Rugby Ontario & CIMORONI – Marketing Partnership
We’re excited to announce that CIMORONI has officially joined the Rugby Ontario team to elevate our brand and take our digital marketing to the next level!
From social media strategy to on-site content creation, email marketing, and website communications, CIMORONI will be handling all things digital for Rugby Ontario. Their expertise will help us showcase the incredible clubs, athletes, coaches, match officials and events that make up our community while enhancing the overall Rugby Ontario experience.
Stay tuned for exciting updates as we work together to grow the game of rugby in Ontario!
Annual Awards 2024: Nomination Submissions Now Open!
The Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame & Awards Committee is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the Annual Provincial Awards. Nominees are any individuals (players, coaches, match officials and volunteers) and teams who have had achievements worthy of recognition and who have exerted a distinctive, positive influence on the sport of rugby in Ontario.
If you believe you know of a deserving candidate who displays these qualities, we encourage you to submit a nomination by filling out a respective form with the necessary information. In addition to completing a nomination form, nominators may supplement their nomination with letters of endorsement and documentary evidence (e.g. articles, links to materials, newspaper clippings). The deadline to submit an Annual Awards nomination is October 6th at 11:59pm ET (submissions received after this date will not be considered).
What are the classes for nomination?
There are 4 classes of Annual Awards:
- Club Individual Awards:
- Club Player of the Year – Male / Female *
- Club Coach of the Year – Male / Female *
- Volunteer of the Year *
- Club of the Year Awards:
- Minor Program *
- Junior Male / Female *
- Provincial Player of the Year:
- Junior – Male / Female
- Senior – Male / Female
- Match Official of the Year:
- Junior Match Official
- Senior Match Official
* A new Evaluation Rubric is included in the Nomination Criteria document for these award categories. We encourage all applicants to carefully review the selection criteria in advance of preparing a nomination and supporting materials.
Who can nominate?
Each Annual Award category provides guidelines on who is eligible to submit a nomination. Please refer to the Nominations Criteria document for each type of award that can be found on our website. In all cases, nominations must originate from individuals or member clubs / branches that are in good standing with Rugby Ontario.
Where do I submit a nomination?
Please complete and submit using one of the four (4) Rugby Ontario Annual Awards Nomination Forms that can be found on our website, and be sure select the appropriate award type on the form. Should you have any technical difficulties, please send an email to awards@rugbyontario.com.
***Hall of Fame Nominations – Extended!***
Rugby Ontario is still seeking nominations for the Hall of Fame Class of 2024. To submit your nomination please fill out either of the applicable forms – Builders or Players/Coaches/Officials/Teams. Should you have any technical difficulties, please send an email to awards@rugbyontario.com. The deadline to submit a Hall of Fame nomination is September 15th at 11:59pm ET (submissions received after this date will not be considered).
Further Information
The Hall of Fame & Awards Banquet will take place on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 at the Maple Banquet Hall in Mississauga, ON (location). More information about the event, including the launch of ticket and table sales, will be released in the coming weeks.
More detailed information on the Annual Awards nomination process, including the Annual Awards Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria, is available on the Rugby Ontario website. If there are any questions with regards to the Annual Awards selection process, please do not hesitate to contact Myles Spencer, CEO of Rugby Ontario (mspencer@rugbyontario.com).
We look forward to hearing from you!
Rugby Ontario welcomes VEO as official video provider
June 5th, 2024 (Whitby, ON) – Rugby Ontario is pleased to announce VEO as its official video partner. VEO is a leading sports technology company using its game-changing video technology, and robust suite of tools integrated under a single platform, to support the development of teams, players, coaches and officials. The partnership will improve access to video technology for member clubs, branches and affiliated programs of Rugby Ontario to capture, stream, analyze, and promote the sport of rugby in Ontario.
With an ever-increasing demand for video capture and streaming capabilities, this collaboration will drive benefits to the broader rugby community in Ontario, offering best-in-class cameras, video technology and resources to our members at discounted prices. VEO will become the official league exchange platform for Rugby Ontario, which will offer even further opportunities to support player and game analysis, coach and match official development, talent identification and broadcast. VEO’s quality products also serve to enhance the use of video for marketing and promotional use, allowing its users to create compelling content and revenue streams.
