UBC Okanagan Make First Trip to Nationals in Ottawa – Start Fundraising Effort to Help Players with Cost
The UBCO Men’s rugby team made the Nationals for the first time, but the team must raise funds to get themselves there, as they are only minimally financially supported by the Athletics department. The trip will cost about $50k and the players will have to pay a portion of that so have reached out to the community in a fundraising effort.
Here is the link on the UBC website to donate to the UBC Okanagan Heat Men’s Rugby Fund
Their coach Dan Haynes (who has also coached BC U19) has been doing amazing work building rugby in the Okanagan and it would be great to see the rugby community support his athletes.
Background
UBC-Okanagan have recently qualified for the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championships in Ottawa, Ontario. UBC-Okanagan is a self-funded program that relies heavily on donor support each year. This is the first time UBCO have qualified for the national tournament and have done so as the champions of the Prairie University Men’s Rugby Championship. UBCO went undefeated throughout their regular season and playoffs with a record of 7-0. UBCO have travelled to Calgary and Saskatchewan in order to compete this season.
Student athletes have to pay to play on the team each regular season and are facing additional costs in order to attend the national tournament. The tournament will cost somewhere in the region of $50,000 dollars and a portion of this funding will have to come from the pockets of the student athletes themselves.
UBCO’s player base is a true representation of Canadian University rugby. With players from across the country as member of this team. Team Captain, Patrick Williams, from Oakville Ontario has led the team to their most successful season in team history. Nathan Holmes, vice-captain and native Edmontonian, has provided consistent leadership and quality play from the flyhalf position. This consistency has been a key component of UBCO’s success on and off the field this season.
UBCO’s varsity squad is made up of 30 players. 15 of these players are rookies and roughly half are Okanagan locals. Brendan Christian – BC U18 and Mount Boucherie Secondary School Graduate, Evan Vodarek – Mount Boucherie Secondary School Graduate, Matt Harris – Rutland Senior Secondary Graduate, Nathan Tateyama – Rutland Senior Secondary Graduate, Theo Phillips – Kelowna Senior Secondary School Graduate, Grayson Tolsdorf – Okanagan Mission Secondary School Graduate, and Nigel McFee – Immaculate Regional High School Graduate are all examples of local rookie contributors to this years national championship qualification.