2023 saw the execution of Rugby Ontario’s Build Belonging Project funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The project sought to increase rugby participation amongst underrepresented groups in Ontario, enacted through a community-driven approach to enhancing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility practices (IDEA) throughout the organization and rugby clubs across the province.
To review the 2025 ToR please click here.
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Heal (Co-Chair) | Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment | bryan.heal@mlsealaunchpad.org |
| Stephanie Buryk | Toronto Scottish | |
| Lauren Wolman | Rugby Canada Board | |
| Amanda Neale-Robinson | Independent Consultant | |
| Scott Dunham | Balmy Beach | |
| Kristen Lagerstrom | Western University | |
| Danielle Spice | Oakville Crusaders | |
| Amy Baker | Peterborough Pagans | |
| Mobolaji Adewale | - | |
| Jamie Lee Walker | Ottawa Irish | |
| David Cameron Donnachie | Rainbow Griffins | |
| Katelyn McCreary | Fergus Highland | |
| Jocelyn Poirier (Staff Representative) | Rugby Ontario |
Let’s Play Rugby is a Rugby Canada initiative aimed at increasing non-contact program opportunities for girls ages 13-18. In 2024, Rugby Ontario received funding for 7 clubs to complete Let’s Play Rugby projects targeting the recruitment and registration of at least 20 new non-contact girls. The clubs were provided a 10-week non-contact program resource guide to support their initiatives. Six clubs successfully completed a project and are continuing to support and grow youth girls rugby.
Applications for the next group of Let’s Play Rugby clubs are due October 3rd 2025. For the 2025-2026 cohort, clubs will use T1 Rugby – the new non-contact variation of the game from World Rugby – to introduce the sport to 13-18-year-old girls. Two levels of funding are available. For more information click here.
Rookie Rugby is the nation-wide introductory rugby program for children of all ages with a focus on the Active Start, Fundamentals, and Learn to Train stages of the Sport for Life Long Term Development Framework. It is a game-based curriculum built on national guidelines for Health and Physical Education curriculums.
The program provides open-access, easy-to-follow game modules for leading a variety of activities that build introductory, non-contact rugby skills in a safe, fun, and inclusive environment and provides teachers and coaches – including those that are unfamiliar with rugby – with new methods to promote physical literacy and practice Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS).
Rookie Rugby Coach and Teacher Training
Rugby Canada has developed a four-hour NCCP Rookie Rugby coach course. Learn more.
As outlined in the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, Rugby Ontario is working hard to support the development of our club community and deliver on the key initiatives linked to this strategic priority. One way we are doing that is through the creation of a Rugby Development Network to align with the broader network being developed across the country. Our vision involves a vast, interconnected network across the province working directly with targeted clubs to develop rugby in their communities while reporting to Rugby Ontario and Rugby Canada.
Our current Rugby Development Network consists of individuals in two types of roles: one Rugby Development Officer and two Consultants. Our Rugby Development Officer (RDO), Rob McQueen was hired in 2022 to serve a group of clubs in the Southwest Rugby Union working to grow and develop the sport in those clubs and the surrounding communities. This included coordinating school and community partnerships and outreach to increase awareness of our sport, facilitating and providing opportunities for the training and development of rugby coaches, match officials, and volunteers, supporting clubs to build and implement club development plans, and increasing accessibility of the sport through the introduction of non-traditional programming and competition structures.
Rob is now building on his early experiences in the role to develop the Game Leader Program focused on expanding technical capacity at clubs, improving the quality of the game for our youngest members and providing experiential leadership development for young adults. With pilot projects underway, we look forward to expanding this program across the province. For more info about the Game Leader Program please contact Rob directly at rmcqueen@rugbyontario.com.
After piloting Rugby Development Consultants (RDCs) in 2025 with 6 RDCs each supporting the development of a regional group of clubs who opted in to the program, we have further evolved that role to serve all clubs and focus on specific areas of need related to club development. Our two RDCs for 2026, Elizabeth McCaw and Mark Perrin, are focused on supporting clubs with governance, strategic planning, and volunteer and project management. Both have office hours through the off-season and are available year-round for club consulting at a preferred rate. Read on for more info on RDCs.
