The Colette McAuley Award committee and the Canadian Rugby Foundation are pleased to announce Julie Foster of Saskatchewan as the 2010 award recipient.

Announced by Colette McAuley herself at this year’s NWL Finals in Toronto, ON, Foster was recognized for her years of loyalty and dedication to grassroots rugby in Saskatchewan.

McAuley acknowledged the impact her former teammate has had on younger players, while taking a playful shot at her age.

The Canadian Maple Leafs have announced their squad for the Abbotsford International 7's Tournament that will be led by 8 graduates of the Canadian U-20 program. The Canadian Maple Leafs Team are designed to develop the next generation of Sevens players in Canada and are funded in large part through the Canadian Rugby Foundation.

The Abbotsford Sevens Tournament is Canada's first international Sevens tournament and will feature teams from South Africa, New Zealand, Kenya, Fiji and Canada.  The Maple Leafs will be led by National Seven's coach Morgan Williams, alongside Joe Haley and Jeff Williams.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation is pleased to announce that Brett Beukeboom (Lindsay, ON), Jeff Hassler (Okotoks, Alta.) and Jeff McKinnon (North Vancouver, B.C.) are this year's winners of the Stuart Pegg Award. For the first time in the award's history, three players on Canada's Under-20 men's rugby team were recognized as the top players as voted on by their team mates for their performances at the Junior World Rugby Trophy in Russia.

The award, created by the Pegg family in memory of their son who passed away at a young age, has been presented at to an age-grade Canadian rugby player since 1998.

Kris Witkowski has won the 2010 Pat Anderson Commitment to Excellence Award.  Canadian rugby is very fortunate to have a company like Pat Anderson Insurance taking a leadership role with regards to funding and player support.  This generous award is geared specifically to helping the Canadian Men’s 7’s Team build towards the 2013 Rugby World Cup and eventually the 2016 Olympic Games.   Rugby 7’s inclusion in the Olympics means that the amateur nations must be particularly wary of being left behind by the professional nations in the quest for Gold. 

The British Columbia Rugby Union is proud to announce the creation of a new high performance initiative designed to identify, train and support 11-16 year old athletes who have aspirations of playing seven-a-side rugby at the Provincial and National level.  The BC Rugby Elite Youth 7s program provides a framework for player identification in key areas of British Columbia.  Once identified, players will be invited to skill sessions, followed by regional and provincial training camps.  This Elite Youth 7s pathway will result in the creation of a BC Junior 7s Provincial team, selected to tour internationally.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation is pleased to announce Tabitha Stavrou of the NSWT as the 2010 recipient of the George F. Jones Scholarship.

The George F. Jones scholarship was named in honour of a very passionate and dedicated rugby volunteer who has ties within the sport across the country thanks to his nomadic nature.

Last year’s National Women’s League Final was used as a platform for the first ever Colette McAuley Award, and although this year’s NWL is an abbreviated version because of the World Cup, the award will still be presented, but it has jumped up a weight class this year.

Thanks to the Canadian Rugby Foundation, the award is now attached to the Colette McAuley Fund, an endowed fund solely for the NSWT that collects annual interest. This interest, usually around $1000, will be presented as a cheque in the recipient’s name, along with a plaque.

Canada’s senior men’s team is back to business after celebrating a 48-6 victory over Uruguay to open the Churchill Cup, a victory that one player will never forget.

U-20 grad Ryan Hamilton received his first cap for Canada this past Saturday replacing Captain Pat Riordan at hooker in Canada’s 48-6 victory to open the Churchill Cup in Denver. Hamilton, alongside full-back Matt Evans, scrum half Sean White, prop Andrew Tiedemann and fly half Connor Braid, is a recent graduate of Canada’s U-20 program. Hamilton was very proud to receive his first Cap at the age of 22.

SHAWNIGAN LAKE – Canada’s Under-20 men’s rugby team had their final opportunity to test their combinations and set pieces against opposition when they faced off against a side comprised of Carded athletes and junior players on Sunday afternoon. 

FINAL SCRIMMAGE
In their final test before competing in Russia, the Under-20 players applied everything they’ve learned in recent months and put on an impressive display of rugby.

Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts Seek to Develop New Sport Infrastructure and Place Local Players on 2016 Canadian Men’s and Women’s Olympic 7-a-Side Rugby Teams in Rio de Janeiro.

Kelowna, British Columbia, April 23, 2010 – In response to the October 2009 announcement of Rugby Sevens being added to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a new society in Kelowna is funding the development of a sustainable infrastructure for the sport.  On April 19th, the Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts (CORE) society was formally launched.  Former national sevens coach Shane Thompson was the keynote speaker at an evening that raised over $20,000 to start an endowment fund for the game.  The society seeks to place local players on the first Canadian Olympic Rugby Sevens team in 2016.

The Courtney Taaffe Memorial School Ship has been updated for 2010.  Please see The 2010 attached details on the scholarship page.

Canada’s Under-20 Men’s Team is having another Training Camp this weekend at Shawnigan Lake School in Victoria. The Training Camp is designed to finalize the team’s offence and defensive strategies with less than one month before the team travels to Moscow for the Junior World Trophy.

The four day camp takes place in Victoria and will test player’s dedication with fitness and skill testing along with in-class team system work.

Canada’s Head Coach Tim Murdy knows that the World Trophy is going to be a difficult test for his team and believes his players need to be ready for it.

