Photo by Kevin Light

For the fifth time in CJFL history the Westshore (Victoria) Rebels face the Okanagan Sun in the BC Conference Cullen Cup Championship game.

The four previous match-ups have all been at the Apple Bowl (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004) with the Sun owning a 3-1 record. 

The only Rebels victory was an impressive one in 2003, a 20-0 shutout.  That said the Sun have outscored the Rebels in this championship game 88-75.

The first meeting back in 2000 was an overtime game, only the second overtime Cullen Cup ever.  The Sun claimed a 43-38 victory.

Saturday night’s game marks the first time the Rebels have ever hosted the BC Conference title game and the community of Westshore has been a buzz since their thrilling semi-final victory over their Island rivals the VI Raiders.  The last time the Rebels played in the Cullen Cup was in 2004, when they lost 24-15 in the Okanagan.

History is not on the side of the Sun as the road team in the Cullen Cup.  They have competed 10 times  as the visitor and have just two wins to show for it.  In 1983 they went into Richmond and beat the Raiders 27-11, then in 1991 visited Surrey and beat the Rams 17-11.  The Sun have lost their last five Cullen Cup games as the visitor, including three straight on the Island against the VI Raiders.

In the greater picture the Sun and Rebels have 11 times in the playoffs, the Sun winning 10 of those games.  Oddly enough in the 11 meetings the Rebels have been known as three different names, and Saturday night will make it a fourth.   In the early 90’s the Rebels were called the Victoria Payless, then the Vancouver Island Sharks in the mid-90s, before changing again to the Victoria Rebels.

In the 11 post season meetings, the Rebels have never hosted the Sun.    Their last playoff meeting was a semi-final in 2010 which the Sun won 30-20.

Saturday’s Cullen Cup will be entertaining and should be a very tight match-up.  During the regular season each team won at home by six points.

Kick-off at Westhills Stadium is set for 4:00pm PST.

Cullen Cup history - Sun vs. Rebels:

2000 – @ Kelowna – Sun 43 – Rebels 38
2002 – @ Kelowna – Sun 21 –Rebels 2
2003 – @ Kelowna – Rebels 20 – Sun 0
2004 – @ Kelowna – Sun 24 – Rebels 15