The profiles of the 2020 Inductees are highlighted below in the Rugby Canada media release but we’ll add some notes on those we’ve had the pleasure to meet and sometimes work alongside as part of the BC rugby community.
from Canadian Rugby Foundation
The Board of the Canadian Rugby Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Chan to the role of Foundation Executive Director. Jeff replaces Clay Panga who will continue to assist with the development of the Canada U 20 program and head up the new British Columbia Grassroots Rugby Foundation that is looking to grow the game amongst young children throughout British Columbia.
Jamie Cudmore and James Haskell are at the head of a new lobby group called Progressive Rugby according to this article in the Guardian.
We had a chance to catch up with Canada 7s player Lucas Hammond and talk about his new real estate career while he continues his rugby career with the national 7s team on the road to the Olympics.
An interesting development in the Victoria sports scene. Starlight Investments, out of Toronto, will pay $500K over 5 years to get naming rights to Westhills Stadium. Langford gets 15% of that but the article in the Times Colonist doesn’t specify where the other 85% goes. The article goes onto explain that the deal is big, “for Langford and for Pacific FC”. We’re assuming the bulk of the money is a Pacific FC sponsorship. We’ve reached out to Rugby Canada to see if they benefit at all from the renaming, they are mentioned in the article as one of the main tenants of the stadium along with Pacific FC and the Westshore Rebels football team.
[ed. glad to hear the damage was minimal. Rugby clubs across Canada will be hoping for a spring start to rugby. ]
from Edmonton Clansmen Rugby Club
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clanrugbyyeg/
Hello Clansmen. For those that are not already aware, the clubhouse experienced a fire in the basement early this morning. The damage is not extensive and is mostly isolated to the men’s change room. Fire investigators have handed off the building to us and we are now awaiting a visit from the insurance investigator which will take place this afternoon.
This is a story worth following, it seems incredible that the JRFU would continue with the match with a full crowd when the government has called a State of Emergency starting Friday. The match is scheduled to kickoff Monday, January 11th, which is a holiday in Japan.
Up to 17,000 may attend national university rugby final next week – from Japan Times
The Rugby Community in Canada is fairly close knit so it didn’t take long for the sad news to percolate throughout the community. Only 27, Jake passed away suddenly on December 7th, according to his home club in Lindsay, Ontario.
from Karl Fix
NICARAGUA NEEDS A HELPING HAND AFTER 2 DEVASTATING HURRICANES
We kicked it off with a $1,000 to the Howlers Rugby Club initiated GOFUNDME page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/74ah3-nicaragua-hurricane-relief ). Now lets show why we say that rugby is more then a game its a way of life!! Please send to all your friends!!
Bryan Kelly, the former Rugby Canada media person and now the Communication Manager for the region, Rugby Americas North, could barely contain his excitement. He tweeted out:
“Incredible #ThanksgivingSunday today playing in what could be the first full 15s game in Canada (TBC) since Covid-19 & my first match for @TarsRFC. Well done everyone on making it happen”