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.
The Canadian women’s U20 team tour to Ireland in May has been announced (posted below). There’s still no mention of what the men’s U20 program will be doing this year. The JWRT has been cancelled this year, the USA U20 team are touring to South Africa, so it’s wait and see what the Canadian men’s U20 program will be doing.
The MLR announced that ESPN will be covering the MLR competition this year and that TRN (therugbynetwork.com) will be showing the games after 72 hours. That apparently only applies to USA. Canadian viewers will still be able to watch the games live on the website, we’ll see happens next weekend.
Rugby Canada also announced TSN will be covering national team rugby games including the 7s. Mixed feelings about that, it’s unlikely any money is going back into rugby in the deal and now rugby games are behind a paywall, you need a TSN subscription to watch. On the positives, it will mean more viewers as TSN have a base of paid subscribers who watch mainstream north american sports. If you have a VPN you’ll likely be able to watch free through rugbypass.tv
Media announcements are posted below.
BC Rugby Policies Regarding Weather and Match Cancellations (from BCRU)
Freezing temperatures and snow are forecasted to continue across BC in the coming weeks. Please review BC Rugby policies surrounding match cancellations and making up missed games.
Dear Clubs,
With the majority of the province under a blanket of snow, it may be necessary to cancel or move some matches in the coming weeks. Please have your coaches and managers refresh themselves on the Senior Rules of Competition especially around Cancellations, Scheduling and Providing Notice.
Each club is responsible for finding an alternative location to be played and communicating this with their opposition as soon as possible. Full rules can be found here.
We understand that the decision to cancel matches can be difficult and there are some matches that may be able able to go ahead as some clubs have access to their own fields or artificial surfaces. Because of this, BC Rugby is leaving it to each club’s discretion on whether a game will be played or not.
Please remember all artificial turf must be World Rugby approved. If you are unsure, please reach out to us, as staff will know if the surface is approved or not.
Make-Up Match Dates
The next official make-up match date for Senior matches is April 5. In light of ongoing cancellations due to the snow and frozen fields, February 15 may be used as an additional make-up game date, if agreed to by both clubs.
If you have questions or require assistance with your matches, please contact:
Aimee Burley (ABurley@bcrugby.com)
Chris Assmus (cassmus@bcrugby.com)
Relevant BC Rugby Rules of Competition:
5.1 Endeavour to Play
Clubs and Teams alike are expected to make all efforts to play each of their scheduled Matches. In the circumstances outlined below, Clubs must cancel, concede, or default Teams from the lowest Division upwards unless approved in writing by BC Rugby.
b) Cancellations – the following circumstances may result in the cancellation of a Match and failure to reschedule and play this Match is without penalty:
i. Weather Conditions – where weather conditions jeopardize Player safety or make playing a Match impossible or near impossible.
ii. Field Closures – home and alternative fields are closed within 24hrs of the scheduled kick-off time of the first scheduled Match. A Match will not be considered a cancellation if the opponent’s home or alternative field is open and within 100km of the scheduled venue unless cross-strait travel is involved.
iii. Travel – circumstances beyond control lead to travel being impossible or have delayed arrival beyond 45mins after the scheduled kick-off time.
iv. Municipal, Provincial Government and Health Authority Guidelines – should any municipal, provincial or other government bodies recommend or require a match not to take place, or health authorities recommend or require a match not to take place.
v. Other – any other reasonably unforeseen, uncontrollable circumstance.