“We are very excited to announce this collaborative partnership with VEO,” said Myles Spencer, CEO, Rugby Ontario. “VEO’s mission is to make sports technology accessible to all, which is perfectly aligned to Rugby Ontario’s vision of ‘Rugby for All’. This partnership will bring value to our clubs across the province and support meaningful development opportunities and access to innovative video technology.”
Through this Rugby Ontario | VEO collaboration, exclusive offers are now available to Rugby Ontario members. This offer is eligible with the purchase of a one or two-year subscription at the team, club, or enterprise level. For more information on how to receive a discount code, please click here.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Rugby Ontario to make our easy-to-use capture and video analysis platform accessible to member organizations and support the development of players, coaches and officials,” said Tobias Maertzke, US Central & Canada Market Manager, Veo Technologies.
Rugby Ontario Congratulates Mo Chaudhry On Olympic Selection
Rugby Ontario is delighted to congratulate local referee Talal (Moe) Chaudhry on his selection in the squad of 23 match officials that will take charge of the rugby sevens competitions at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in France from 24-30 July.
Chaudhry, a native of Mississauga, Ont., has worked as both referee and assistant referee on the international front as well as the HSBC SVNS, formerly known as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. He also officiates Major League Rugby games as well as Ontario club and university rugby.
Rugby Ontario CEO Myles Spencer said: “We are proud that Moe has been selected to referee at the highest level of the sevens game and arguably the biggest sporting event of all, the Olympic Games. His selection is well deserved and is a testament to his hard work and dedication over many years, starting on the rugby fields of this province. On behalf of the Rugby Ontario Board, our Match Officials Committee, RO staff and everyone involved in this great game across the province, I would like to congratulate him on this achievement and wish him every success at the Games in Paris.”
Chaudhry said: “It is a massive thrill for me to have been selected for the Olympics and the realization of a dream. Of course, I have put in a lot of effort to get this far but I did not do it alone. Ever since I started refereeing in Ontario, I have been supported by many coaches and other match officials who have given me the tools, the opportunities and the encouragement to succeed. My hope now is that I can go to Paris and make them proud with my performances on that stage.”
The squad features match officials from 16 countries with Chaudhry the sole representative from Canada, although another Ontarian, Maggie Cogger-Orr, is also there. Cogger-Orr is originally from Markham, Ont, but will represent her adopted country, New Zealand, where she now lives and works.
The two Canadians have been chosen to officiate Olympic women’s play, which runs from 28-30 July at Stade de France, which was also the venue for the final of the Rugby World Cup 2023.
World Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien said: “I am very excited to be managing a hugely experienced and talented group of match officials to Paris 2024. To have so many countries represented as well as knowing every region is involved gives our management team a huge amount of satisfaction and is testament to the pathways we have had in place over the past four years. All those selected have worked extremely hard to ensure that when we arrive in Paris, we will have officials able to referee and officiate to the level required for such a special event.”
The officials were selected following a comprehensive review of performances across the HSBC SVNS 2024 series.
Rugby Canada announces 2024 Community Rugby Fund
Rugby Canada selects a record 22 clubs across the country for 2024 Community Rugby Fund
April 17, 2024 (Langford, BC) – Rugby Canada, with funding from the Government of Canada, are pleased to announce the 22 successful applicants for 2024 that will receive support through Rugby Canada’s Community Rugby Fund. This is the highest number of clubs selected in a single year since the fund began in 2021.
2024 marks the fourth year of the Community Rugby Fund, which was made possible through the federal government’s Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI). The fund supports National Sport Organizations (NSOs) in establishing more accessible and locally organized sport programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation, particularly among Black, Indigenous and racialized communities as well as 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, people with low incomes, and newcomers. A total of $16.7 million in funding was provided to 39 NSOs, including Rugby Canada.
This year, Rugby Canada received 67 applications from across Canada and with 22 recipients selected for 2024, a total of 49 applications have now been approved for funding since the Community Rugby Fund began in 2021.
