Building at Maple Grove Rugby Park

Posted on August 12, 2025August 12, 2025 by Jeff

The MGRP Capital Fund was established by Rugby Manitoba in May, 2025 as a vehicle to raise funds for improvements to the Maple Grove Rugby Park.

Maple Grove Rugby Park was established in 1985 as the home of the majority of the Winnipeg‐based rugby clubs with 5 International Sized Rugby pitches, and has evolved into a multi‐sport facility which has hosted numerous school, club, provincial, national and international events for rugby, flag football, lacrosse, ultimate and volleyball. The Maple Grove Rugby Park Founders Committee was the group responsible for the invention, creation, development and construction of Maple Grove Rugby Park, the premier rugby facility in Western Canada.

In August, 1984 the corporation Maple Grove Rugby Park Inc. was created. An internal structure was hammered out, land identified and approved, plans for construction discussed and approved, and fund-raising plans discussed and implemented. The committee raised approximately $300,000 and implemented the first sport-developed and managed facility in Winnipeg, all without government funding.

The MGRP Capital Fund has now been set up to ensure funds can be raised to support enhancements and/or on-going operational support for Maple Grove Rugby Park. This could include major capital projects such as an additional field, new turf, or renovations to the clubhouse, or smaller acquisitions of equipment (turf maintenance or training equipment, lighting, sound systems, etc., or ongoing maintenance and repair of the park, fields and clubhouse. Under the auspices of the Canadian Rugby Foundation, a charitable foundation, all donations to this Fund are eligible for a tax receipt.

TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE MGRP CAPITAL FUND, GO HERE:

Coming Home to Windsor Park with CWRFC Capital Fund

Posted on August 12, 2025August 15, 2025 by Jeff

The Castaway Wanderers have established a new fund with the Canadian Rugby Foundation to help raise money for a new clubhouse adjacent to their current playing field at Windsor Park in the Oak Bay area of Victoria, BC. The building on the right photo is the Oak Bay Community Centre used as the club’s locker and meeting rooms

Named the CWRFC Coming Home Capital Fund, this signals a move of the existing clubhouse from downtown Victoria to Windsor Park (thus the “Coming Home”) and will serve as a vehicle for donors to the project (purchase of property, relocation of a house to accommodate the clubhouse, and renovations to the house) to make a contribution and simultaneously receiving a charitable tax receipt through the Foundation.

The property is across from the tennis courts at Windsor Park as shown here. The house shown below is the one being considered moving on to the property we will purchase. It has been photoshopped onto the property to give a sense of how our new home will fit.

IMAGINE THIS:

The history of your club and its players creating your club place adjacent to your
playing field
Celebrating a victory with YOUR team in YOUR clubhouse whether 14 or 35 years old
Gathering parents and their CWRFC children for a social evening
CW teams hosting supporters, visitors and guests in THEIR clubhouse right after the game
Deepening the unique social side of rugby into our CWRFC culture for families, players, alumni and supporters
Imagine, COMING HOME to where it all began in 1912!

TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE AND MAKE A DONATION TO THE CWRFC COMING HOME CAPITAL FUND, GO HERE:

YOU CAN HELP!
For further information or an offer toward the plan, please contact Chris Spicer at 250-888-8859 or
cspiceradvancement@shaw.ca

SABRFC Alumni Endowment Fund Established

Posted on August 4, 2025August 4, 2025 by Jeff

We are pleased to announce that the SABRFC Alumni Endowment Fund was established on July 21, 2025.

STE. ANNE DE BELLEVUE RFC

What is now the Ste. Anne de Bellevue Rugby Football Club originated as the Macdonald College rugby team in 1964. Last year (2024) marked the 60th anniversary of the original founding date.

In 1981 the club officially became the Club de Rugby de Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. The hard work and dedication shown by every player, coach, and volunteer over the last four and a half decades have produced the biggest and most successful rugby club in Quebec, and one with a solid international reputation.

SABRFC ALUMNI ENDOWMENT FUND

The SABRFC (Sainte Anne de Bellevue Rugby Football Club) Alumni Endowment Fund is intended to support the operations of the club through disbursements from the fund’s donations, endowment returns, and other contributions. These are to continue the objects of the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Rugby Football Club (Fund Sponsor) and are consistent with the broad objects and purposes of the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Rugby Football Club, Rugby Canada, and the Canadian Rugby Foundation to develop and grow rugby across Canada while meeting all CRA requirements.

