In what’s been a whirlwind week for Denman local, Chantelle Lambert, I managed to sit down for a brief chat with the budding rugby star to keep GV sports fans up to speed with her rapidly evolving career as she’s about to embark on its next chapter.
Islanders can be forgiven for any deja vu they may be sensing. 15 year old Chantelle happens to be the younger sister to multi sport phenom, Sebastian Lambert. And as any GV sports fan will attest, Sebastian, has a litany of accolades and awards to a career that now sees him playing rugby with UBC.
B“TM”M: “How did you come to get involved in rugby?”
CL: “My older brother played before me, he played a couple of years before and he really wanted me to start playing but I wasn’t really a big fan of the idea. I was doing dance at the time. He kept pestering me from Fall through to the Spring when the rugby season starts, “You have to play, you have to play!” He’d insist. And I kept saying “No.” Then my best friend, Poet, she told me that she was going to try it out so that also kinda helped me and I decided to give it a try and I liked it way more than I thought I would.”
B“TM”M: What was it that you liked about it?
CL: “I feel like the teammates… everybody is really inclusive and friendly.”
Then Chantelle’s voice picks up, “I like the contact.” Bringing laughter from her mom, Rachel, and a tear to ol’ Buckster’s eye.
B“TM”M: “I can tell from your photos that you like it!”
She continues, “I don’t know, just the whole thing. I just really love it.”
From Vanier on to Rapids Rugby out of Comox, Chantelle found her stride. This led to appearances in special tournaments with Tsunami Rugby representing North Vancouver Island.
“And from there I found Thunder Rugby.” A province wide indigenous rugby program affiliated with BC Rugby. “I‘d only done a couple of things with them so far, just a couple of camps and stuff but then I got invited to come on the trip to New Zealand. “
That momentous phone call in November touched off a flurry of planning and fundraising in anticipation of the August trip. In total 40 boys and girls selected from across the province plus supporting staff are NZ bound as most islanders read this article.
With only a brief chance to meet new faces and practise prior to boarding the plane, Chantelle says she’s not sure what to anticipate. In a little under 3 weeks she and her cohorts will play 4 games against various local clubs and school teams.
Rachel offers, “even though it’s Winter down under the locals will probably take their guests for a swim in the ocean once or twice because they think that Canadians are hardier.”
She adds, “Apart from the rugby everyone will be staying in Marea’s, a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. Important ceremonies, and prayer and large feasts. Entrance by invite only.” She concludes saying, “one of Sebastian’s friends is an alumni of this program from a couple of years back and he said that the best part of the trip was learning about the Maori culture.”
And to Buck’s ears, this sounds like Thunder Rugby is achieving its stated goal, ‘aiming to develop Indigenous athletes and foster cultural pride through rugby.’
And the folks at Courtenay Nissan clearly agree. So much so they’ve teamed with Thunder Rugby to sponsor the Car Wash Sticker Fundraiser. A $20 Thunder Rugby sticker on your car (you know, the one with the brown Denman racing stripe?) will grant you free car washes for life at Courtenay Nissan! I repeat, FREE CAR WASHES FOR LIFE!
I know what you’re all thinking. “If they are 20 bucks, Buck, then those washes ain’t free!”
Yeah, well, technically you may have a point. But I’d counter that it’s a rather petty one to make. I mean, is a freshly washed car really all that bad? Don’’t tell me you’re anti-wax?! Have you ever considered how much a clean car can raise a house’s curb value (Jordan McDonald or Donna Tuele could probably answer that one)? And if it happens to be negligible well then just think of the value to an initiative providing such fantastic opportunities to young indigenous athletes. 200 tickets were produced and there are still a few remaining. This fundraiser will continue until they are all gone.
Alright, I can sense you’re a tough sell. “I wash it, it gets dirty,. I wash it again, it gets dirty again…”
This is why the Grapevine has acquired 5 ‘Free Car Wash stickers’ to give away. We’re looking for the answer to the skill testing question: “How many points are awarded for scoring a try?”
The first 5 respondents make off with the spoils.
Email your answer to: theislandsgrapevine@gmail.com
Chantelle AOTY
