BCRU Offers Invitation to “Develop Your Game in BC” this Winter, RC Starts “Task Force” on University Rugby
There were a couple of media releases last week that caught my eye, the first was the BCRU official invitation to players from across Canada to come west to play in the BC leagues this winter. I like it, it’s a no brainer for me. When we had national team coaches who were immersed in Canadian rugby, it was a given, they recognized it was the only place in Canada to play rugby in the winter. They would encourage players to move west. Now that we have coaches on the men’s side that have no background in Canadian rugby, the BCRU have to state the obvious. The last Canadian coach of the men’s program was Ric Suggitt in 2008, it’s crazy, 17 years since we’ve had a Canadian at the helm of the men’s program. The BCRU media release is posted below, hopefully we’ll see some results. A lot will depend on what happens with the MLR and where players who don’t pick up contracts will go. The national team coach will have an impact based on the message he’s sending to players.
The other news item is from Rugby Canada, it’s the University Rugby Task Force. When in doubt about what to do, but you want to look like you’re doing something, create a committee. The purpose of the committee, “to strengthen university rugby as a key part of Canada’s high-performance pathway”. By the way, Task Force sounds so much better than temporary committee. I think Rugby Canada are asking the wrong questions here, when 21 of the 23 Canadian players in the World Cup final between #1 England and #2 Canada, are through the U SPORTS pathway, you have a very well functioning pathway. The question on the women’s side might be, why are only 2 out of the 23 coming through a non-university pathway.
The men’s issue is completely different, rugby is not a sanctioned U SPORTS sport for men, that’s the problem. Football takes all the athlete spots in U SPORTS equity model and men’s rugby is left out in the cold. The Canadian Rugby Foundation funded a CUMRC to privately fund a men’s championship but it has nowhere near the same resources and influence as U SPORTS. Just take a look at the number of university athletes coming out of Quebec and moving on to the national team as an example. Quebec universities have a powerful influence on the women’s side, very little on the men’s side. ETS in Montreal won the men’s university championship last year but how many of the players are Canada eligible, there are no import limits imposed by CUMRC, as a matter of fact they don’t even collect that data!
So one committee, one task force, but two separate and distinct issues. I think on the men’s side there needs to be bridges built between rugby and football. Does anyone collect stats on the number of schools running co-operative rugby/football programs, athletes who play both sports in high school? Is it possible to build co-operation initiatives starting in high school and moving up to university? I think Karl Fix had a good grasp on this situation and he was well connected to the Saskatchewan Roughriders ownership. I noticed Piper Logan recently doing some work with NFL Canada, good work Piper. This is where we should be building bridges, it works both ways. You can take a look at her Instagram profile here.
So those are my thoughts over Sunday coffee, the BCRU and RC media releases are posted below.
21 current and former U SPORTS athletes will be on the field Saturday wearing the Maple Leaf as Canada takes on England in the final of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. 14 of the 15 Team Canada starters hail from U SPORTS, as do seven of the eight “finishers” for tomorrow’s contest.
In support of the National Pathway to Canada’s Senior Men’s and Women’s XVs Programs, BC Rugby and its partners are extending an open invitation to all Canadian-qualified rugby players seeking to develop their game to train and compete in British Columbia’s Fall and Winter leagues.
BC’s mild winter climate means rugby can be played throughout the Fall and Winter months. This provides consistent, meaningful competition and development opportunities that are vital for aspiring Canadian internationals, and also aligns with the off-season in Canada’s other provinces.
BC’s Men’s and Women’s Premier League Clubs are prepared to welcome and support pathway athletes interested in coming west to train and play throughout these months.
BC Rugby encourages all out-of-province athletes to compete in their home regions & competitions: this offer of support is to supplement their development during their off-season which coincides with BC’s Fall and Winter Season.
With the recent reduction in Major League Rugby (MLR) teams and signals that fewer Canadian players will feature in those competitions, it is now more critical than ever for Canadian athletes to access high-level domestic competition.