As the Fund’s name indicates, the fund was set up by a group of dedicated club alumni, past and current men’s and women’s rugby members of the club who are interested in the long-term viability and financial stability of the club. This is to be established through the endowment fund, where the assets donated to the fund are invested in perpetuity with the returns disbursed annually.

The following are examples of the kinds of projects or uses for which a grant may be approved.

OPERATING EXPENSES including any of the following:

Facilities .
Equipment purchase
Training equipment
Turf installation and landscaping
Labour expense
Member services
Administration
Competitions
Player assistance and awards
Miscellaneous

TO SUPPORT THE CLUB AND DONATE TO THE SABRFC ALUMNI ENDOWMENT FUND, GO HERE:

McGill Rugby Award Celebrates Enduring Tale of Canada-U.S. Friendship

Posted on May 13, 2025May 13, 2025 by Jeff

By Neil D. Stephenson, Special to National Post

As a Canadian with an education in political science and a former executive of a major American
news organization, I am dismayed by the ongoing economic tensions between Canada and the
United States. This conflict — which Canada neither instigated nor desired — has been
manufactured by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Despite political rhetoric on both sides of the border assuring us that Canadians love Americans,
and vice versa, it is essential for ordinary citizens to take tangible steps to maintain and
demonstrate this friendship — and to remind ourselves of the many thousands of past instances in
our lives where that friendship has manifested itself without us consciously thinking about it.
In that spirit, and given the recent federal election, I wanted to share two stories: first, of a new
varsity sports award; and second, of a historic, 151-year-old cross-border sports rivalry.
The first story begins with its two inspirations, a woman named Marie Evelyn Moreton (better
known as Lady Byng, wife of Canada’s 12th governor general, Lord Julian Byng) and Winston
Churchill. The former was a hockey fanatic who wanted to encourage gentlemanly conduct and
good sportsmanship, and the latter famously quipped that, “Rugby is a hooligan’s game played by
gentlemen.”

The other lead characters in the story include a rugby team founded in 1872, an American rugby
player from McGill’s 1955 squad and a newly endowed sports award.
Throughout its storied history, the McGill University Rugby Football Club (MURFC, which is
known today as the McGill Redbirds) has emphasized the importance of how its players conduct
themselves on and off the field.

In keeping with the dicta expressed by Churchill and Byng, MURFC has officially announced the
Dr. Joseph Hanaway McGill Rugby Gentleman’s Award. This award annually recognizes a McGill
rugby player who consistently exemplifies gentlemanly conduct on and off the field for a
minimum of two playing seasons.

The idea for a non-endowed award was first proposed to McGill Athletics in late 2020 to formally
recognize the qualities of integrity, sportsmanship and respectfulness that are integral to rugby
culture worldwide. After just five months of fundraising, we surpassed the $80,000 threshold
required for an endowment and the newly endowed award was formally announced to the team at
a ceremony on April 10.

As of today, McGill has received $107,000 in contributions, with additional pledges still coming.
Beginning in December, the award will confer a $3,500 cash prize to the named recipient.
Joseph Hanaway, now 92 and residing in St. Louis, expressed his gratitude: “I am deeply honoured
that this rugby gentleman’s award will encourage gentlemanly conduct by McGill’s young rugby
players both on and off the field for years to come.”

Joseph Hanaway 2025

Hanaway arrived at McGill from New York in 1953 as an undergraduate arts student. Initially
joining the McGill football team as a kicker — earning him the nickname “Joe the Toe” — he later
transitioned to rugby, where his team became the 1955 Dominion national rugby champions of
Canada. He subsequently earned his medical degree in 1960, completed his post-doctoral studies
at Harvard and enjoyed a distinguished medical career in the U.S.

Hanaway’s contributions to McGill extended beyond athletics. Upon retiring in 2008, he
spearheaded the restoration of McGill’s iconic Roddick Gates clocks and bell tower on Montreal’s
stately Sherbrooke Street and authored several books on the history of medicine at McGill.
Given his lifelong commitment to McGill and his embodiment of the new award’s core values, I
felt that Hanaway was the natural choice to be its namesake and ambassador.
The second story involves a historic sporting relationship that has had a massive cultural impact,
particularly in the U.S. During the fundraising campaign for the endowment, many donors were
motivated by a desire to honour last year’s 150th anniversary of the landmark rugby matches of
1874 between Harvard and McGill in Cambridge, Mass. These matches planted the seed for the
creation and growth of modern American football.

