this Saturday at Brennan Park in Squamish.
The Axemen have beaten Coquitlam in regular season play in the recent weeks, but expect a much tougher match in the playoffs.
“We're not overconfident, but we know we have a great opportunity to make it to another grand final,” said head coach Keith Reeves.
This upcoming match marks the club’s biggest game since the Division 3 final in 2019, and they hope to see a big crowd come out and support the team in their attempt to reach the league final.
“For each of our home games over the last 12 weeks we've had probably around 200 people watching. And the semi-final we played at home three years ago, if its anything to go by, I'd expect probably in excess of four hundred watching [on Saturday],” said Reeves. “We do play a very exciting type of rugby, it's very entertaining, there's not a lot of kicking in our game plan so I think even non rugby people would enjoy watching us play."
With a win, the Axemen will advance to the Division 2 grand final against the winner of Surrey Beavers and Scribes RFC in Squamish on May 7.
Kickoff for Saturday’s semi-final match is set for 12:45 p.m.
