A Tale of Two Committees: Canada’s Women’s Rugby Triumph and Men’s Decline
I analyzed the July rankings for Canadian men and women XVs programs from 2004 to 2025. It tells a tale of two programs.
Category Archives: Editorials
Questions from Readers
Question from Reader: What Happened to Provincial/Regional Teams and Competition
The exact question from the reader, in the comments section, was: I remember being young and reading about rugby matches between BC Bears and Ontario Blues and Atlantic Rock. I think there was a team in the Prairies too. Do these teams still exist? What happened to them? Weren’t they supposed to be the step below the national team; a feeder for the national team?
Rugby Models Around the World – Argentina
A Look at Argentine Rugby Through Telegraph Interview with Les Cusworth: What’s the Canadian Perspective
I came across this article through Karl Fix who is planning on taking a U19 team down to Argentina in 2026 and his contact there is Les Cusworth. From a Canadian perspective we’re always looking for lessons that can be learned and applied to make our rugby better, specifically our men’s XVs program, which has hit a low patch. So what is Argentina doing right and what might be relevant in a BC and Canadian context? As a side note I’ll have an opportunity to have a chat with Les Cusworth, so if readers have additional questions they would like me to ask, mention them in the comments or email editor@bcrugbynews.com
From the Editor’s Desk – June 2025
Tyler Duguid Selected for France XV; Liam Poulton Top Canadian Try Scorer in RPL India; MLR Semis Include 15 Canadian Players
A couple of stories from across the world involving Canadian rugby players. Tyler Duguid who plays for Montpellier in the Top 14 has been selected for the France XV vs England XV. It’s unclear whether this is the official France “A” team which would capture Tyler for France and eliminate him from potential Canada selection down the road or if this is just a France XV which doesn’t officially capture him for France. Either way the chances of him playing for Canada now seem very slim. The match will be streamed on rugbypass.tv on Saturday.
From the Editor’s Desk – June 2025
Bayside Looking for Senior Men’s Head Coach, Rugby Premier League of India Kicks Off June 15th with 9 Canadians in Rosters
A couple of news stories today, maybe more to add later today. Bayside are looking for a men’s head coach for next season, starting in August. See the ad below, their Insta is @Bayside_RFC
Players in the News
Tyson Beukeboom Writes “Canada Column” for World Rugby’s RugbyPass Online Portal
I saw Tyson Beukeboom had written an article a couple of days ago for the World Rugby online portal, RugbyPass. It’s a quiet Monday rugby-wise, I had just returned to the office from a weekend visiting my daughter and grand-daughters so this seemed like a good way to start the week.
Community Rugby Updates – March 2025
Community Rugby Updates: Thunder Indigenous Rugby Celebration Recognizes Pacific Pride as Coastal Cup Winners, Phil Mack Indigenous Player of the Year Award, Thunder Youth Touring to NZ; BC Youth Groups Touring Over Spring Break
Thunder Rugby was a program started in 2013 to promote the sport of rugby to Indigenous youth, to give youth the opportunity to experience west coast Indigenous culture and to experience rugby and Indigenous culture world wide through rugby tours.
From the Editor’s Desk – March 2025
Comox Valley U18 Girls in Scotland, Canada U20 Women’s 7s in Paraguay in August, Canada Women Start Pacific Four in Kansas City in May, Howlers U18 Boys Tour Germany in June/July, BC Club Finals in Abbotsford on May 3rd
Comox Rapids U18 Girls in Scotland
The Comox Valley U18 girls team, the Rapids, are currently touring northern England and Scotland and doing quite well. They defeated Northern RFC, based in Newcastle, 24-22 in their first match. They then defeated Borders 59-5 in Melrose, Scotland and are finishing their tour up in Edinburgh. You can follow their tour on their Instagram account.
Editorial: A Conversation with Ai on the BC Premier
Down the Rabbit Hole: A Conversation with Ai on BC Premier Rugby and What a Semi-Pro League Would Look Like
I started this article after the first weekend of BC Premier cancellations/postponements on Feb 1st. The match at Klahanie was cancelled due to field closures and the West Vancouver Parks & Recreation website had a terse warning, “Please note that fields damaged by play when they should not be used (as described below) may result in closure of that field for the season and potentially a fine to the league.” I had always thought the Capilano RFC owned that facility, including the field, but obviously not, it’s under the jurisdiction of West Vancouver Parks & Recreation.
From the Editor’s Desk – February 2025
BC Rugby Policies Regarding Weather and Match Cancellations; Canada U20 Women Tour to Ireland in May; Broadcast Announcements by MLR on ESPN and Rugby Canada on TSN
A few rugby mentions on this chilly Thursday on the west coast. Locally there have been a number of game cancellations for this weekend with chilly weather predicted. Most of the pitches are owned by the municipality and largely those decisions are made by the parks & recreation departments with consultation with the rugby clubs. All the Mainland Premier games have been cancelled at the time of writing, the Ravens at Jericho Park, and the Lomas at Connaught Park are cancelled. On the Island UBC @ CW at Windsor Park has been cancelled. The Pride v Westshore game on the turf at Starlight Stadium is still showing a go at the time of writing, as is the JBAA v UVic game at Wallace Field.