In honour of this cross-border camaraderie and sports history, any annual income from the
endowment exceeding $3,500 will go to support the Covo Cup — the annual rugby game between
McGill and Harvard, which symbolizes the enduring bond between these two institutions.

“As an American, I am hopeful that this award will stand as a living testament to the unbreakable
brotherhood between America and Canada,” said Hanaway.

This new McGill rugby award named after an American alumnus, as well as the long-standing
fraternity between McGill and Harvard rugby players, are just two small examples of how
teamwork, co-operation and respect have defined the relationship between the peoples of our two
countries for well over 150 years.

David Johnston — former McGill principal and governor general of Canada, who was elected to
Harvard’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a former hockey player for the Crimson and later was the first
non-U.S. citizen to serve as chair of Harvard’s board of overseers — observed that, “The Hanaway
award is very special and unique. To my mind, this gentleman’s award makes a powerful
statement not just about this rugby team, but is the very quintessence of the Canada-U.S.
friendship.”

— National Post

Neil D. Stephenson is the creator and lead fundraiser of the Dr. Joseph Hanaway McGill Rugby
Gentleman’s Award. He is a former Atlanta-based CNN executive, a former corporate aviation lawyer
and a McGill rugby alum.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation was one of the many donors to the new Hanaway McGill Rugby
Gentleman’s Award

Toronto Saracens Start New Alumni Endowment Fund

Posted on April 25, 2025April 25, 2025 by Jeff

To complement their Fletcher’s Fields Legacy Fund, the Toronto Saracens have now established a new Toronto Saracens Alumni Fund with the Canadian Rugby Foundation.

The Toronto Saracens Legacy Fund was established in April 2025, and was driven by a group of Saracen alumni. The Saracens have a long proud history since their founding in the early 1950’s. With 70+ years of playing rugby, there are now over one thousand Saracen Alumni spread around the world.

Many Saracens Alumni continue to stay involved with the Club in Board positions and as spectators. The cheering of Alumni on the sidelines and the volunteer Alumni working behind the scenes keep the Saracens strong as a Club.

The Toronto Saracens Alumni Fund is intended to provide funding from its endowment, and from capital withdrawals that continue the objects of the Toronto Saracens Rugby Football Club. These include:

To encourage and further the game of rugby in Ontario and Canada;
To actively support rugby players in the Province of Ontario by furnishing equipment, kit, and facilities for the game of rugby;
To promote all forms of rugby and to arrange matches and rugby competitions and to offer or grant and contribute towards prizes, awards, scholarships and honorariums related to playing rugby in the province of Ontario.

The following are examples of the kinds of projects or uses for which a grant may be approved.

1. CLUB OPERATING EXPENSES including any of the following:

Facilities
Labour expense
Member services
Administration
Competitions

2. JUNIOR PROGRAM EXPENSES. These may include:

Camp fees for junior members to attend Ontario or National camps and competitions
Recruitment of junior members
Junior team coaches’ compensation
Junior team member services including kit and equipment
Other Junior expenses

To support the Toronto Saracens and donate to the Alumni Fund, please go HERE:

WESTERN WOMEN’S RUGBY ALUMNI START A NEW FUND

Posted on March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 by Jeff

WESTERN WOMEN’S RUGBY ALUMNI START A NEW FUND

Fresh off an appearance in the 2024 OUA Women’s Rugby semi-final, the Western University Women’s Rugby team’s alumni and supporters have established a new fund with the Canadian Rugby Foundation.

The Western Women’s Rugby Alumni Fund is intended to provide funding to further the objectives of the Western University Women’s Rugby team and is consistent with the broad objects and purposes of Rugby Canada and the Canadian Rugby Foundation, to develop and grow rugby across Canada, while meeting all CRA requirements.

The Fund has been launched as an initiative of the current (2024) Women’s Rugby coaches and alumni/alumnae to provide a vehicle for soliciting tax receipt-eligible donations to financially support the Women’s Rugby program – including the Varsity team and development activities – all to enable the team to regain its competitiveness in the OUA and at U SPORTS Rugby Nationals in future.

The fund will address critical needs including but not limited to recruiting support, coach remuneration, player awards and financial support, and player and coach development, from earnings on its endowment, new donations, and the Foundation’s 25% matching contribution program which can add up to $20,000 in additional assets to the fund.

TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE WESTERN WOMEN’S RUGBY ALUMNI FUND, GO HERE:

Hornby Island’s Lone Oak Legends Fund Launches

Posted on December 11, 2024December 11, 2024 by Jeff

December 9th saw the launch of the Lone Oak Legends Fund on Horny Island, BC. The initiative of Mike Holmes who was also the architect of the LOne Oak Legends Rugby Club based on Horny Island, the fund was established to help provide youth rugby experiences and support the growth of junior rugby on Hornby Island by funding new rugby programs and activities from its endowment, and is consistent with the broad objectives and purposes of the Lone Oak Legends Rugby Club, Rugby Canada, and the Canadian Rugby Foundation, to develop and grow rugby across Canada while meeting all CRA requirements.

The Lone Oak Legends Club was dreamt up by Mike & Harry Holmes, was brought to life by Clay Panga and Wildy Holmes as the ultimate COVID-19 rugby project. The goal was to build a small rugby field and a timber frame clubhouse on beautiful Hornby Island. The field will be used to promote rugby in partnership with BC Grassroots Rugby, and to offer rugby opportunities to young children of all backgrounds. Numerous well-known figures in BC and the Islands rugby community put in their sweat equity to make the new field and clubhouse a reality.

THE SITE

RAISING THE UPRIGHTS

VOLUNTEERS ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR

A full description of the Lone Oak Legends Club and the development of its field and clubhouse were chronicled in the CastawayWanderers blog

TO DONATE TO THE LONE OAK LEGENDS FUND, AND SUPPORT THE CLUB’S EFFORTS TO BRING YOUTH RUGBY TO HORNBY ISLAND GO HERE:

2025 CRF University Coaches Awards Announced

Posted on December 11, 2024December 11, 2024 by Jeff

The following 8 University Men’s and Women’s Rugby Coaches have been selected to the 2025 Canadian team attending the Crusaders International Academy Accelerator Coaching program from May 12 through Saturday, May 24, 2025 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Each will have their program fees plus hotel paid, and travel and meal costs subsidized. These coaches follow the group of 11 coaches who went to the Crusaders program last year as part of either the Foundation’s selected University Coaches Awards or BC Rugby’s Gerald McGavin Coaching Awards.

SELECTED COACHES

Selected by the Canadian Rugby Foundation and funded by its University Rugby Supporters Fund and For the Love of the Game Fund are:

Adam Anshan, Head Coach, MRugby, Dalhousie U
Thibault Beudin, Ass’t Head Coach, MRugby, U Montreal
Stuart Crowley, Ass’t Coach, M&WRugby, Trinity Western U
Jayne Isherwood, Ass’t Coach, WRugby, U Calgary
Dave Luong, Head Coach, WRugby, Carleton U
Graeme Moffat, Head Coach, WRugby, U Lethbridge
James O’Neil, Ass’t Coach, MRugby, U Calgary
Matt Parrish, Head Coach, WRugby, U Alberta

Our congratulations to all eight coaches!

PROGRAM DETAILS

The Canadian Rugby Foundation University Coaching Award is an initiative of the Foundation’s University Rugby Supporters Fund to further develop university-level coaches’ program leadership, coaching expertise and technical abilities. The focus of this initiative is on university coaches as we and our lead donors believe the university men’s and women’s rugby pathway is critical to the success of our senior teams and programs. The major goals of this award are for the coaches to 1) continue to develop their coaching careers and credentials, 2) use their learnings to enhance the technical skills of their own university student-athletes and coaching colleagues, and 3) share that information with rugby coaches in their local and provincial rugby communities.

The award is administered by members of the Foundation’s University Rugby Initiative committee, consisting of Dave Lougheed, Doug Tate, Colette McAuley, Mike Holmes, and Jeff Chan.

WHAT THE AWARD ENTAILS

Eligible coaches are head or assistant coaches with a CUMRC-eligible Men’s Rugby program or a U SPORTS Women’s Rugby program with their World Rugby Level 2 Coaching Certification completed or committed, and working to get their Level 3 training and certification accelerated. The selected coaches attend a 13-day program at the home of Crusaders Rugby in Christchurch, NZ (https://crusaders.co.nz/)

The eight university coaches selected by the Foundation, will join 17 international coaches in a program organized by the Crusaders International Academy. The Crusaders are widely regarded as New Zealand’s top Super Rugby club (7 consecutive championships through June 2023), furnishing multiple players to the All Blacks, and most recently the All Blacks head coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson.

