Past: St. George's Saints
Present: Nigel Toy Field
Future: University of B.C. Thunderbirds
At St. George's, students walk the hallways in the footsteps of the boys who came before them. And many of those boys, now grown men known as Old Boys, are invested in the school and the young men whove come after them.
Harjun Gill felt the pressure and pride of competing in gyms and on fields named for alumni, donors and headmasters. And he met that pressure. Recognized this spring as a sportsman of the year and selected by his teammates as the Saints best rugby player, his name is now on permanent hardware at St. George's.
"He's the real deal," said Spence McTavish, the general manager of the rugby program at the University of B.C., which opened a brand new training centre and is actively recruiting international talent.
Gill, 18, was selected to the provincial rugby team every year since he tried out for the U14 roster. He trained with the junior national team in Grade 10 and the next year he was called upon to captain the team during a European tour in a match against Belgium. A nimble and fast runner who can play almost anywhere in the back row, Gill also represented B.C. for three years with the provincial 7s. At an international tournament in Hong Kong, he was again called upon as a captain.
"When you need player influence, he's one of the guys you go to," said B.C. 7s head coach and former national team player Shane Thompson. "The guys look up to him. When I cant get hold of the guys, I go through him. He's mature beyond his years."
Gill, six-feet tall and 180 pounds, earns the respect of teammates in part because he shows gratitude, said Saints head coach Mike Stiles. "This is what really stands out for me. He is grateful for the opportunities that have been given to him and he has taken full advantage of them."
Gill, who started high school at McRoberts in Richmond and still plays for the Richmond Rugby Football Club, led the senior Saints to a nearly perfect season. They won the 7s provincial title and their only loss came in the 15s championship final.
"We came five points short. It's pretty tough," said Gill. "The night we lost, everybody showed up here [at St. George's] at whatever time it was. We just sat on the field, nobody wanted to leave. You get attached to this place. You feel responsibility to do the field and the school proud.
"I feel no regret. We did the best we could for the school and each other and thats all you can ask for."
The next generation of boys will now walk where Gill left his mark.
mstewart@vancourier.com
Twitter.com/MHStewart
