Full Schedule of Quality Rugby in May – BC Club Finals, Ontario Tour, Alberta Tour
There’s a full schedule of quality rugby coming up in May starting with the club finals at Bayside next weekend. There are seven division to be contested Ravens v UVic in Men’s Premier, Thunderbirds v Westshore in Women’s Premier, Capilano v Rowers in Men’s Div 1, Kamloops v Capilano in Women’s Div 1, Kamloops v Kelowna in Men’s Div 2, Chilliwack v Kelowna in Women’s Div 2, Burnaby v Rowers in Men’s Div 3.
Next up on the 17th it’s Ontario playing the Island Tide at Wallace, then Ontario move to Klahanie for a match vs BC, and finally the Ontario v BC game at Shawnigan on the 23rd. The BC women’s team hosts Alberta for two matches in Abbotsford on the 29th and 31st.
May 9th – Club Finals @ Bayside
May 17th – VIRU vs Ontario @ UVic Wallace Field
May 20th – BC vs Ontario @ Klahanie
May 23rd – BC vs Ontario @ Shawnigan
May 29th – BC Gold vs Alberta @ Abbotsford
May 31st – BC Blue vs Alberta @ Abbotsford
from BC Rugby
BC Rugby is thrilled to announce the return of the BC Senior Women’s Blue and Gold Teams for an exciting two-match home series against the Alberta Wolfpack this May in Abbotsford.
Replacing the remaining Ruth Hellerud-Brown fixtures, the series will see BC’s top senior women’s athletes take to the field at Rotary Stadium during a showcase week of rugby aligned with the BC High School Rugby Championships in Abbotsford.
The action kicks off on Friday, May 29 (6:30pm PST) as BC Gold faces the Alberta Wolfpack, followed by BC Blue taking on Alberta on Sunday, May 31 (1:00pm PST). Both matches are free to attend and promise fast-paced, physical, high-performance rugby.
Leading into the Alberta series, fans can also catch the BC Blue vs BC Gold intra-squad clash on Saturday, May 23, serving as a curtain-raiser to the BC Bears Senior Men’s Second Test against the Ontario Blues at Shawnigan Lake School.
BC Gold will be led by Head Coach Dean Murten, while BC Blue will be guided by Olly Winser, both focusing on athlete development within the senior women’s pathway.
BC Gold Coach Murten said: “The staff and athletes are eager to participate in two quality games. The first game, the BC Blue vs. Gold match, will provide a valuable opportunity to prepare for the second game against Alberta. Alberta recently concluded its regional competition, necessitating our readiness to face a well-organized and physically capable team. These games will serve as a platform for athletes to demonstrate their talents within the National Senior Women’s Development Pathway.”
BC Blue Coach Winser added: “We are really looking forward to the BC Blue vs. BC Gold game this May and are very excited at the prospect of facing new opposition when we play against Alberta. These games are consistently high-paced, competitive, and a great showcase of the rugby talent in BC. This is a fantastic opportunity for the province’s top athletes to continue to develop and put their hand up to play at the next level.”
All three matches will be livestreamed on the BC Rugby YouTube Channel, ensuring fans across the province can follow the action.
from BC Rugby
BC Rugby is delighted to announce the BC Bears Senior Men’s Coaching Line-Up for the upcoming 2026 Canada Cup Series against the Ontario Blues, with training sessions set to begin on April 20.
Thanks to funding from the Canadian Rugby Foundation, the Bears host the Blues in an exciting two-match Canada Cup Series this May with matches scheduled at Capilano RFC (May 20) and Shawnigan Lake School (May 23). Tickets are available to purchase now – don’t miss out on two epic Tests!
The Blues will also face the Vancouver Island Tide on May 17 as part of their Tour to BC.
The BC Bears Senior Men’s Coaching team is as follows:
Head Coach: Curry Hitchborn (Capilano RFC)
Forwards Coach: Nate Mantle (Bayside Sharks RFC)
Defence Coach/Analysis: Aaron Takel (Capilano RFC)
Assistant Coach: Adam McQueen (UBC Thunderbirds)
Attack/Backs Coach: Phil Mack (James Bay AA)
Technical Director: John Tait (BC Rugby)
Team Manager: Makz Foot (Westshore RFC)
Bears Coaches will be working closely with Vancouver Island Tide Head Coach, Brett Beukeboom, to ensure the strongest teams possible represent both the Tide and BC Bears. John Tait and Phil Mack will support and help facilitate Tide training sessions to ensure both BC programs are working collaboratively to meet the challenge of the Ontario Blues, while Makz Foot will be managing both Tide and Bears teams.
Head Coach Hitchborn said: “I’m very happy with the collaborative efforts amongst the various regions in BC for this. We have set a schedule on the Mainland that allows potential players multiple options to engage and be seen. For our Island-based players, we all agree that there is no substitute for games and we want to see those guys suit up for the Tide.”
MAINLAND TRAINING SESSIONS
Mainland training sessions will take place at 7:00pm PST at Bayside Sharks RFC (South Surrey Athletic Park) on Mondays, beginning April 20, and at 7:00pm PST on Wednesdays at Capilano RFC (Klahanie Park) beginning April 22.
These sessions will run until mid-May and culminate with a two-day Training Camp at Capilano Rugby Club on May 16-17 (10:00am-12:30pm / 1:30pm-3:00pm both days) before the first Test against the Blues.
Training Sessions have been split on the Mainland so athletes can choose which sessions best fit their respective schedules/location.
For the first time since 2023, the BC Bears Senior Men return to action as we host the Ontario Blues for a thrilling best-on-best two-match Series in May. Matches will be hosted at Capilano RFC (North Vancouver) on Wednesday, May 20 and at Shawnigan Lake School (Vancouver Island) on Saturday, May 23.
Admission is $10 for adults, with FREE admission for all Under-19s.
PLEASE NOTE we have limited capacity for the Capilano RFC game – buy your ticket now to secure your spot on what will be a great night!
Below are the following dates and times for the BC Bears games:
BC Bears vs. Ontario Blues Game 1 – Capilano RFC, North Vancouver, May 20 – 6pm PST (TBC)
BC Bears vs. Ontario Blues Game 2 – Shawnigan Lake School, May 23 – 2:00pm PST (TBC)
Why not take advantage of our special Senior Club Finals Ticket Bundle? Buy a ticket for the 2026 BC Rugby Senior Club Finals on May 9 and a ticket to ONE BC Bears Senior Men’s match for just $25 – EIGHT games of Rugby across two events for under $30 is insane value!
from VIRU
