What’s On Your Rugby Wish List for 2023 – Here Are Our Choices: All the Best for 2023
What’s on your wish list for Canadian rugby this year? This is ours.
1. Sort out the men’s national XVs program. The men’s XVs program, wrongly or rightly, has been viewed historically as the flagship program for Rugby Canada. Men’s XVs is where World Rugby generates a lot of its revenue and then distributes it to Tier 2/3 countries. Canada didn’t make the World Cup for the first time in 2023, that will have repercussions. What is the plan for the 2027 World Cup cycle? Who will be the coach? What support programs and competitions will be introduced to make this next World Cup cycle successful and any different than the failure leading up to 2023? It’s time for the new CEO, Nathan Bombrys, to start inspiring and show some leadership.
2. Create more competition for national team spots, both in 7s and XVs. The programs need more high level matches and tournaments where the incumbents are competing against challengers, the old Probables v Possibles scenarios. We need to infuse some hope into the next generation of players that they can earn their way into a starting national team place. In the men’s XVs, selecting almost exclusively from the MLR has been a recipe for disaster and accommodating a lazy selection and talent ID policy.
3. Figure out the McKechnie Cup and Coastal Cup competitions in BC and make them relevant. The McKechnie Cup is a grand historical competition, but implementing it in the modern era has been difficult. The Coastal Cup has become a vibrant competition, in the first year it included the regions, the universities and the Pacific Pride. The Coastal Cup has had success in the fall, it’s a great window for rugby in BC. Holding the McKechnie Cup in the December window or the post Premier league, May/June window hasn’t worked. Is it possible to merge the competitions, hold it in the fall, with points being awarded each cup based on eligibility?
4. Operate the Pacific Pride as a separate entity at arms length from Rugby Canada, as it was in the 90s, with its own board and decision making independence. Rugby Canada have had success in this type of relationship as per the Canada 7s in Vancouver. The Pride have so much promotion and fundraising potential if they were run professionally. They could incorporate the Pacific Pride and the men’s U20 teams into a joint program that could be self sustaining and self financing with the help of Canadian rugby icons like Pat Parfrey, Karl Fix, Andrew Purdey and Mike Holmes. It could help rejuvenate the men’s XVs program.
5. Encourage more private rugby entrepreneurs in Canada. If you look at the latest USA success, the American Raptors, it’s driven by private funding. The Raptors were an MLR franchise, didn’t like the amount of foreign players, and decided to create a program that tapped into USA athletes. They’re going into the Super Rugby Americas competition this year and the program will likely blossom. Rugby Canada needs to create an environment conducive to private enterprise.
Those were the action items that came to mind as the year winds down. There still seems a lot of positive energy at the grassroots level that needs to continue, the clubs and their volunteers are doing inspiring work, each club has their core group of dedicated volunteers that need to be recognized and applauded. If there’s one wish in that area, it’s that more people step up to share the load. Maybe look to identify parents in your club who could help, sometimes they don’t know they’re needed unless asked.
Best wishes for 2023, may your rugby experiences be outstanding and the memories made become long lasting treasures.