Building on the work of last year’s Rugby Development Consultant Network, we have zeroed in on two areas of focus for 2026. We are pleased to re-introduce two returning RDCs whose services will be available to all clubs across the province through off-season office hours and provincial resource creation and through club consulting at a preferred rate. Read on to view their pre-season office hours and learn more about their areas of focus and how they can help your club.
General Info:
Office hours run Feb to April and resume Oct to Dec.
Club Consulting available year-round – contact RDCs directly to set up a meeting and explore options. RO preferred rate is TBA.
Mark Perrin
Email: mperrin@rugbyontario.com
Focus: Project Management
Description: Reach out to Mark if you have a lot of ideas but struggle getting them fully executed; you were successful with a grant or bid but now are overwhelmed trying to accomplish what you promised; you are looking for ways to make your workflows more efficient and reduce redundancy; things seem to fall through the cracks, end up behind schedule or over budget, or otherwise get derailed along the way; or your volunteers are doing great work but are disconnected from each other.
Office Hours: 6-7pm
Office Dates:
March 11th Register for Office Hours
March 25th Register for Office Hours
April 8th Register for Office Hours
April 22nd Register for Office Hours
*Special Summer Hours – July 15th
Club Consulting: Contact Mark
Elizabeth McCaw
Email: emccaw@rugbyontario.com
Focus: Club Governance and Strategic Planning
Description: Reach out to Liz if you are struggling with running effective board meetings; you have a great group of volunteers however can’t seem to stay organized; you always feel like you are putting out fires instead of strategic planning; you want to run a new program but don’t know where to start, or the realities of running a club have become overwhelming.
Office Hours: 7-8pm
Office Dates:
March 11th Register for Office Hours
March 25th Register for Office Hours
April 8th Register for Office Hours
April 22nd Register for Office Hours
Webinars: Spring and Fall Webinars TBA
Club Consulting: Contact Liz.
Bio: With over 20 years of experience in community sports operations, Elizabeth is a seasoned leader specializing in strategic planning, programming and operational structures. She has contributed her expertise to major organizations including Ontario Basketball, Canada Soccer and FSA Sport, and currently serves at the Director of Business Operations for the Pickering Football Club, a thriving community soccer organization with over 5000 members in the Durham Region. In addition, Elizabeth is a Rugby Development Consultant with Rugby Ontario, where she provides valuable insights and support to the rugby community, drawing on her extensive experience in soccer and past consulting roles. She is passionate about building sustainable sport systems that strengthen communities and enhance participation at all levels.
As outlined in the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, Rugby Ontario is dedicated to investing in the future of rugby in Ontario and one way we are doing that is by championing women in leadership to ensure that our leadership is representative and reflects our community. In the fall of 2023 four Rugby Ontario staff and board members participated in the Gender Equity Playbook Program by Canadian Women and Sport to conduct a systematic review and assessment of our policies, programs, and practices through a gender equity lens. The Rugby Ontario Women in Leadership Program is a first step toward more intentional and direct actions to improve gender equity in our sport.
Women In Leadership Fund
In 2024 Rugby Ontario announced the introduction of our own Women in Leadership Fund to extend the reach of the Rugby Canada program by the same name. In addition to the Ontario-based recipients of the Rugby Canada fund, Rugby Ontario provides funding to support two more women to pursue leadership development opportunities that align with their personal goals. The Women in Leadership program provides a platform for participants to connect and learn from each other and mentors as they continue their personal development journeys.
2025 Recipients
Katelyn McCreary
Vice President – Fergus Highland
Petra Woods
President – Scarborough Aces
“The Women in Leadership program is important for the growth of women in rugby because it provides the tools and support needed to break barriers and create a stronger, more inclusive sport. As a successful candidate, I hope to accelerate my personal development into a leader who can inspire others, both on and off the field. I want to be able to give back to the sport by helping cultivate future leaders, empowering athletes and community members, and contributing to the overall success, inclusivity and growth of the sport.”
