There are three categories of award funds, some of which are managed by the Canadian Rugby Foundation, some of which are funds within the Foundation that are managed by the Fund Sponsors, and lastly, some of which are managed by non-Foundation organizations without a corresponding Foundation fund.
- Foundation Awards are managed and presented by the Canadian Rugby Foundation. Application Checklist is here. Application Form is here. Click on the specific award for details on award dates and eligibility.
- Awards are presented by various Foundation Award Funds. Information on each is below.
- Other Awards and Scholarships are presented by non-Foundation organizations and listed below as a resource for interested students.
Award payments may be made as:
- Direct payment to the student; or
- Payment through the University
In both cases, the same form, Grant Request Form 1 is used, and the payment is treated as taxable income. The Grant Request is initially sent to Jamie Levchuk at Rugby Canada (crfgrants@rugby.ca) with a cc to Jeff Chan (jeffchan@canadianrugbyfoundation.ca). All payments are by EFT as neither the Foundation nor Rugby Canada uses cheques anymore. The Grant Request Manual describes the entire payment process for all Foundation payments, including awards, but the awards have a few wrinkles as follow:
- The Grant Request form must include the information on the student, including full name, SIN, mailing address, email address, and bank information (either the required info on the form or an image of a void cheque). The payment will be made from Rugby Canada, our qualified donee, who will provide the T-4A.
- The Foundation makes the payment to the University towards the student's Athletic Financial Award (AFA) fund or, if not a U SPORTS member institution, the student's tuition account. The Grant Request must include not only the student's full name, but their SIN, Student ID number, mailing address and email address, as well as the email address at the university where the award payment should go, and the name and email address of the University contact person to ensure the payment goes astray. The T-4A is issued by the University.
Please check the individual award page as the deadline and address for applications varies.
Student Awards & Scholarships
The Foundation is proud to support the next generation of Canadian rugby players through a growing portfolio of student awards and scholarships. These funds are designed for student-athletes who are actively involved in the game — recognizing not just performance on the field, but academic achievement, community contribution, and the spirit of rugby both on and off the pitch. The directory below brings together all student-focused funding opportunities in one place making it easy to explore, download, and share with parents, coaches, teachers, and teammates.
Whether you play club rugby, university rugby, or are just beginning your journey in the game, we encourage you to download the directory and discover the awards available to you.
[Directory *Pending*]
For a full listing of all Foundation and Award Funds — including those open to players, coaches, officials, and volunteers beyond the student level — please see the complete list of Award Funds below.
1. FOUNDATION AWARD FUNDS (Managed by and presented through the Canadian Rugby Foundation)
- Courtenay Taaffe Award Fund
- George Jones Award Fund
- Thomas Family Award Fund
- Quinn Lauridsen Memorial Award Fund
- Lt. Colonel W.D.C. Holmes University Awards (For the Love of the Game Fund)
Note:
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- Application Checklist is here.
- Application Form is here.
- You must be a Canadian Citizen or Canadian permanent resident to apply
- Nominations for the Lt. Col. W.D.C. Holmes University Awards are made by the 16 participating coaches in November at the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship and the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship. Please send nominations to jeffachan@gmail.com one week prior to the start of each tournament.
2. AWARD FUNDS (Managed and awarded by Foundation Award Funds - Click below)
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- Colette McAuley NSWT Award Fund
- C.O.R.E. (Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts)
- Cowichan RFC Larry Thibodeau Memorial Award Fund
- Dave Huang Memorial Award Fund
- David Burnett Memorial Award Fund
- David Robinson Memorial Award Fund
- Dennis Crawford Memorial Award Fund
- Don Ennis Rugby Fund
- Don Whidden Memorial Award Fund
- Doug Tate University Coach of the Year Award Fund
- Gerald McGavin Coaching Award (BC Rugby Union)
- Guelph Gryphons Women’s Rugby Award Fund
- Jack Patrick & Nick Mathers & Tillman Briggs Family Awards Fund
- John Cannon Memorial Award Fund
- John Jones Memorial Award
- Judy Seddon Memorial Award
- Kevin ‘Lunk’ Wirachowski Award Fund
- Liam Geddes Memorial Award Fund
- Marina and Howard Gerwing Award
- Paul ‘Koby’ Kobayashi Memorial Award Fund
- Rick Bourne Rugby Award Fund
- Steven Batie Memorial Award Fund
- Stampede 7s Award Fund
3. OTHER AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (Presented by non-Foundation organizations. More to be added)) :
- Dog River Howlers First Nations Award (University of Victoria)
- Davine D. Burton Law School Award for Rugby - apply directly to UVic Law School. Details on UVIC Law School website.
- Keith Morrison Memorial - Vancouver Island Rugby Referees Society’s Award
- Peter Scouras Memorial Scholarship (Rugby Manitoba)
MAKING A DONATION TO SUSTAIN AN AWARD
Generally you will be able to make donations to the individual funds through forms found beneath their fund donation page. If you are using a VPN, this may not allow that form to work. If a link isn't working, try pausing your VPN, and if that doesn't work, you can make your donation directly to your selected Fund at CanadaHelps.org here.