For 2024, priority was given to rugby clubs, schools or community organizations who applied for grant funding that focused on cultivating the community game with special consideration given to projects that:
- Create or develop a school-to-club pathway to increase the number of registered rugby players participating in club rugby.
- Enhance inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility of rugby within a club, educational institution, or community organization, particularly for Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and newcomers to Canada.
- Create new programs or develop existing programs that aim to introduce women and girls to the game of rugby.
- Build program delivery capacity through the development of Coaches or Match Officials within the rugby community.
“2024 marks a monumental year for the Community Rugby Fund,” said Jamie Levchuk, Managing Director of Operations and Game Development for Rugby Canada. “This year we are proud to select 22 new recipients and provide $100 000 in total funding for the successful clubs, schools and community organizations who all displayed the ability to grow community and grassroots rugby in Canada. I look forward to seeing the long-lasting impact all our successful applications will have on our game.”
2024 Community Rugby Fund Recipient List
Langley Rugby Club
Location: British Columbia
Focus: School-to-club pathway development & mixed abilities rugby
Aurora Wolves Rugby Union
Location: British Columbia
Focus: School-to-club pathway development
Axemen Rugby Club
Location: British Columbia
Focus: School-to-club pathway development
Belleville Bulldogs RFC
Location: Ontario
Focus: Programming for Women & Girls, Capacity Building
Brockville Privateers RFC
Location: Ontario
Focus: Programming for Women & Girls, Capacity Building, School-to-club pathway development
Calgary Hornets RFC
Location: Alberta
Focus: School-to-club pathway development
Donald A. Wilson Secondary School
Location: Ontario
Focus: School-to-club pathway development
Edmonton Clansmen Rugby Football Club
Location: Alberta
Focus: New Youth Programming and Programming for Women & Girls
Elk Valley Rugby Football Club
Location: British Columbia
Focus Area: New Youth Programming & School-to-club pathway development
James Bay Athletic Association
Location: British Columbia
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, Youth Leadership Programming
Manitoba Wombats
Location: Manitoba
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development
Mississauga Blues Rugby Club
Location: Ontario
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, Youth Leadership Programming
Mont-Tremblant RFC
Location: Quebec
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development & Capacity Building
Nor’ Westers Athletic Association
Location: Alberta
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, Programming for Women & Girls
Ottawa Irish Rugby Club
Location: Ontario
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development
Ottawa Wolves Rugby Football Club
Location: Ontario
Focus Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming
Rainbow Griffins Rugby Football Club
Location: Ontario
Focus Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming
Thunder Rugby
Location: British Columbia
Focus Area: Indigenous Participation Programming
Toronto City Rugby Club
Location: Ontario
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development
Tri-County Regional Centre for Education
Location: Nova Scotia
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, New Youth Programming
Williams Lake Rugby Football Club
Location: British Columbia
Focus Area: Indigenous Participation Programming & School-to-club pathway development
Winnipeg High School Rugby
Location: Manitoba
Focus Area: Capacity Building & New Youth Programming
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY RUGBY FUND
The Community Rugby Fund aims to benefit the sustainability and growth of rugby across Canada. The fund allows all registered rugby clubs, as well as schools and community organizations in Canada, to submit an application for funding based on the guidelines and criteria provided by the program. All submissions will be given equal consideration and recipients of the grants will be announced annually.
Details of the 2025 Community Rugby Fund will be announced early in 2025. For more information, please click HERE or email communityfund@rugby.ca
ABOUT RUGBY CANADA
Rugby Canada is the national governing body of the sport of Rugby Union in Canada. They administer and operate Men’s and Women’s Senior and Junior National programs in both rugby 15s and 7s, as well as govern the Club and community game for more than 30,000 registered participants from coast to coast in conjunction with ten Provincial Union members.
Rugby Canada is headquartered at the Al Charron National Training Centre in Langford, BC, residing on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Lekwungen/Songhees peoples, with staff also working from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Quebec City. Rugby Canada business operations, programs and events are delivered nationwide, including the internationally recognized HSBC SVNS Vancouver annual tournaments.