2024 Lt. Colonel W.D.C. Holmes University Awards Presented

Posted on December 6, 2024December 9, 2024 by Jeff

The 2024 Lt. Colonel W.D.C. Holmes University Awards were presented last month at the U SPORTS Women’s Rugby National Championship in Charlottetown PEI, and the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship in Ottawa, Ontario.

The Lt. Colonel W.D.C. Holmes University Awards were established by Foundation Chair Mike Holmes to honour his late father W.D.C. “Desmond” Holmes who won the sword of honour at RMC in 1942 before embarking on a distinguished career in the British Army during and after World War II, during which time he was awarded the Military Cross.

At each of the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship and the U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Nationals, 8 rugby student-athletes are recognized for their off-field contributions to the game of rugby at their university and community in the past year, and awarded $500 towards their Athletic Financial Award (AFA) from the Canadian Rugby Foundation’s For the Love of the Game Fund. Examples of factors to be considered include organizing community events involving the team, mentoring younger players, volunteering with their home rugby club or at the community in which the university is located, volunteering as a club executive or an official at any level, and providing off-the-field leadership on the university team. The selections are based on the nomination by the head coach of each of the 16 participating teams and presented at the two tournaments at the awards banquet or whenever is deemed most practical by the host organizing committee.

MEN’S AWARDS

Cameron MacPhail, Memorial University Sea Hawks

Photo: Charles Fortin

This recipient is a senior member and leader on their team. He works directly with the young members of his team, among others, to promote their strength and conditioning program. Additionally, he has helped kickstart a grassroots campaign to start minis rugby in rural Newfoundland.

Sacha Laroche, l’École de technologie supérieure (ETS) Piranhas

Photo: Charles Fortin

Cet athlète incarne parfaitement l’esprit du Prix Holmes : un équilibre exceptionnel entre l’excellence athlétique, la réussite académique et l’engagement communautaire. Son leadership et son dévouement font de lui un modèle pour les futurs gestionnaires et administrateurs du rugby canadien. En tant qu’éducateur pour le programme Rookie Rugby, Sacha promote le rugby dans les écoles secondaires, soutenu par Rugby Québec et le RSEQ. Il organise également des activités sportives lors des visites scolaires à l’ÉTS.

Will Corry, Ottawa Gee Gees

Photo: Charles Fortin

This recipient exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete. Balancing the commitments of High-Performance Rugby with his Nursing placement at the hospital while holding a spot on the Team’s Executive Board. This individual always takes care of his teammates on and off the pitch, as well as the lives of others in the community.

James Webb, Queen ‘s Gaels

Photo: Charles Fortin

This athlete has dedicated their time to organize and support their program’s Run for the Cure initiative, which has directly resulted in raising $25,000 for cancer research. Showcasing a passion for charitable giving while balancing priorities on the pitch.

Jakob Schulz, Guelph Gryphons

Photo: Charles Fortin

This individual has been a leader in organizing team fundraising campaigns for both program support and charitable efforts.  This year, this athlete has been behind the team’s Movember campaign.  Additionally, he has been a leader within our program, previously captaining our second team and now a member of our leadership group

Patrick Williams, UBC Okanagan Heat

Photo: Charles Fortin

This athlete has been selected for his leadership on and off the field as this year’s team captain. He has organized fundraisers for our self-funded program, workout sessions, team bonding activities, and led film sessions when coaches are unavailable. He is a volunteer coach with the Jr. Heat Rugby Development Academy. He also plays an important role on the Heat Athletic Council – a student run organization that represents student athlete needs on campus, while also running large portions of the team’s social media.

Jacob Bourne, UBC Thunderbirds

This next athlete consistently gives back to the community as a volunteer coach for youth rugby programs. He is also heavily involved in environmental stewardship work with Mossum Creek Hatchery in Port Moody and Haidagwaii Salmon Unlimited Society.

Merlin M’Cloud, Victoria Vikes

Photo: Charles Fortin

This recipient was a natural choice for this award. As a quiet leader who leads by example, he takes on the toughest tasks on the rugby field with grit and resilience, inspiring his teammates to give that little bit extra. Off the field, this athlete is the first to step up when help is needed, showing kindness, dedication, and loyalty. His teammates recognized these qualities by electing him as captain for his final year with the Vikes.

