A Look at McKechnie Cup History – Article from 2016: List of Winners 1896 to 2021
I was going to write a lengthy article on the McKechnie Cup history today but the hours ran out so I’ll post this article I wrote in 2016 and add to it later in the week. The article, although over 6 years old, has some relevance to today.
I would like to give the current BCRU management, in particular John Tait, some kudos for injecting some energy and effort into reviving the McKechnie Cup this year. It has sputtered recently, due to COVID in 2020 and 2021 but its neglect from 2005 to 2012 is a poor reflection on BC Rugby.
We look at the failing of the national men’s XVs team over the last decade and then look at the disinterest in rep rugby and it’s not difficult to draw some connections. Here’s hoping for a rejuvenated McKechnie Cup in 2022 (and U20 Dunbar Keg), it’s time to restore the processes and competitions that made BC a powerhouse in Canadian rugby.
BCRN article posted May 11 2016
The McKechnie Cup has been contested since 1896 among rep teams in the province. The first three winners were Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo, the big three back in the 1890’s. It took a break during World War I for 5 years, there likely weren’t enough rugby playing men left in the province. It did make it through World War II however without a break, Victoria being dominant during that time. UBC came out strong after the war and were dominant for the next decade. The modern three sub-unions started competing for it in the 1980s with Fraser Valley winning the last 3. The Pacific Pride took it one year in 2002.
If you were to determine who would win the McKechnie Cup today, it would probably be UBC. Fraser Valley is basically Burnaby and those two teams competed for the Rounsefell Cup a couple of weeks ago with UBC prevailing. Rep rugby is supposed to be at a higher level and there isn’t a rep team in BC who could beat UBC right now. I’m not even sure the BC Bears, based on their last few seasons, could defeat UBC. It would be a good game however.
It brings up the relevance of the McKechnie Cup now and it’s probably why it’s gone dormant for most of the last decade. It was ignored from 2005 to 2012, made a brief revival for three years and looks like it has gone down again this year. This coming weekend was supposed to be Vancouver vs Vancouver Island but Vancouver couldn’t come up with a team.
The first year of the revival in 2013 it was played during the BC season in January and that seemed to be well supported, then in 2014 and 2015 it was moved to May after the club season and it again fell in decline. Vancouver weren’t able to field a team in 2015 as well.
Is it mismanagement by the BCRU in scheduling it, is it indifference from the clubs, is it the changing rugby landscape that’s being ignored? Originally I alluded to an early alarm like a canary in the coal mine but perhaps an ostrich with its head in the sand is more accurate.
It’s sad to think that the only thing previously that halted the McKechnie Cup was global war, now indifference and mismanagement have trumped that record.
MCKECHNIE CUP HISTORY
2022
2021 Not contested
2020 Not contested
2019 Vancouver
2018 Vancouver
2017 Vancouver
2016 Not contested
2015 Fraser Valley
2014 Fraser Valley
2013 Fraser Valley
2012 Not contested
2011 Not contested
2010 Not contested
2009 Not contested
2008 Not contested
2007 Not contested
2006 Not contested
2005 Not contested
2004 Fraser Valley
2003 Vancouver Island
2002 Pacific Pride
2001 Vancouver
2000 Fraser Valley
1999 Vancouver Island
1998 Fraser Valley
1997 Vancouver Island
1996 Vancouver Island
1995 Vancouver Island
1994 Fraser Valley
1993 Vancouver
1992 Vancouver
1991 Vancouver
1990 Vancouver
1989 Vancouver Island
1988 UBC
1987 Vancouver
1986 Vancouver Island
1985 Vancouver Island
1984 Vancouver Island
1983 Tie (Vancouver and UBC)
1982 Vancouver
1981 Tie (Fraser Valley and UBC)
1980 UBC
1979 UBC
1978 Vancouver Island
1977 UBC
1976 Vancouver Island
1975 UBC
1974 Tie (UBC and Victoria)
1973 Victoria
1972 Victoria
1971 UBC
1970 Victoria
1969 Nor-Wests
1968 Vancouver
1967 Vancouver
1966 Vancouver
1965 Vancouver
1964 Victoria
1963 Tie (Vancouver and UBC)
1962 Vancouver
1961 UBC
1960 Vancouver
1959 Vancouver
1958 Tie (Vancouver and UBC)
1957 Tie (Vancouver and UBC)
1956 Nor-Wests
1955 UBC
1954 Vancouver
1953 UBC
1952 UBC
1951 Vancouver
1950 UBC
1949 UBC
1948 UBC
1947 UBC
1946 Tie (Vancouver – Victoria – UBC)
1945 UBC
1944 Victoria
1943 Victoria
1942 Victoria
1941 Victoria
1940 Victoria
1939 Victoria
1938 Victoria
1937 UBC
1936 Victoria
1935 Tie (Vancouver and Victoria)
1934 Not contested
1933 Victoria
1932 Victoria
1931 Victoria
1930 Vancouver
1929 Vancouver
1928 Vancouver
1927 UBC
1926 UBC
1925 Vancouver
1924 UBC
1923 UBC
1922 UBC
1921 Vancouver
1920 Victoria
1919 Not contested
1918 Not contested
1917 Not contested
1916 Not contested
1915 Not contested
1914 Victoria
1913 Tie (Vancouver and Victoria)
1912 Vancouver
1911 Victoria
1910 Victoria
1909 Vancouver
1908 Vancouver
1907 Vancouver
1906 Vancouver
1905 Vancouver
1904 Vancouver
1903 Vancouver
1902 Vancouver
1901 Vancouver
1900 Victoria
1899 Victoria
1898 Nanaimo
1897 Victoria
1896 Vancouver