A group of philanthropic rugby supporters had a passionate dream and saw the need to establish a Foundation for the game of rugby in Canada. Among these supporters, who showed great vision, was John Lecky, whose contribution, in the early days, was vital to the development of the Foundation.

A group of philanthropic rugby supporters had a passionate dream and saw the need to establish a Foundation for the game of rugby in Canada. Among these supporters, who showed great vision, were Mike Holmes, George Jones, Mark Wyatt and Gren Thomas, whose contributions, in the early days, were vital to the development of the Foundation. The crucial step in the Foundation’s history came through Gren Thomas, a long time supporter of Canadian rugby, who recognized the need for a long term vision and agreed to provide a founding pledge of $1,000,000.00. Also of note were the Foundation’s first contributing members, Bruce McFarlane and Bob Hager.

In the level of participation, rugby is not even ranked in the top 20 in Canada, and our country is slowly falling behind those other nations that have more players participating and greater funds available. Even the new International Rugby Board grants fail to bring us in line with any of the top rugby-playing nations. When Mr. Grenville Thomas committed to being the lead backer of the Foundation, he provided the initial gift to the Foundation, which will establish a lasting legacy to be built upon by other future donors. The money will not be used for general operating purposes; instead, it will be used to promote the game and to expand its growth within Canada at all levels for years to come. It will be used to extend programs and specialized services in support of the sport of rugby in Canada through financial support to qualified recipients. It will also be used to extend community awareness of the sport of rugby through financial support.

The Foundation is an effective mechanism to solicit provincial and local capital donations that will generate income to support the growth of rugby in Canada outside the normal operating budget and requirements of Rugby Canada and other rugby organizations. The Foundation will allow visionary members of the rugby community who do not necessarily want to be involved in day-to-day decision-making to participate in the broader vision of a charitable organization set up specifically for rugby in Canada. This campaign is a chance for all rugby supporters to make a difference to help answer the enormous financial need in this sport.