Howard and Marina with the first winner of their Award, Antonio Corbin
The Marina and Howard Gerwing Award Fund is intended to provide funding from its endowment for awards to be used for the assistance and growth of junior rugby in the Cowichan Valley and Gulf Islands.
Cowichan Valley rugby players. Cowichan Valley, outside of Victoria and Vancouver has probably produced as many National Team players at various age levels as anywhere in Canada. Supporting Cowichan Valley rugby student-athletes will further the broad objectives and purposes of Rugby Canada and the Canadian Rugby Foundation to develop and grow rugby across Canada, while meeting all CRA requirements.
Howard and Marina Gerwing and a matching donor pledged $10,000 to create a fund for awards for Cowichan Valley and Gulf Island rugby players. Cowichan Valley, outside of Victoria and Vancouver has probably produced as many National Team players at various age levels as anywhere in Canada
The late Howard Gerwing (May 24, 1932 – August 15, 2019) was the first coach of the University of Victoria Vikings and led them on three historic tours playing the national team of Yugoslavia in 1978 amongst other historic encounters. Howard is also a bibliophile and built up the Special Collections section of the UVIC library to be a well known national scholastic resource. Howard with scant resources was the joint founder of the first UVIC scholarship fund “the Brian Williams” scholarship fund in memory of one of those wayward and talented players who sadly took his own life in 1987. Bio
The late Marina Gerwing (Feb. 26, 1939 – May 7, 2017) was in charge of domestic matters, and the family residence on Palmer Road served for many years as the UVIC clubhouse and home for itinerant and wayward rugby players. Bio