Congratulations to this year’s winners of the George Jones Scholarships. You can read more about George Jones here. You can make donations to the George Jones Scholarship Fund or one of the many other Rugby related funds here.
Zachary Aldus
Birthplace: New Westminster
Favourite memory growing up: Going to the Beach with my cousins
Position played: Flanker
First year playing rugby: 2016
Favourite Coach: Brin Johnson
Most influential people in life: My parents
Favourite rugby memory: Winning Provincials in grade 10
Worst rugby memory: I may have jumped into a tackle the first time I played. Was not very fun
Favourite movie: Furry
Favourite musician: Luke Combs
Favourite book: Ready Player One
Career Plans: Electrical or Software Engineering
Rugby goals in next two years: I am looking forward towards playing at UVIC
Favourite other hobbies: Going to the gym and hanging out with friends
Marilee Archer
Birthplace: Cobourg, Ontario
Favourite memory growing up: Going with my brothers and grandparents to the Roseneath Carousel and getting ice cream on the way home.
Position played: Lock, Flank, Eight Man, Fly Half, Inside Center, Outside Center, and Wing
First year playing rugby: Fall of 2016
Favourite Coach: Scott Caister
Most influential people in life: My parents
Favourite rugby memory: Last season, my teammate Booth always made bets with Caister. One of such bets allowed her to choose his halloween costume. Nearing the end of our game she was one try short, and the whole team came together to get her and the ball to the try line. It was the most cohesive we’d felt as a team all year. Caister was Mr. Clean for Halloween.
Worst rugby memory: Back in my first season we played a night game and one of my teammates had her collarbone broken as a result of a high tackle.
Favourite movie: How to Train Your Dragon
Favourite musician: boygenius
Favourite book: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Career Plans: I want to become a computer animator.
Rugby goals in next two years: I really just want to be able to play again. Although it still looks like it’s going to be a while before it is safe to do so.
Favourite other hobbies: For the past four years I’ve been learning guitar from Pat Kelleher. Right now I’m learning the CAGED system for blues, but we’ve already covered the modes, and classical fingerpicking.
Randall Barton
Birthplace: Duncan, BC
Favourite memory growing up: Getting to the Cowichan Rugby Football Club first thing in the morning, before a Sunday junior rugby game, with the dew still on the pitch and sun rising.
Position played: Hooker, Prop
First year playing rugby: At five years of age.
Favourite Coach: My dad.
Most influential people in life: I would say my Pa (Grandpa), Mom, and Dad.
Favourite rugby memory: Receiving the news I made the Canada U17 team and wearing the jersey for the first time.
Worst rugby memory: Tearing my ACL ligament in both knees.
Favourite movie: The Intouchables
Favourite musician: Eminem
Favourite book: I have two, Bill Walsh’s THE SCORE TAKES CARE OF ITSELF and Malcolm Gladwell’s DAVID AND GOLIATH
Career Plans: Complete my Undergraduate Sport Management Degree, Complete a Graduate Degree in Coaching/Sport Management and to be a part sport/rugby in an impactful role.
Rugby goals in next two years: Grow the game of rugby through the BC Grassroots Rugby Foundation, expand my knowledge and experiences of the game and to continue coaching at the provincial level.
Favourite other hobbies: Reading and watching other sports.
Ashley Hammer
Birthplace: Leduc County, Alberta
Fvaourite Memory Growing Up: Going on trips to Disney with my family. It is still my favourite place to this day. It really is the happiest place on earth.
Position played: Wing
First Year Playing Rugby: 2017
Favourite Coach: Alanna Fittes (Wolf Pack Rugby and Junior Pandas Rugby)
Most influential people in my life: my coaches
Worst rugby memory: Not being able to play in my rugby finals for my last year of rugby with Leduc Composite Highschool due to a severe ankle injury. Not being able to step onto the field and play the game I love was an experience that every player fears.
Favourite Movie: Life of Pi
Favourite Musician (band): The Lumineers
Fvaourite Book: Life of Pi
Career Plans: Receive my Bachelor of Arts majoring in Criminology, from there I want to work with the EPS specializing in the ZEBRA unit, working towards supporting children who have experienced abuse and creating a future where every child is heard.
Rugby Goals in next two years. Continue to play with the University of Alberta’s Pandas Rugby team. Increasing my mental toughness on and off the field while continuing to improve my skills as a wing. This all in hopes to receive a CAP with Canada one day.
Favourite Other hobbies: Photography and Filmmaking
Anwuli Obi-Ossai
Birthplace: Bonny Island, Nigeria
Favourite memory growing up: Going to Disney World
Position played: Hooker and prop
First year playing rugby: 2016
Favourite coach: Leah Conforti
Favourite rugby memory: winning city championships 2 years in a row
Worst rugby memory: Losing 2019 Provincial championship
Favourite movie: Disney’s Tarzan
Favourite musician: Rihanna
Favourite book: Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott
Career Plans: finish my Bsc and apply to medical school to become a orthopedic surgeon
Rugby goals in the next two years: Continue to be a better player and teammate
Favourite other hobbies: Riding my bike and baking
Rebecca Yang
Birthplace: Toronto ONT
Favourite memory growing up:
Position played: Center
First year playing rugby: Grade 9 in 2016
Favourite Coach:
Most influential people in life:
Favourite rugby memory: One of my playoff games in my grade 11 sevens season. We were playing one of our biggest competitors and we were tied 0-0 at halftime. We came back and I scored my first hat trick that half to help my team win 21-0.
Worst rugby memory: Having to play an entire 15’s game after a thunderstorm. The field was flooded and we couldn’t see the rugby ball the whole time.
Favourite movie: Hamilton
Favourite musician: Taylor Swift
Favourite book: The great Gatsby.
Career Plans: To become a pharmaceutical researcher
Rugby goals in next two years: To train and compete with the Uottawa Gee-Gees Team.
Favourite other hobbies: Swimming, Curling,
Samantha-Joline Blum
Birthplace: Edmonton, AB – Currently in Nackawic, NB
Favourite memory growing up: My favorite memory growing up would have to be volunteering with my grandmother at my local Lions Club and helping others with her.
Position played: Hook, Fly-Half
First year playing rugby: 2017
Favourite Coach: Mary-Kim Schriver
Most influential people in life: My uncle, Randall Woodcock who has always pushed me to achieve my goals and supported me.
Favourite rugby memory: My team had won our first game in years, rugby had a period where it did not happen in my high school and I made it my goal to keep the love for rugby going, for my team to finally win after so long felt like one of the proudest moments in my life.
Worst rugby memory: My worst rugby memory would have to be at Rugby Fest in St. John, I had the opportunity to clear the field with the ball and ended up getting tackled by two people at once, this resulted in a concussion and I was removed from the game which was unfortunate.
Favourite movie: My favorite movie is the Grease Musical
Favourite musician: My favorite musician is Morgan Wallen
Favourite book: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Career Plans: I am currently attending St. Thomas University for my Bachelor of Arts, I plan to transfer into a Bachelor of Social Work in my second year. After my degree, I plan to work with youth in the system (young offenders) or children in adoption. I also hope to become a rugby coach even myself and return what my coach has done for me to other youth players.
Rugby goals in the next two years: To be able to resume rugby at a post-secondary level, due to covid my plans have had a shift but I hope to be back on the field soon.
Favourite other hobbies: Hanging out with friends, Volunteering and taking care of my dog, Kera
