Friends, colleagues in the rugby, local, international, and business community, and family of Kevin Wirachowski recently established a new Canadian Rugby Foundation Award Fund to create a lasting legacy for the man variously known as “Lunk’, ‘Lunker’ and ‘Lunkster”.
The Kevin ‘Lunk’ Wirachowski Award Fund provides funding from its endowment for an annual award that furthers the broad objectives and purposes of Rugby Canada and the Canadian Rugby Foundation by assisting successful applicants with their post-secondary education, thereby helping to grow and develop rugby in Canada.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Kevin ‘Lunk’ Wirachowski Award, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Active Participation: Applicants must demonstrate active involvement in playing rugby and a
commitment to staying engaged in the sport. Applicant must be a current front-row player and actively engaged in developing their front-row skills - Gender and Age: Applicants must be students actively participating in rugby in Canada. The award is open to all genders. Applicants must be between 17 and 24 years of age.
- Academic Enrollment: Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time or part-time degree (graduate or undergraduate), diploma or certificate program at a Canadian university, college or trade school, and be in good academic standing. The school program should commence in the academic year for which the award is granted. Students starting their studies in the fall semester are eligible.
Selection Criteria:
The selection of the Kevin ‘Lunk’ Wirachowski Award recipient will be based on the following criteria:
- The extent to which the application, supporting letter and references demonstrate compliance with the eligibility criteria above.
- Contribution to the Rugby Community: Applicants should exhibit a recognized contribution to both the local community and the broader rugby community, showcasing their impact both on and off the field. Applicant must be in good standing with his or her School team, Club team, Provincial team, National Age-grade or senior team if applicable, and Community.
- Leadership: Demonstrated leadership on and off the field.
Further details on Lunk, the Award and Fund, and a link to make donations to the Fund are here:
Under the management of a volunteer Board of Directors, Twin Elm has grown over the last half century to hold a special place in Canada’s rugby history. The park has hosted provincial and national championships at the high school, junior and senior levels, as well as numerous international matches, including Canada’s epic 18-16 victory over France in 1994, and the Canadian women’s first ever home soil victory over the U.S.A. in 2001. The park has also showcased the Canadian German Shepherd championship, Gaelic Athletic competitions, lacrosse, and touch football to list a few.
Dozens of internationals have developed their skills on Twin Elms five pitches, and have gone on to wear the maple leaf with pride at Rugby World Cup’s going back 30 years, most recently at the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Twin Elm also holds the unique distinction of being the only rugby park in the world to have produced the captains of both the women’s and men’s national teams in consecutive Rugby World Cups. This unprecedented accomplishment occurred when Sherri Sparling captained Canada at the 2002 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Spain, and Al Charron followed by leading the Canadian men’s squad into Australia in 2003.
For example, one of the primary needs is to replace the old, donated lawnmower with a modern zero-turn mower designed for facilities the size of ours, which would result in significant time savings in volunteer hours. Other improvements include modernizing the lockers to 21st-century standards, renewing the lounge, replacing stands, and adding landscaping such as fences or tree planting. The list would be open-ended as long as rugby-related and of a longer-term capital expenditure versus current operating expense.