“I made the move, along with many other future Canadian internationals, to the inaugural Pride program back in the 1996–97 season,” said John Tait, former Men’s and Women’s National Team Coach, Ontario native, and now Technical Director of BC Rugby. “I realized then that training on my own through the winter in Ontario wouldn’t get me where I wanted to be – an international and professional player. Even then, as a Tier Two nation ranked 12th in the world, our domestic competition couldn’t match those with professional leagues. A new approach was needed, and it worked. We developed a generation of well-prepared athletes who went on to represent Canada with distinction and earn professional contracts abroad, helping us compete with the top teams in the world.”
That same model of centralised, high-quality training and competition is needed again. Many senior athletes currently lack access to elite daily training and game environments; opportunities now available through only a handful of universities and the Pacific Pride program. To close the performance gap with professional nations, Canadian players need sustained, challenging competition throughout the year.
With the Pride serving as Rugby Canada’s only academy program, housing many of the top U20 and senior athletes on the national depth chart, those aspiring to represent Canada should be competing alongside and against these athletes.
BC Rugby and its Member Clubs are eager to partner with organizations and Clubs across Canada to:
- Arrange interprovincial tours and exchanges
- Host visiting Clubs and Teams
- Encourage ambitious players to come west and test themselves in BC’s top leagues
Players, coaches, and clubs interested in taking advantage of this opportunity to train and compete in BC are encouraged to contact jtait@bcrugby.com or reach out directly to one of BC Rugby’s Member Clubs for more information.
Rugby Canada University Committee
Rugby Canada is proud to launch the University Rugby Task Force, a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen university rugby as a key part of Canada’s high-performance pathway and elevate the sport’s presence on campuses nationwide, and grow rugby into one of the leading sports within universities across the country.
In partnership with U SPORTS, the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC), university programs, and provincial unions, the Task Force will build on existing efforts while identifying new opportunities to grow the game and enhance alignment across all levels.
The success of Canada’s silver-medal performance at the Rugby World Cup in England, led by Head Coach Kevin Rouet (Laval University) and featuring 29 of 32 players from U SPORTS programs, underscores the growing importance of strengthening ties with university rugby to advance collaboration and sustain world-class performance in the years ahead.
The Task Force includes Meaghan Howat (Program Director, National Training Centres), Gareth Rees (Director, Strategic Partnerships), and Ashley Lewis (Managing Director, NSO Services) from Rugby Canada, along with Maria Samson (Chair, CUMRC) and James Webb (student-athlete, Queen’s University). Serving as a conduit for collaboration, the Task Force provides a structured channel for feedback and coordination rather than representation. Its focus is to identify shared priorities, align resources, and build stronger connections that benefit all levels of the game supporting domestic growth, elevating university rugby, and advancing player development.
“U SPORTS has long been a leader in Rugby Canada’s development pathway,” said Matthew Davies, U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer. “With 10 U SPORTS athletes on Canada’s Olympic silver medal team and 29 players plus coaches at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, this collaboration is essential to building the best possible system for rugby in Canada.”
“University rugby has always been a catalyst for developing elite players and coaches,” added Maria Samson, Chair of the CUMRC. “This Task Force unites our collective strengths to help university rugby thrive and inspire the next generation of student-athletes.”
The Task Force began with stakeholder engagement and a further understanding of the university rugby environment, including meetings at key test matches in Ottawa and Calgary as well as discussions with university athletic directors, to map the university rugby landscape and identify shared priorities such as player retention and coach and official development.
Additional commitments include:
• Working with university rugby programs and athletic departments to create meaningful engagement opportunities such:
– Coaching mentorship program
– University-specific technical package
– Engagement in Head Coach hiring for technical support
– Coaching Summit with a target of university coaches
– Coaching and match official pathways to engage university players
– Engagement of Athletic Directors around key domestic test matches
• Supporting high-performance alignment for players, coaches, and officials
• Actively recognizing U SPORTS and the CUMRC program affiliation for athletes at pinnacle events, collaborating with U SPORTS and CUMRC to grow their brands
• Strengthening relationships with provincial unions, regional conferences, and university alumni to enhance domestic rugby infrastructure
Many Canadian universities have long been incubators of elite rugby talent. Through this initiative, Rugby Canada aims to build a stronger, more connected rugby system—one that celebrates the legacy of university rugby and advances opportunities for players, coaches, and officials across the country. More details on pathway development for players and expressions of interest for players and coaches will be released in the coming weeks in regards to Rugby Canada Regional Training Centres.