Rugby Canada Updates – January 2022

Rugby Canada Select London Based Executive Search Firm to Find Next CEO

[editor’s comments below]

Rugby Canada have announced their search for a new CEO to replace Allen Vansen who ends his term at the end of January. They’ve hired SRI a company based out of London who also boasts World Rugby as one of their clients. Already the result is sounding predictable. There’s the worry they’ll “find” a Nigel Melville type of CEO who knows rugby in his home nation and thinks he/she knows about Canadian rugby, but in reality doesn’t have a clue. Just ask our neighbours to the south how the Nigel Melville years went (2007 – 2016), big plans, big deals, eventually bankruptcy.

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Job Postings – January 2022

Rugby Canada Post Two Jobs: Communications Manager and Marketing Co-Ordinator – Closing Date January 14th

Rugby Canada have two job postings open, one for a Communications Manager and the other for a Marketing Co-Ordinator. The Communications job is Langford based and the Marketing one Vancouver based, although both state remote work as an option.

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Rugby Canada Updates – November 2021

Vansen to Resign as CEO in January 2022 – Rugby Canada Launches Search for New CEO

from Rugby Canada

November 23, 2021 (Langford, BC) – The Rugby Canada Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer Allen Vansen announced today that they have agreed to begin the transition of leadership at the organization.

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Rugby Canada Updates – October 2021

Canada Men’s XVs Program Fail to Qualify for World Cup: The Fallout

Canada have been to every World Cup since it was organized in 1987, that’s 9 in total. They won’t make it to #10. There’s a lot of soul searching going on in the rugby community. Here are some of the on point reactions.

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World Rugby 7s Series – 2021

Canada to Open 2021 7s Series with Stops in Vancouver and Edmonton in September

from Rugby Canada

Rugby Canada is thrilled to confirm a unique opportunity for Canadian 7s fans with Canada being awarded the opportunity to host two HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series events in September. On-going work continues with governments, stakeholders and partners to receive final COVID -19 safety protocol approvals to ensure the safety of participants and attendees. These tournaments, if able to move forward, would mark the first Sevens Series events on Canadian soil since the HSBC Canada Sevens in Vancouver in March, 2020.

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Rugby Canada AGM 2020

Sally Dennis Becomes First Woman to Chair the Rugby Canada Board: Rugby Canada 2020 Financial Statements

The 2016-2021 years might be referred to as the Newfoundland era of Canadian Rugby in future generations. It was marked by the three most influential positions in Canadian rugby being held by Newfoundlanders, a remarkable accomplishment considering the province represents less than 2% of the national population. Dr Pat Parfrey, is the Canadian representative on the World Rugby Council, Allen Vansen is the CEO and Tim Powers was the Chair of the Board. Dr. Parfrey has been a driving force in Canadian rugby for years and was the leader of the “agents of change” who took control of the Rugby Canada Board in 2001. Both Powers and Vansen took on their role in 2016. Tim Powers is Chairman of a public affairs consulting firm, Summa Strategies and Allen Vansen is a former ski coach and golf resort Managing Director who held operational management positions for both the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2015 PanAm Games.

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Editorial – April 2021

Women’s 7s Team Issue Statement on Their Formal Complaint Under Rugby Canada’s 2013 Harassment and Bullying Policy

The women released their statement as three graphics on social media. The three items are listed below, we’ll go through the six paragraphs of the letter and add our comments on each one.

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Editorial – April 2021

What’s the Latest on the John Tait Situation with Rugby Canada and the Women’s 7s Team

Back on February 5th Rugby Canada dropped a bombshell on the rugby community with the announcement that they were putting in a “temporary” coaching team for the women’s 7s program pending an investigation. The temporary coach would be Sandro Fiorino, the women’s XVs coach, and the Olympic coach would be Australian Mick Byrne. The press release was vague and left current coach, John Tait, twisting in the wind. Although the press release didn’t mention him by name, the question in everyone’s mind was why was John Tait being relieved of the coaching position. The original article (with reader comments) can be viewed here: https://bcrugbynews.com/show_news.cfm?ID=3633

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Rugby Canada Maple Leaf Academy

Maple Leaf Academy Application Process Open Until April 7th – Available to Female Athletes 18 to 22

from Rugby Canada

The Rugby Canada Maple Leaf Academy serves to facilitate the Development of future Olympians and National Team Athletes. Aspiring female athletes from across the country are recruited through various talent identification pathways, coming together to train full time in Rugby Canada’s high-performance environment at the Al Charron National Training Centre in Langford, BC.

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