Rugby Ontario Mourns the Passing of Allen Piggott
It is with profound sadness that Rugby Ontario shares the passing of Allen Piggott on September 1, 2026, in Toronto.
A member of the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame and one of the province’s most dedicated servants to the game, Allen made an immense contribution to rugby in Ontario, across Canada and internationally. Over more than six decades, he served the sport as a player, coach, match official, referee educator and assessor, administrator, Executive Director and President.
Allen’s rugby journey began in his native Wales, where he played for Pencoed, Llanharan, and Bridgend & District during the 1960s. After coming to Canada, he continued his playing career with Toronto Welsh, captaining the club in 1973 and 1974.
While Allen contributed to the game in countless ways, he became particularly well known for his leadership in match officiating. He began refereeing with the Toronto & District Rugby Referees’ Society in 1978 and went on to serve as an Ontario and Rugby Canada panel referee. During his career, he officiated provincial championships and national finals, numerous Ontario senior representative matches, and fixtures involving international teams, including Scotland, the United States and Wales Secondary Schools. He also refereed a women’s international between Canada and the United States.
Allen’s influence extended far beyond the matches he controlled. He served the Toronto & District and Ontario referee societies in numerous leadership and development roles, including as President, Treasurer, Secretary, Appointments Secretary, and Grading and Development Officer. Nationally, he helped lead the Rugby Canada Referee Certification Program and later chaired Rugby Canada’s Referee and Laws Committee.
His knowledge and standing as a match official were also recognized internationally. Allen served as a referee assessor for international matches involving Canada, Japan and the United States. The International Rugby Board – now World Rugby – appointed him as a referee coach and advisor at an age-grade Rugby World Cup in Scotland and as an assessor on the international sevens circuit in the United States. He later managed match officials for the Churchill Cup.
Allen also coached women’s rugby with the Yeomen and Markham before beginning one of the most consequential chapters of his service to the provincial game.
From 2001 to 2009, Allen served as Executive Director of Rugby Ontario, known for much of his earlier involvement as the Ontario Rugby Union. Leading a small staff team, he carried responsibility for an extraordinary breadth of work: provincial representative programs, governance policies and procedures, financial management, government relations, grants and funded programs, membership services, and relationships with member clubs, the provincial branches, referee organizations and Rugby Canada.
For countless members of the Ontario rugby community, Allen was the person at the provincial office who could provide an answer, offer guidance or find a way forward. His knowledge of the game, its laws and its administration was matched by a deep commitment to serving the people and organizations that sustained it.
Following his time as Executive Director, Allen once again answered the call to serve, becoming President of Rugby Ontario in 2010 and helping the organization through an important period of leadership transition. He continued his involvement as a volunteer until 2022 leading Rugby Ontario’s Disciplinary and Judicial committee work.
In 2013, Allen was inducted into the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sport. It was a fitting honour for someone whose influence could be seen at every level of the game, from the club touchline and referee pathway to the provincial office, national committees and international appointments.
Allen leaves an enduring legacy in Ontario rugby. Generations of players, coaches, match officials, administrators and volunteers benefited from his leadership, knowledge and generosity of service. The strength of the game in this province owes a great deal to people like Allen who devoted so much of their lives to building it.
Diolch, Allen, for a lifetime of service to the game.
Reflections from the Community:
“I was extremely fortunate to work with Allen over a number of years representing my club, Burlington Centaurs, followed by Rugby Ontario and Rugby Canada working to develop and promote the game we loved.
Allen as Executive Director of Rugby Ontario was honest committed with a sharp mind and excellent sense of humour.
I was able to travel across Canada with Allen and it never ceased to impress me how well respected and loved he was. Knowing Allen, he earned that respect from the local level to national and international level. It was always entertaining to watch him interact with national team players he had refereed in the past or current national and international referees.
I looked to Allen as one of my mentors in the game I learned a lot from him and was proud to call him a true friend.
I will always remember our conversations, travels, laughs and finding those out of the way breakfast spots in many different corners of Ontario and Canada.
I will miss Allen but will always remember him and the impact he had on the game in Canada. Without question one of the best rugby minds in Canada in the past fifty years.
Thank you, Allen.”
-Gordon Sneddon
Past President, Rugby Ontario Board & Former Director, Rugby Canada Board
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend Allen Piggott, a loyal and trusted advocate for rugby in Ontario. I was fortunate to share lunch with him just days before he passed. Allen’s journey took him from player with Toronto Welsh to referee to Executive Director of Rugby Ontario—always fair, knowledgeable, and respected. His encouragement and advice meant a great deal to me and to many in our community. May he rest in eternal peace. Thank you, Allen, for being a friend.”
-Domenic Scuglia
Past President and Current Director, Rugby Ontario Board
“I first met Allen six decades ago, me as a player and Allen as the referee. I have a clear memory of a scrum, other team’s put in. I’m the flanker that side of the scrum and he’s right there beside me, watching for infractions, whistle ready. I caused the scrum to be unstable. I knew what I was doing. I thought he wouldn’t notice. No penalty called. He just stared at me. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. He reset the scrum and the game went on. Lesson well taught by Allen and learned by me. Play the game the right way. Respect the laws.
It was the beginning of a long and strong friendship. We shared a forever love for rugby and its traditions and ethos.
Many years later, when Allen was Rugby Ontario Executive Director and I was President, I highly valued and depended on his steady presence, his wisdom and his unwavering and calm support. We were a team. Massively important in both rugby and in life.
In retirement, when we met for a meal and a beer, we told stories, shared memories and laughed often, most recently less than a week before he died. Another of the many good times we had together. I’ll miss this. I’ll miss having Allen in my life.”
-Glenn Tarver
Past President & Director, Rugby Ontario Board; Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame Inductee (2008); Longstanding community and high school rugby coach and builder