“Women’s rugby is continuing to flourish, driven by dedicated efforts to promote gender equity and the empowerment of female athletes. Initiatives such as the Women in Leadership program are creating opportunities for increased involvement and accomplishments on or off the field. I hope to empower my peers to build a sustainable rugby club and accessible programming that will encourage the long-lasting participation of young talented players, coaches and referees for the next wave of rugby.”
2024 Recipients
LeeAnn Napiorkowski
President – Unified Jax / VP Development – Lanark Highlanders
Kelly Zacny
President – Georgian Bay Titans
“I would love to help women find their way in our sport. I have been blessed to work with so many strong women who have made a huge impact on my playing, coaching and administrative work. My goal is to help people from all walks of life, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels to get involved in rugby.“
“The Women in Leadership program is important to gather women who share similar goals and aspirations in the sport of rugby. Recently I’ve taken on a role as President of the Georgian Bay Titans Rugby Club, and I look forward to expanding my knowledge and leadership skills to guide my team. I am hoping to grow the sport of rugby in our community but also grow as a community.”
Check out our Women’s Month Interview!
Working towards three key strategic priorities of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan – Support the Club Community, Build Belonging, and Invest in our Future – Rugby Ontario continues to emphasize the importance of Youth Development through our work.
Youth-Engage Project
In 2023, Rugby Ontario ran a pilot project targeting youth aged 14-18 to be introduced to non-player roles, titled the Youth-Engage Project. 28 youth from across the province participated in the free virtual program sessions from March to May, introducing them to the training and education platform as well as coach and match official pathways.
Youth Development Committee
Established in 2024 on the heels of a successful Youth-Engage Program, the Youth Development Committee is an operational committee of Rugby Ontario that is, by design, of youth for youth with members under the age of 30 working to develop and support opportunities to improve recruitment and retention of youth (ages 13-29) and foster the development of skills and opportunities related to non-player roles. Heading into our third year the group is looking to establish a youth presence across all Rugby Ontario Committees to ensure that the youth voice is embedded in all aspects of the organization.
To review the 2025 ToR please click here.
| Name | Club Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Dante Losardo (Chair) | N/A | dante.losardo@yahoo.com |
| Cailey Aitkenhead | ||
| Mannat Sukhija | Waterloo County | |
| Reuben Bowley | Fergus Highland | |
| Alexandros Vritsios | Guelph Goats | |
| Samantha Jane Cummings | Oakville Crusaders | |
| Kyra Ireland-Old | Ottawa Irish | |
| Jocelyn Poirier (Staff Representative) | Rugby Ontario |
Established in 2024, the Minor Rugby Working Group assists Rugby Ontario operations staff in fulfilling their responsibilities relating to the growth and development of Minor Rugby in Ontario in line with the Rugby Ontario Strategic Plan and Long-Term Development in Sport. Members review and analyze feedback from stakeholders and support the planning of the Minor Rugby season and related initiatives.
To review the 2025 Group Statement of Work please click here.
| Name | Club Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Gourley (Chair) | Georgian Bay Titans | patgourlay@hotmail.com |
| Travis MacIver | Barrie | |
| Melissa Duff | Ottawa Ospreys | |
| Barb Di Nardo | Toronto City Youth | |
| Alex Ross | Sarnia Saints | |
| Chris Schryer | Balmy Beach | |
| Brett Moxley | Lindsay | |
| Stacey Barron | Aurora Barbarians | |
| George Ashfield | Guelph Goats | |
| Em Cormier | Mississauga Blues | |
| Jennifer Luke | Brantford Harlequins | |
| Tom Edwards | Hamilton Hornets | |
| Jocelyn Poirier (Staff Representative) | Rugby Ontario |