2014 Canadian Rugby Championship and General Canadian Rugby Chat.

[LittleGuy]

Do the Blues only play at Fletchers? Or do they ever have games closer to the City.

It also seams that when ever I am at Fletchers are the days that no big teams have games there.

The Blues haven't played at Fletcher's in ages. They've been in Oakville, Burlington a lot, even Lindsay last year.

how would replacing the top league section and add a section for Canadian/American rugby sound ? they're are huge numbers off canadian/american users and they're are like no japanese users who uses the top league section and i would definitely read and reply to the forums

We disscussed having an America's rugby section last year, but we went for the Tier Two and Three idea as it should have more activity, maybe we can revisit that again in the future but for now I think it's a better choice to proceed as we have.

 

[Beerfalo]

Do the Blues only play at Fletchers? Or do they ever have games closer to the City.

It also seams that when ever I am at Fletchers are the days that no big teams have games there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Blues

Judging from their wikipedia page they list Fletchers as their home field but they play all over the Toronto area when they are at home. Burlington seems to be a popular one according to their results.

 

[Beerfalo]

Canadian Rugby

I figured we could use a place to concentrate our thoughts and discuss all things Canadian rugby from schedules, to domestic stuff, to player transfers and everything in between. Especially seems like a good time since we're in the middle of Canada's(excluding BC's) club seasons and the CRC is also almost upon us.

Poor Duncan Maguire from St Albert broke his leg(or so we were told) last night in a Alberta Cup game against my club, the Nor'Westers. I feel real bad for him as he was almost assuredly going to start on the Wolf Pack and was really important for St. Albert. He was also on the Canada 7's team 4 times this last season so I wouldn't have been shocked to seen him called back up for the Commonwealth Games. Plus breaking your leg is terrible even if you're not an awesome player and I really hope he has a speedy recovery and can get back into game shape for next year.

Also I might get my first action of the year playing third division tomorrow against Parkland Sharks so I'm really nervous yet excited. I'm new to playing rugby, used to be a defensive tackle back in the day, and the last year of mine has been hampered with two different knee injuries, a back injury and a wrist fracture so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Jono Mac]

Hi Beerfalo,

I understand that the CRC is the highest level of domestic competition in Canada, is this league close to turning pro or semi-pro? Also, how much do Canadians actually follow it and is it on tv?

I have been watching Canada's midyear games via the IRB live stream (& YouTube) and although they lost their games, they looking very good! They should have beaten Scotland. I get the feeling the rugby is on the up and its profile is growing in Canada, am I correct in surmising this?

 

[rusty_lock]

Hi Beerfalo,

I understand that the CRC is the highest level of domestic competition in Canada, is this league close to turning pro or semi-pro? Also, how much do Canadians actually follow it and is it on tv?

I have been watching Canada's midyear games via the IRB live stream (& YouTube) and although they lost their games, they looking very good! They should have beaten Scotland. I get the feeling the rugby is on the up and its profile is growing in Canada, am I correct in surmising this?

Jono,
The best way that I could describe the CRC is as a hybrid of professional and amateur rugby. The regions create a professional environment ie. coaching, support staff, strength and conditioning, etc... and then select the top domestic amateur players in Canada. They are unpaid so in that sense it is truly amateur but in every other aspect it is not. The problem for Canada is that we are a MASSIVE country geographically and the travel expenses alone eat up any funds available. Consider the flight that the BC Bears take to play the The Rock in Newfoundland. With coaches, support staff, and players you are probably looking at a minimum of 30 people in your travelling party. Flying domestic economy will still run you a 1000 per person plus accomodations, plus food/perdiem, plus transfers. When you then add the expense of the coaching and the support staff there is simply nothing left over to pay any kind of salary. As it stands, it is as proffessional as it can get until some benefactor wants to dump a few millions a year turning it into a truly professional league.

It is not on TV. Canadian in general don't follow it. Mostly it is just the rugby community that would even know that it is going on. A couple of years ago the championship final was televised on CBC and they did a good job with it but that has been it. There has been a change in the sports television market that I'm hoping will bring a change in this regard and bring CRC to the TV. TSN, a national sports broadcaster, recently lost the rights to broadcast NHL hockey. In Canada that is a blow to the head for a sports channel. At the same tiime they announced that they were going from 2 channels to 5 channels with the promise that they going to be providing more content never before seen in Canada. Now I'm sure we will get our fair share poker, beach volley ball and national high school cheerleading competitions rebroadcast from ESPN in the US but we have a government body called the CRTC and they mandate that all Canadian broadcasting have a certain minimum amount of Canadian content. For a sports channel that is going to mean finding local domestic sport to broadcast to fulfill that quota. My dream is that that is the CRC in 2015.

I don't want to talk about the June tests, I'm still recovering from the hangover.

I think that Rugby's profile in Canada has improved slightly in the last little while but i am pretty biased and not always the most objective in that regard. Maybe someone else could comment on that.

 

[LittleGuy]

Looking forward to the BC Bears tour of South America coming up. The game against Uruguay especially.

