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:

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.

Peterborough Rugby Starts New Fund

Posted on December 4, 2024December 4, 2024 by Jeff

We are pleased to announce that the Peterborough Rugby Club has established a new CRF fund as of November 30, 2024. The club’s roots date back to the turn of the century…the 19th century that is. In 1899, Ireland toured Canada and played a team from Peterborough. Interestingly, the game was played at Nicholl’s Oval, the same location that is the home of Peterborough Rugby today.

In 1956 a team, the Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club was formed. The team began play in 1957, primarily against teams in Toronto. The focus for the club was to gradually expand from its immigrant roots to develop a base of Canadian players and to get rugby into local schools. The inception of Trent University in the 1960’s with its rugby program also helped the club’s development. In 1970, the club formally adopted its current team name, the Peterborough Pagans.

In 1980, a separate old timers’ club – the Krocks – was established for the noncompetitive over-35 crowd. In 1990, the Pagans and the Krocks joined together to form an umbrella organization, the Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club. The joint organization provided a more efficient organization to grow and manage rugby in the community.

In the late 1980’s the club began to expand – first a men’s 2nd team, then a junior boys team, then a women’s team, then complete programs for junior girls and junior boys. Today, the club has programs for female and male from under 6, through every age group up to men and women, with 3 men’s and 2 women’s teams. The club is nearly divided equally between
female and male, with a brand new co-ed Mixed Ability team in 2023. It is among the largest clubs in Ontario.

The playing quality of the club has also grown. Both of our senior teams play in the top leagues in Ontario. The club has had numerous players represent the province. As well, four club players have gone on to play for Canada – Barbara Mervin, Brian McCarthy, Hannah Darling and Kal Sager.

In 2010, the City of Peterborough offered the club an opportunity to develop what they had long wanted – their own clubhouse. This was the Lawn Bowling Clubhouse, built in 1930, which would have to be moved to Nicholls’ Oval. The club took ownership of the building in 2011.

In spring 2011 the Clubhouse was moved to Nicholls’ in 3 parts. Construction started in 2011 to re-connect the parts and build a large basement with six change rooms and showers. The construction was complicated, and costs went over budget, but construction was completed in 2013. In 2023, after a difficult financial period, Peterborough Rugby had fully paid all Clubhouse loans.

PETERBOROUGH RUGBY ENDOWMENT FUND

The Peterborough Rugby Endowment Fund was established in November 2024 with the Canadian Rugby Foundation. The Fund is intended to provide funding from its endowment and donations that continue the objects of the Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club Inc. (Fund Sponsor) and are consistent with the broad objects and purposes of the Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club Inc., Rugby Canada, and the Canadian Rugby Foundation to develop and grow rugby across Canada while meeting all CRA requirements.

To support the Peterborough Rugby Club and to donate to the Peterborough Rugby Endowment Fund, go here.

In Case of Strike

Posted on December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 by Jeff

With the year-end deadline for personal charitable donations converging with the current 2024 Canada Post strike, it may be time to remind our potential donors there are a number of ways in which donations by mail can be avoided.

The most common method for smaller (less than $1,000) donations is on our CanadaHelps.org online platform. Donations can be made here by credit or debit card and PayPal. We say smaller because there is a CanadasHelps transaction fee we should avoid for larger donations which reduces the net amount contributed to the Foundation or an individual fund.

When the posties are working, cheques can be mailed to our P.O. Box here:

Canadian Rugby Foundation
709 Yates St., PO Box 8003
Victoria, BC, V8W 3R7

An alternate address for couriered cheques is:

Canadian Rugby Foundation
150-805 Cloverdale Ave.,
Victoria BC,
V8X2S9

We have always had the ability to accept bank wires using some or all of the following information (depends on your bank’s requirements).

CRF Account #05030-7605617
Bank# 010
Swift# CIBCCATT

Bank Name: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
Branch: Mayfair Shopping Centre
City: Victoria, BC
Routing Number (EFT) 001005030
Branch Transit Number 05030
Financial Institution Number 010
MICR Code (Routing Number) 05030-010

And finally, we recently added Interac donations at the following address which may be the easiest payment method for all donors:

Payments@canadianrugbyfoundation.ca

UBC’s Niko Andrianos Wins Rick Bourne Award

Posted on November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 by Jeff

We’re pleased to announce Niko Andrianos as the 2024 Rick Bourne Rugby Award winner. Niko is a standout rugby player at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and has set ambitious goals for his athletic, academic and professional career. With a clear vision for the future, he aims to conclude his time at UBC by clinching two more national titles.

UBC Set to Host 2022 Canadian University Men's Rugby ...

Niko and Rick Bourne

As a dedicated athlete, Niko’s aspirations extend beyond collegiate competition. He dreams of wearing the Canadian national jersey and making his mark in professional rugby. This pursuit is fueled by his passion for the sport and his commitment to excellence both on and off the field.

In addition to his rugby ambitions, Niko is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at UBC and is equally devoted to giving back to the community. He plans to continue volunteering as a coach at local high schools, where he hopes to nurture and develop the next generation of rugby talent. By sharing his knowledge and experience, Niko aims to inspire young athletes and help them reach their full potential.

With his sights set on success in rugby and a commitment to community engagement, Niko Andrianos is a rising star who embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and leadership. As he progresses through his career, both in academics and athletics, the rugby community looks forward to witnessing his journey and achievements in the years to come.