“There’s a short turn-around between the games in Moscow so we need to work on some different combinations and establish some different roles and responsibilities throughout the team” says Murdy.

Anyone who has been around the game of rugby will tell you that it has a high level of respect and community involvement. On and off the field players show each other respect and encouragement, and this support is carried on long after the final whistle. Rugby Canada’s motto that unites players from St. John’s to Victoria is ‘Together and Strong’ and the Canadian Rugby Foundation’s support is benefiting players across the nation.

Canada’s Under-20 Men’s coaching staff is going to have some difficult decisions after this weekend’s final selection camp at Shawnigan Lake School and the Pacific Institute of Sporting Excellence on Vancouver Island.

Thirty-five players from across the country competed for four days in hopes of being chosen to represent Canada at the World Trophy in Russia this May. The camp was based around fitness testing, player evaluations and in-class preparation dedicated to discussing the team’s offensive and defensive structure.

Jason Young has become the honoured recipient of the 2009 Gerald McGavin Coaching Award (GMCA).  This special award acknowledges BC rugby coaches who have left an indelible mark on their rugby community and also offers them an opportunity to experience professional rugby abroad. 

Your Experience will Include:

• 1 Night Accommodation and Guest Reception at Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel June 25th
• 4 Days / 4 Nights Experience
• Queen Charlotte Heli-Venture to Langara Fishing Lodge
• Fabulous Cuisine and Hospitality of Langara Fishing Lodge
• Fish with International Celebrity Rugby Guests
• Enjoy the Pristine Waters of the Queen Charlotte Islands
• Guided Ancient Haida Village Tour
• World Class Fishing and Whale Watching
• Cost of Guided Fishing Adventure $5,995
• Tax Receipt upon request

The Canadian Maple Leafs - the Canadian development sevens side, has ended its run at the Punta del Estes Sevens tournament with a loss to Italy in the Plate Semi-final round on Monday evening in the summer resort town in Uruguay.

The Canadian Maple Leafs squad is now the 7th international team to confirm their place in the Digicel Suva International 7's next month.

Suva Rugby Union Chairman, Vilikesa Rauca has confirmed that they have talked to the officials of the Canada 7's team who have agreed to be part of their tournament.

Canada will join Pool D with Samoa, Ratu Filise and the losing finalist of the Suva 7's leg in Labasa.

The Canadian Maple Leafs, a sevens development squad, has won both of its opening day matches of the Punta del Estes tournament in Uruguay defeating the Carrasco Polo club 36-0.

The tournament - being played on Sunday night and on Monday is being used as a development tool to blood new players for the Canadian Sevens program, and is funded by the Canadian Rugby Foundation- through donations from benefactors.

The Canadian Maple Leafs reached Punta del Estes, Uruguay, on New Year's eve after an arduous journey that saw them lay idle for ten hours in Toronto and another six in Chile.

As coach Morgan Williams reported - "at least we could get into the lounge in Toronto - but Chile - not so lucky!"

George Jones, Q.C, is truly a passionate and dedicated Rugby volunteer, and encapsulates the visions of the Rugby Canada Foundation; providing for the development of Rugby and Rugby players, helping those who may not have a chance to success without help, growth of Rugby at all levels and aiding in the growth of the game at the grass-roots level from Coast to Coast.

During halftime of the very wet Russia/Canada game this past weekend at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC, the Canadian Rugby Foundation was very fortunate to be able to “officially” cap 4 Canadian players that proudly wore the maple leaf on their chest in the past.

John Cannon, Garth Cooke, Ian Kennedy and David Speirs braved the elements to be presented their cap from Rugby Canada’s Chairman of the Board, Rick Bourne and the Canadian Rugby Foundation’s Executive Director, Matthuw Ronald-Jones.

Former Rugby Canada Team Manager, Don Whidden wrote a short pen sketch of each of the player’s rugby history which was shared with the 3000+ rugby fans in attendance:

Monday evening’s fundraising event was the perfect chance to recognize numerous current NSWT players for earning their first cap. A total of 19 athletes were capped at the Rugby Canada fundraiser held at Hemingway’s Pub in the trendy Toronto district of Yorkville.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation has realized the importance of recognizing Canadian rugby players – past and present, male and female – for representing their country for the first time. Player representative Sheila Turner has been a driving force behind the women receiving their caps.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation and Cathay Pacific have partnered on a special package for Canadian rugby supporters to enjoy the 2010 Hong Kong 7’s this coming March 26-28.  Only a hand-full of spots remain which include return flight out of Vancouver on Tuesday, March 23rd returning Monday, March 29th including the 3 day ticket to the tournament which sold out earlier this month.  The cost of the package is $1300 + tax CDN, accommodation is not included but Cathay Pacific is very helpful with suggesting properties in Hong Kong.

Presented by the Canadian Rugby Foundation
(in conjunction with the Charlton L. Smith Foundation and the Taaffe family)

Gerald was an extremely talented rugby player and he acknowledges that many of his coaches were a very positive influence on him as he grew up. He started playing rugby at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island where he was coached by the famous Derek Hyde-Lay. Hyde-Lay proved to be one of the coaches who made a significant impact on Gerald’s life, both on and off the field. Gerald continued playingrugbyatU.B.C.wherehewouldearnaBachelorofCommerce. While studying at U.B.C., Gerald won his first selection to represent the Senior Men’s Provincial Team.