5.2 Schedule or Venue Changes
b) Right of the Home Club – the Home Club has the right to relocate a Match to an approved alternative field if its home field is closed assuming it meets the facility requirements by 9am Friday before the match. The Home Club may use the home field of any other Club, with that Club’s permission, as its alternative field.
d) Schedule of Make-Up Matches – unless otherwise approved by the Committee, make-up Matches shall be Played in the order in which they were cancelled, that is, the first Match cancelled shall be the first Match to be Played on the make-up date.
e) Closure of Neutral Field – if a Match is scheduled at a neutral field and that field is closed, then it is the responsibility of the listed home Team to attempt to find an alternative neutral field. If an alternative neutral field is unable to be confirmed by 9am Friday, then the Match will not be Played and rescheduled as available. Clubs involved in neutral site Matches will not be required to travel to home or opposing Clubs’ fields unless agreement is reached. Where the neutral site sought requires travel time exceeding three hours by both Clubs, the BC Rugby Office will assist, if required, in finding and securing a neutral field.
f) Availability of Opponent’s Home Field – if the home Club fails to nominate a playable field by 9am Friday and the opponent’s home field is open and within 100km of the scheduled venue, then the Match is automatically switched to the opponent’s home field. The home Club may apply to the Competitions & Events Committee under Section 7.5 (d) to have any future away Match between the two Clubs switched to rebalance the share of home Matches.
g) Providing Notice – the home Club should communicate potential issues with their opponent in advance (prior to 12pm on Thursday), and receive acknowledgement, of all changes, or potential changes, from the opponent, BC Rugby Office and the relevant Referee Allocator. Final details of the agreed changes must be confirmed to BC Rugby offices no later than 9am Friday prior to the scheduled Match. Failure to notify the opposition, the relevant Referee Allocator and BC Rugby of any field closure or venue change or Match abandonment may result in sanctions pursuant to Section 7.
Canada’s U20 Women’s Rugby Team will play two games against Ireland in Dublin this spring.
Departing for Ireland in early May, Canada’s U20 women’s squad will play the Irish U20 women’s team on May 10 and May 17 at the IRFU High Performance Centre. This will mark the first time that Canada has played Ireland in U20 women’s competition, with Ireland having launched their program in 2023.
“Last summer’s U20 women’s tour to Wales was a valuable experience for our next generation of rugby players in Canada, and we look to build upon that this year in Ireland,” said Dean Murten, Head Coach of Canada’s U20 Women’s Rugby Team.
“With these two matches, our aim is to present players with an elite competition experience that demonstrates what it takes to represent Canada at the highest levels while also supporting players in their ongoing training and development. It is an exciting year for Canadian women’s rugby, and we look forward to continuing to build up the future of our sport.”
The travelling Canadian squad, kick-off times, and information on how to support and follow the team will be announced in the coming weeks.
Canada’s U18 Women’s Rugby Program Update
This year’s U18 women’s programming will see coaches Jenn Russell (U18 women’s east) and Chelsea Ross (U18 women’s west) visit the provinces to assist with talent identification and development work.
This is in place of east and west camps with the purpose of supporting the provinces in their preparation for and participation in the 2025 Canada Summer Games.
In doing this, Russell and Ross will have a unique opportunity to see and work with an increased number of players as they bring their coaching input to the provinces and support the positive work already underway by the PSOs.
The east and west U18 women’s development camps will return in 2026. Further details regarding 2025 will be released through the PSO communication network.
ESPN and Major League Rugby (MLR) have reached a multiyear media rights agreement, bringing the highest level of professional rugby in the United States to ESPN platforms. Live coverage begins on Saturday, Feb. 15 as the 2025 season kicks off with five matches (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
Under the agreement, all regular season and playoff games will stream live on ESPN+, with a select number of matches presented on ESPN2. Additionally, fans can stream replays of each match, highlights and rugby content on The Rugby Network, following a 72-hour delay. As part of the agreement, Major League Rugby will be available across Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Major League Rugby has built a strong foundation as the premier professional rugby league in North America, and we’re thrilled to be part of its next phase of growth,” said Tim Bunnell, ESPN SVP of Programming and Acquisitions. “As MLR continues to establish itself on the North American sports landscape, we look forward to bringing the league’s dynamic competition to an even wider audience.”
