The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports 19 | Friday, August 23, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" HSSAA's first-ever convener was `always in charge, always impartial' by Kevin Nagel Metroland Media Group Peter Moore, who died Aug. 13 at the age of 77, was the first Halton high school athletic convener, covering the 1990s and half of the next decade. It's where many area high school coaches, athletes and parents were introduced to the gruff but likeable gentleman. He had already gained many friends from decades of coaching basketball, football and fastball after moving to Burlington about 50 years ago. "I consider it a privilege to have been a student and fellow referee with Peter," said Ron MacVinnie, a longtime friend of Moore's and president of the Lakeshore Football Officials Association. "He was my mentor and despite that gruff exterior, there was always a kind and caring side to him." Moore was born in Quebec, moved to Belleville and St. Catharines, and, through a job with Shell Canada, made Burlington his residence for most of his adult life. After retiring in August Peter Moore 2005, Moore and his wife Karen moved to Fort Erie. He had suffered from dementia before his passing. Moore had two children, daughters Nancy and Jodie, and two grandchildren. Funeral services were held earlier this week. He was a member of various officials associations, getting his start in fastball but soon adding basketball and football to his resume. Moore has the distinction of officiating for at least 25 years at the Ontario Universities Association level in both football and basketball. "He was always in charge, always impartial and always fair," said MacVinnie. "I think if I were a coach I would be glad when I saw him coming on the field." Local media members would often tease Moore about his insistence of handwriting and faxing schedules and results rather than breaking down and using e-mail to relay the information. MacVinnie added that plans are underway for a commemorative get-together in the upcoming weeks for area friends to gather in honour of Moore. Details will be announced soon. Oakville Blades player Ryan Garvey (in white) checks Burlington Cougars opponent Cal Rypekma during Ontario Junior Hockey League pre-season action Wednesday at Burlington's Wave Twin Rinks. Not much other defence was played in the contest, which Oakville won 8-7 in overtime. The Blades, who recently named Mike Daley as their interim general manager after the surprise resignation of Duncan Harvey, open the OJHL regular season Friday, Sept. 6 against the Milton IceHawks. | photo by Hannah Yoon -- Oakville Beaver Blades name Daley interim GM after Harvey resigns With training camp about to get underway, the Oakville Blades suddenly had to undergo a change in a key position. Blades general manager Duncan Harvey unexpectedly resigned recently, leaving the team in need to find a replacement -- and quick. With a number of initiatives planned for this season -- including the hosting of the Ontario Junior Hockey League's College Showcase, which will see every team in the loop play at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex over the Sept. 28-29 weekend -- the Blades could not afford to waste time filling the position. Blades president Rob Campbell said the team compiled a list of qualified candidates, but in the end the team didn't have to look very far for a successor. The Blades named head scout Mike Daley as the interim general manager. Campbell said the interim tag was applied "because I don't think Mike even saw this coming," and it will allow him to determine if it's a role he wishes to continue in. Campbell said promoting from within the organization made the most sense. "We wanted to bring someone on board we could trust," he said. "Mike is coaching (Oakville's) midget AAA team and we had already carded him as a (assistant) coach for the Blades. Where we're at, Mike made a lot of sense because he's already integrated with the team. He's a sharp hockey guy. He knows the coaches and GMs in the league and he's a well-respected guy in the business." Harvey took over as the Blades' general manager last season following a change in the team's ownership. Oakville went 34-165 in regular-season play but was eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs. Harvey also assembled the team that played its first exhibition game Wednesday in Burlington. "It was a number of little things," Harvey said, explaining his decision. "It was a big commitment and it wasn't the fit I was hoping it would be. The job itself was quite enjoyable but I'm pretty particular about how I like things to be done." Harvey said he is not leaving the Blades to join another team. "As of right now, I'm out of hockey. I felt quite happy about how the (minor midget) '97 team finished up and I really enjoyed the chance to work with them and with the Blades. But it's time to step away and find the next challenge." Campbell said there were no hard feelings over Harvey's sudden departure. "He did a great job with us. With new ownership over the past year, he did a great job helping us on the hockey side," Campbell said. "I wish him nothing but the best. I've known him for a lot of years and I hope the next step for him is a great one." As for the team Harvey assembled for the upcoming season, Campbell said the Blades "will be a young, skilled team but maybe a little feistier than last year." -- Herb Garbutt, Oakville Beaver staff Pivotal rugby game tomorrow for Phil Mackenzie, Canadian men by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff There were just seven minutes remaining in the game when Phil Mackenzie scooped up the ball. He took eight quick steps before a Tongan opponent wrapped his arms around his waist but Mackenzie used his momentum to carry him forward as he dove across the try line in what would prove to be the winning score in a 2520 win over Tonga in Canada's opening game at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It ended up being Canada's only win at the tournament, but that didn't seem to matter. For the next three weeks, with the national squad's games being broadcast nationally, the team basked in a spotlight it had never experienced before. Whether it was the Adam Kleeberger's beard or the plucky underdogs attempting to upset the sport's best teams, Canada was suddenly paying greater attention to rugby. Two years later, rugby is not on the front page of national newspapers as it was two years ago, but the Canadian team heads into its most important game tomorrow night (Saturday) in Toronto, looking to recapture the momentum it gained in New Zealand in 2011. see Mackenzie on p.20