Which High Schools Produce the Most Canadian Internationals?
I was browsing through Linkedin and came across this interesting post by Bob Skinstad on South African high school rugby. It was a map of which high schools produce the most Springboks. It had me thinking about Canadian high school rugby factories, which high schools produce the most Canadian internationals? That picture changes over time but I thought I’d at least broach the subject as I don’t think Rugby Canada or the provincial unions track that information. I’ve started a basic list for BC and hopefully readers will help add to the list, I’ll also reach out to some school administrators to see if they maintain comprehensive lists from their school.
First the article by Skinstad that initiated this line of thought.
by Bob Skinstad on Lindedin
Every weekend, rugby is being played somewhere across the country. Over the years, school rugby has grown as popular as club rugby. Some of these South African schools have rivalries that even outpace international fixtures. This map highlights our top Springbok-producing schools, but it also proves that school size doesn’t equal excellence. It comes down to the environment, coaching and attention to detail. Springboks aren’t just born. Talent is identified and placed in an environment where it can grow and be showcased.
When we think of BC some schools come immediately to mind Shawnigan, St. George’s, SMUS, Brentwood, Oak Bay, Carson Graham, Earl Marriott… from the past Vic High. Here is the basic list from BC, what would be your guess for top 3 schools? Add names via the comments section. The Shawnigan list is more comprehensive due to records being available.
| High School | Notable Capped Canadian Alumni | Era & Program Profile (by Ai assistant) |
| Oak Bay Secondary | Sophie de Goede, Phil Mack, Connor Braid, Sean White | Premier Public Powerhouse: Elite dual-gender pipeline for both 15s and 7s. Anchored by world-class standard-bearers like de Goede and Mack. |
| Earl Marriott Secondary (EMS) | Talon McMullin, Takoda McMullin, Izzak Kelly, Calixto Martinez, Michael Smith, Kyle Tremblay | The Modern Engine: Powered by the Bayside Sharks network, EMS currently supplies the single largest block of modern starters to Canada’s Senior Men’s XV. |
| St. Michaels University School (SMUS) | Gareth Rees, Ed Fairhurst, Bobby Ross, Luke Campbell | Historic Private Mainstay: One of North America’s most decorated international feeder programs across multiple World Cup eras. |
| Vic High (Victoria High School) | Hans de Goede, Mark Wyatt, Don Burgess | The Heritage Cradle: Western Canada’s oldest public school anchored Canadian international rugby from the 1960s to 1990s, producing World XV captains and world-record kickers. |
| Shawnigan Lake School | John Lecky, Tommy Fraine, Larry Chung, Charlie MacLachlan, Ian Hyde-Lay, Ian Kennedy, Paul Leblanc, Josh Jackson, Chad Plater, Akio Tyler, Matt Evans, Eddie Evans, George Barton, Dustin Dobravsky, Brett Beukeboom, Djustice Sears-Duru, Guiseppe du Toit, Ollie Nott, Matt Beukeboom, Jack Shaw | Island Boarding Titan: Dominant provincial 15s program over the last two decades, consistently supplying physical forwards and clinical finishers. |
| Carson Graham Secondary | Hilary Leith | North Shore Anchor: The foundational public school titan of Mainland rugby for decades, producing world-class, physical forwards. |
| St. George’s School | Conor Trainor, Theo Sauder, Ben LeSage | Mainland Private Standard: Perennial AAA contender producing dynamic, highly skilled backs for both 15s and World Series 7s squads. |
| Prince of Wales Secondary | Sean Duke | Vancouver West Side Hub: Produced Canada’s all-time try-scoring leader on the World Rugby Sevens Series (plus 14 senior 15s caps). |
| Brentwood College School | Ro Hindson, Will Percillier | Historic Independent Standard: Produced one of Canada’s greatest all-time locks in Ro Hindson, alongside modern national scrum-halves. |
| Cowichan Secondary | Patrick Kay, Robin MacDowell | Cowichan Valley Hub: Deep connection to Cowichan RFC, producing top-tier national 7s/15s internationals and Olympians. |