Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame & Annual Awards Program Postponed

September 02, 2020

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Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame & Annual Awards Program Postponed

September 2, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(WHITBY, ON) - After months of uncertainty as a result of the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting of priorities, both operational and financial, today, Rugby Ontario is announcing its decision to postpone the Hall of Fame and Annual Awards Program for 2020.  It is with great disappointment that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and presentation of Annual Awards, a pinnacle moment in the annual Rugby Ontario calendar of events, will not be possible in 2020.  

In mid-July, Rugby Ontario announced the launch of its provincial Return to Play Plan, marking rugby’s restart after nearly five months of suspended activities.  The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought about significant challenges for the organization and the broader rugby community.  Under these current conditions and the year the rugby community has endured, Rugby Ontario has determined it is simply not the time to proceed with bestowing the highest honour the organization and sport has to present.  

“The Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame induction process and event is designed to be an incredibly special moment – an opportunity to recognize an individual’s service to rugby and its community,” said Myles Spencer, Rugby Ontario CEO.  “Marking the Hall of Fame inductions at an annual event each Fall has become a tradition.  At this time, the organization would be doing a disservice to any inductees by not offering the same platform for recognition those in the past have received.”   

An important consideration in this decision was the current government and public health restrictions limiting Rugby Ontario and the Hall of Fame Committee’s ability to conduct the same event this year.  Furthermore, with the impact to the rugby season and programming, the ability to recognize personal contributions to the sport in 2020 in the form of Annual Awards has been diminished.  Rugby Ontario places the Hall of Fame and Annual Awards program as a key component in acknowledging outstanding contributions by members of the Ontario rugby community; therefore, the organization would be remiss in devaluing the significance of this honour and the annual event by taking away the incredibly special moment for all Hall of Fame inductees and award recipients.  A virtual ceremony has not been considered as the organization does not feel it is neither appropriate nor feasible at this time.   

“The rugby community has appreciated the opportunity to gather to honour and celebrate excellence through the selections made by the Hall of Fame and Awards Committee,” said Domenic Scuglia, Chair of Rugby Ontario’s Hall of Fame & Awards Committee.  “The highlight of this tribute is for the clubs to be present to acknowledge these accomplishments.  The safety of our members during the pandemic is a priority and since an in-person evening cannot take place, I wholeheartedly support the decision to defer the event to the following year.  I know my colleagues on the committee will look forward to renewing our work once the coronavirus is behind us.”

Rugby Ontario will announce details regarding the 2021 Hall of Fame and Annual Awards Program at a future date in 2021.


ABOUT THE ONTARIO BLUES

The Ontario Blues program is the high performance representative program for male and female rugby players in Ontario. Rugby Ontario is represented at the provincial level by the Ontario Blues. The program includes representative teams from Under-15 to Senior in both Women’s and Men’s Fifteens and Under-18 Men's and Women's Sevens. Specifically, the program is designed to develop and showcase rugby players for Canadian representative national teams.


ABOUT RUGBY ONTARIO

Rugby Ontario is the provincial sports governing body responsible for the organization of rugby in Ontario. Our mission is to establish a stronger identity for rugby in Ontario by promoting the sport’s core values and by fostering a culture of inclusiveness and excellence on and off the field of play.

To learn more, visit https://www.rugbyontario.com/


WANT MORE INFORMATION?


Dalton Finkbeiner

 Communications and Marketing Coordinator - Rugby Ontario

    647-560-4790 x 1006

    dfinkbeiner@rugbyontario.com


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