Richard C. “Dick” Ellis
Richard C. ‘Dick’ Ellis possessed a unique and comprehensive knowledge of every aspect of the game at the club, provincial, national and international levels.
Subsequent to his playing days at Magee Secondary School, the Vancouver Rowing club and Oak Bay Wanderers, Dick presided over Oak Bay, the Victoria Rugby Union, the B.C. Rugby Union, and he was the first president of the B. C. Sports Federation.
He became a director of the Canadian Rugby Union at its re-formation in 1965 and he became one of the trustees of the B. C. Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. As the 1967 Jack Patterson Memorial Trophy (the most deserving Rugby person in the province) he exemplified leadership and organizational ability.
Dick was accorded the rare honor of being appointed the manager of the Canadian team for two overseas tours: in 1962 to the British Isles and, in 1971, to Wales. He was one of Canada’s representatives at the Centenary World Congress of the Rugby Football Union in 1970 and the Scottish Rugby Union’s Centenary celebrations in 1972. Dick was inducted into the B. C. Rugby Hall of Fame, as a builder, in 2006.
Dick’s significant and successful Rugby calendar did not prevent him from pursuing many recreational interests while maintaining a successful law practice. His ambition and commitment, particularly to Rugby, knew no bounds. While serving as president of the Canadian Rugby Union, Dick Ellis passed away as a result of a scuba-diving accident in 1974, having compiled an enviable career as a player, coach, selector and administrator.