WOMEN’S AWARDS

8 Holmes Award winners with CRF Board member Colette McAuley

Corinne Fréchette, Laval Rouge et Or

Corinne est extrêmement impliquée dans le développement du rugby auprès des jeunes femmes de la région. Elle a coordonné les activités de l’Académie Rouge et Or pour les jeunes de 6 à 17 ans l’été dernier, en plus d’organiser les finales provinciales juniors. Elle était également impliquée comme entraîneure dans les académies civiles. Finalement, elle a travaillé avec Fillactive, un organisme visant à promouvoir l’activité physique chez les filles de 12 à 17 ans

Marley Magnusson, Ottawa Gee Gees

A graduate of Nepean High School (Ottawa) she continues to coach her high school every season creating one of the stronger programs in the City. Marley is a player with the Ottawa Irish, East Ontario U19 and Ontario East. Marley is the first to volunteer in supporting any community events and was instrumental in creating a U18 camp at uOttawa where Jack Hanratty was guest coach complete with Olympic Silver Medal. Marley is a true champion of rugby, and a wonderful young woman opening doors for the next generation !!

Lauryn Bons, Queen’s Gaels

Lauryn has been an active member of the rugby coaching community, devoting her time and energy to both her local club (Peterborough Pagans), the Toronto Rugby Union, as an Assistant Coach (Soports Psychology) with the Queen’s Men’s Rugby team, and has supported provincial and national boys and girls age-grade programs.

Mackayla Valley, Guelph Gryphons

“Mackayla Valley is deeply committed to rugby both as a player and as a coach. She began her rugby career in grade 10 and quickly fell in love with the sport. She first represented Ontario at the U16 level and was invited to the Canada U20 Top 40 camp in 2023. She is deeply committed to fostering the next generation of rugby players. For the past few years, she has volunteered with the Jr Gryphons Rugby Development Academy and the Guelph Rugby Club U16 girls’ team. Working with these athletes was a fulfilling experience as she helped them develop both their skills and their confidence on the field.”

Jordan McLeod, UBC Thunderbirds

Jordan has been an exceptional student athlete throughout her time at UBC earning Academic All-Canadian awards as well as All Star nominations. Jordan is generous with her time volunteering with the UBC Youth Academy spending her weekends teaching the benefits of strength and conditioning for athletic development. As a female S&C coach it is great to have her as a role model in this space. Beyond this she volunteers her time to build programs, engage with youth in a variety of other sports as well as lead our warm up and recovery space for our 7s program. Her off field leadership and mentorship of younger athletes on the team who are in Kinesiology is remarkable. You will be hard pressed to find a more hardworking and motivated individual.

Soleil Brooks, Victoria Vikes

Soleil is heavily involved in the rugby community with a focus on empowering Black and Indigenous youth through rugby. Soleil is involved with Thunder Rugby: an organization that connects indigenous youth with their culture through rugby and BC grassroots rugby: an organization providing rugby across BC to diverse communities promoting the sport. Soleil was recently chosen to attend the Grassroots to Global Forum ran by ChildFund rugby and Gallagher to promote women in coaching. This year Soleil has also taken on the Direct of Mini Rugby role at her club Westshore RFC. Soleil’s work extends outside of rugby and to the wider sport community and university as well. Soleil started the UVic Collective for BIPOC Student Athletes at UVic to create a space where athletes of colour can come together to impact the greater Victoria community in a positive way and find community. Soleil has also been integral to advising the varsity department on supporting student athletes of color by working with the athletec director and speaking at the coaching advance to all of the varsity coaches and staff on how to improve the experiences of racialized athletes at Uvic. Finally Soleil is working as a research assistant to create a framework to improve varsity experiences not only at Uvic but across Victoria from youth sport to performance sport.

Emma MacLean, UPEI Panthers

Emma has been an integral member of the Panthers since her rookie season in 2020. She’s maintained a strong academic GPA and has been a starter at the flanker position each year, earning back to back AUS all stars and has captained the team the past two seasons. Emma is one of the most competitive and committed players on the team, always striving for her and the team to improve technically and tactically. She is our most physical player on both sides of the ball, as a tackler, as a ball carrier and we wouldn’t be the same team without her on the pitch. I am extremely pleased and proud to nominate Emma Maclean for the 2024 Lt. Colonel W.D.C. Holmes award.

Brooke Reid, Acadia Axewomen

Brooke is an exceptional student-athlete. She is a co-captain of the Acadia University varsity rugby team. She has been nominated several times for conference all-star and major award recognition in the AUS. She is a leader in community rugby development having helped develop a brand-new rugby program and competitive team at a local rural high school in Nova Scotia. Without the generous sharing of her time and energy, this school team could not have happened; Brooke has helped open the door to rugby opportunities for many youth in Nova Scotia.