SUPPORTING HIGH-PERFORMANCE RUGBY IN CANADA

Posted on April 13, 2024May 2, 2024 by Jeff

We are pleased to announce that at its last Board meeting, the Canadian Rugby Foundation allocated $55,000 from its 2024 Unrestricted Fund budget towards Men’s and Women’s High-Performance Rugby in Canada.

MEN’S HIGH-PERFORMANCE INITIATIVE

A Board Committee consisting of Chair Hans de Goede, John Lecky, and Jerry Marriot with Jamie Levchuk from Rugby Canada recommended the following allocation for the Men’s side based on input from Dr. John Gillis, Stephen Aboud and Nathan Bombrys: $27,500

• Ontario: $4,000
• Quebec $4,000
• Prairies: $3,500 (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba)
• 2024 Coast to Coast Cup in Halifax, $16,000 (including Atlantic Provinces)

The 2024 Coast to Coast Cup tournament is the highest level of senior men’s competition in the country, and runs June 19-22 in Halifax (the finals on June 22 at the Wanderers Grounds) and will feature the Atlantic Privateers, a combined Toronto Arrows Academy/Rugby Ontario team, the Prairie Fire, and a fourth team to be determined. The plan is for 2025 and beyond to have representatives from all regions of the country, and eventually West and East playoffs and a true national senior men’s championship.

WOMEN’S HIGH-PERFORMANCE INITIATIVE

A Board Committee consisting of Liz Ferguson (Chair), Colette McAuley, Stephanie White, Davine Burton, and Kevin Rouet (Rugby Canada) recommended the following allocation:

2024 University Rugby 7s Tournament hosted by Concordia University March 17 & 18: $7,000

2024 Canada West v Canada East camp, June 22 in Ottawa: $20,500.
Selection of players to participate will build on regional competitions (in Atlantic provinces, the BC
games, the ON/QU competition and a north/south Alberta competition, and exploring opportunities to include players in Saskatchewan & Manitoba). The intention is to involve many players on the cusp of national selection and those with the potential to get there in the next year or so.

2024 Canadian University Coaching Awards Announced

Posted on February 28, 2024February 28, 2024 by Jeff

The following 11 Men’s and Women’s University Rugby Coaches have been selected to the 2024 cadre attending the Crusaders International Academy Accelerator Coaching program from May 20 through May 31, 2024 in Christchurch New Zealand. Each will have their program fees plus room and board paid, and travel costs subsidized. These coaches follow the group of 7 coaches who went to the Crusaders program last year.

SELECTED COACHES

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

Simon Chi, Head Coach, University of Calgary Women’s Rugby
James Flemming, Head Coach, University of Ottawa Men’s Rugby
Chris Jones, Head Coach, McMaster University, Women’s Rugby
Jessie-Ann Gibson, Assistant Coach, University of Guelph Women’s Rugby
Jessica Joubarne, Assistant Coach, Carleton University Women’s Rugby
Zak Scovoranski, Assistant Coach, Mount Royal University Men’s Rugby
Lancelot Satge, Head Coach, University of Montreal Men’s Rugby
Jay Shaw, Head Coach, University of Waterloo Women’s Rugby
Brent Wood, Assistant Coach, University of Calgary Men’s Rugby

and selected by the BC Rugby Union and funded by the Gerald McGavin Coaching Award Fund of the Canadian Rugby Foundation are:

Darcy Patterson, Assistant Coach, University of British Columbia Women’s Rugby
Jon Mergui, Assistant Coach, University of British Columbia Men’s Rugby

Congratulations to all eleven 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 ability. The focus of this initiative is on university coaches as we and our lead donors believe the men’s and women’s university 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 university student-athletes and coaching colleagues, and 3) share that information with rugby coaches in their local and provincial rugby communities.

This award is administered by members of the Foundation’s University Rugby Initiative committee consisting of Mike Holmes, Doug Tate, Dave Lougheed, Colette McAuley, 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 we will be 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/) Nine university coaches selected by the Foundation, and two selected by the BCRU will join 14 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.

S&C Initiative

On a side note is another initiative from the University Rugby Initiative related to Strength & Conditioning that Dave Lougheed and “For the Love of the Game” is leading. Although the varsity rugby programs at many of the universities in Canada have excellent support from their Athletics department, the same cannot be said for the majority of teams.

With the goal of making Canada’s national rugby teams among the fittest in the world, we will be embarking on a pilot with Men’s and Women’s university rugby teams to establish a national strength & conditioning and fitness tracking system using TeamBldr which many teams are already familiar with, and to provide access to third-party S&C experts where university resources aren’t available. Tracking results will of course be available for each team, but will also used for talent identification and an indicator of commitment to improving and maintaining fitness by Rugby Canada for its national age-grade and senior teams. More details will come as details are ironed out.

For the Love of the Game Joins the Foundation to Create a New Endowment Fund

Posted on February 20, 2024February 20, 2024 by Jeff

The For the Love of the Game Fund at the Canadian Rugby Foundation was established in January 2024 to act as the endowment fund for the registered not-for-profit organization “For the Love of the Game Experience Ltd.” founded in 2015 by former Canadian international Dave Lougheed. The mission of For the Love of the Game is to “inspire excellence through experience for athletes, coaches and their passionate supporters”.

For the Love of the Game has already partnered with the Foundation on a number of initiatives including sponsorship of the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship and the Canadian University Coaching Awards and continues to support initiatives through the Canadian Rugby Foundation that align with its mission, vision and values.

Please visit www.fortheloveofthegame.info for more information about For the Love of the Game.