“During our 2024 campaign we grew our viewership by more than 25 percent year over year. We are hyperfocused on increasing our audience and introducing rugby to more American sports fans every year. This relationship with ESPN will give us an opportunity to supercharge that growth,” said Nic Benson, Major League Rugby Commissioner. “Given the depth of talent across the league, I’m confident we’re headed toward our most exciting season yet. This strategic agreement will enable more of our fans to tune-in for some best-in-class rugby action.”
The road to the 2025 MLR Championship officially begins over President’s Day weekend, featuring 18 weeks of intense regular season action, followed by two weeks of playoffs, all leading to the MLR Championship on June 28, where the league’s best will battle for the coveted MLR Shield. This season, 11 teams from across the country will compete for the title, including Anthem RC, Chicago Hounds, Houston SaberCats, Miami Sharks, New England Free Jacks, NOLA Gold, Old Glory DC, Rugby LA, San Diego Legion, Seattle Seawolves, and Utah Warriors.
The league’s new media rights agreement substantially increases the league’s visibility and enhances its reach. This move follows a 2024 season marked by growth in media coverage, ticket sales and social media engagement, including the 2024 MLR Championship, which featured a record crowd of more than 12,000 as the New England Free Jacks captured their second straight title with a victory over the Seattle Seawolves.
“We are tremendously excited to work with ESPN on behalf of Major League Rugby,” William Mao, Octagon’s SVP Media Rights Consulting said. “Already the most-watched professional rugby league in the United States, MLR is the primary vehicle pushing the sport forward in our market. And now with a presence across ESPN platforms, the league will be even better positioned to fuel rugby fandom in the U.S. ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup.”
A long-term agreement between Rugby Canada and Bell Media’s TSN will see increased coverage in 2025 and beyond for rugby fans in Canada.
Building on last year’s coverage on TSN and TSN+ of the HSBC SVNS series and international women’s and men’s test match rugby, Rugby Canada today announced TSN as its Canadian broadcast partner through to 2029.
This year’s rugby coverage started in January on TSN+ with HSBC SVNS Perth. The action now ramps up on Canada’s west coast for the iconic HSBC SVNS Vancouver, which celebrates its 10th year at BC Place over February 21 to 23. There will be complete tournament coverage on TSN+ and more than 13 hours of live, linear television broadcast as Canada’s sevens teams return to home soil for the country’s only stop on the HSBC SVNS series.
The HSBC SVNS series will conclude in the spring with tournaments in Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles. For full television schedules, please visit the TSN website.
Coverage of the Pacific Four Series and other international test matches for the number two world ranked Canadian Women’s Rugby Team will be available on TSN, as preparation continues for the Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.
Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team will also return to TSN in July, with summer test matches to be announced. These will lead into the Pacific Nations Cup in August, also on TSN, where Canada will open the tournament versus the USA in a match that will double as a first qualifier for Rugby World Cup 2027.
“We are grateful that TSN, Canada’s sports leader, has chosen to partner with Rugby Canada to provide a home for rugby, where Canadian rugby fans can follow all the action and cheer on our teams as they compete on the global stage,” said Rugby Canada CEO Nathan Bombrys. “With TSN as a partner, we believe sports fans across Canada will be inspired by the stories of the outstanding young Canadian men and women who dedicate themselves to representing our country at the highest level.”
“Our Canadian international rugby teams continue to inspire fans nationwide, with the women’s team ranked #2 in the world, and the men’s team beginning their qualifying campaign for the Rugby World Cup,” said David Bross, Executive Director, Sports Programming, Legal and Business Affairs, TSN. “As the official broadcast partner of Rugby Canada, Canadian fans can turn to TSN and TSN+ for comprehensive live coverage as we showcase our teams in the lead-up to World Cup tournaments in both 2025 and 2027.”
I have stated this before but a lot of rugby games (union or league) are available for free at strikeout.nu
This is how you can bypass the TSN+
All Premier games must go ahead as scheduled. On the island, games should be played at Starlight Stadium with earlier kickoffs for island v island and later for mainland teams travelling. On the mainland games at UBC or the other multiple available fields that are rugby friendly with the same accommodations made for travelling island teams.