 

[Beerfalo]

Ya I can't wait to see how BC compares to that Buenos Aires rep team and especially Uruguay. I really wish the Wolf Pack and The Rock had the funds/support to go play cool games like Ontario and BC do.

http://www.rugbycanada.ca/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=3817&leagueID=0&page=80840

Also Canada announced our roster for the Commonwealth Games and it's pretty much what I expected:
Connor Braid (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
Justin Douglas (Abbotsford RFC) Abbotsford, BC
Sean Duke (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
Mike Fuailefau (Castaway Wanderers/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
Lucas Hammond (Toronto Nomads/Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON
Ciaran Hearn (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay South, NL
Nathan Hirayama (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Richmond, BC
Harry Jones (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
John Moonlight (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON
Sean White (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
Mike Scholz (Castaway Wanderers/Ontario Blues) Oakville, ON
Conor Trainor (UBCOB Ravens/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC

Mack and Dala are injured so that's a pretty big blow, especially Mack being hurt, and Underwood and Maguire are also out. Even without those guys I think it's a fairly strong side. Eight of the players played on our 2nd place finish team in Glasgow earlier this year and we also get the talent of Hirayama and Hearn added to the mix. I don't know how well they will stand up against New Zealand(probably not very well haha) but they should definitely easily handily Barbados and should definitely give Scotland a tough game on their home soil. Definitely think we have the toughest group in the tournament.

 

[LittleGuy]

I'll have to get a Commwealth 7's thread started tommorow. Medalling for us will be tough especially without two of our impact and veteran players. At least enough of the core is still there that we should be competitive.

 

[Jono Mac]

Cheers Rusty_lock, thanks for the info.

As you mentioned, the key will be for them to get the CRC onto TV, to generate sponsorship and financial revenue. It actually amazes me how competitive the Canada and the USA are, considering their lack of fully professional setups. The day North America gets a pro comp, it wont be long before you guys will be in the top 10 and in time, the top 5.

As I mentioned, don't be too disappointed by the June tests... there are some major positives I can see from a neutral's point of of view. It is a pity that Canada aren't in Pool B at the RWC, they would have a good chance of making the quarters.

I trust the RWC 2015 will be on TV (even if it's through satellite etc)?

 

[LittleGuy]

The 2015 RWC will be on TSN and TSN2 which are basic cable and satellite(TSN2 is sometimes a tiny bit extra) both are very afforable channels.

 

[rusty_lock]

The new five channels on TSN will be live this September. Hopefully we see more rugby coverage as a result. Now to get rugby on TV you need Sportsnet World. It is sold only as a single channel for 14.99 a month which makes it pretty spendy. I haven't heard anything from my cable provider yet regarding TSN so we will see...

 

[LittleGuy]

Forgot about that launch, aslo means every single RWC game should be carried live, one or two I had to catch off of the website in 2011.

 

[canadafan]

Looks like Aaron Flagg did not make the Taranaki squad, hopefully he gets on somewhere else.

 

[LittleGuy]

Maybe an RFU Championship club will come calling, or France. Don't think i can remember a time when so few Canadian players played in France. Cudmore in Top 14, Paris in D2 and Piffero in Federal 1 are the only three playing professionally(semi pro in Piffero's case). Josh Jackson was still lingering in the fully amateur Federale 2 last season as his career wound down also not sure if he's fully retired now.

 

[canadafan]

If Flagg wants to make it pro, it will have to be at 6, he is too short for lock. But is he fast enough for 6? I have read that he isn't. That being said, France would be a good destination for him.

 

[Beerfalo]

The CRC U19 tournament starts tomorrow in Newfoundland and ends this weekend. I only really care because two of my teammates should be starting for the Wolf Pack and I really want to see how they do against the rest of Canada's youth. Apparently all the games are going to be streamed so hopefully it works for me.

 

[LittleGuy]

Buenos Aries really kicked the crap out of the BC Bears today, 38-7, I didn't catch the game but looking at Pat Johnston's tweets the Bears got beaten in pretty much all facets of play. I was expecting a little closer of a game. 2nd half was a bit pendantic, BA took their feet off the pedal and just sort of settled for that margin.

 

[psychic duck]

Maybe an RFU Championship club will come calling, or France. Don't think i can remember a time when so few Canadian players played in France. Cudmore in Top 14, Paris in D2 and Piffero in Federal 1 are the only three playing professionally(semi pro in Piffero's case). Josh Jackson was still lingering in the fully amateur Federale 2 last season as his career wound down also not sure if he's fully retired now.

The only other one is Cam Pierce at Pau, although he hasn't played a game yet.

 

[LittleGuy]

Los Teros leading the Bears 13-7 right now, I can't get the stream working think they might not have enabled it for Canadian viewers which is a shame.

Edit 20-14 now, subs being rung in.

Edit Edit: Bears have taken the lead with an indreible try which they converted, BC up 21-20 this is going down to the wire.

 

[LittleGuy]

Uruguay misses a penalty at the death and the BC Bears win 21-20, sounds like a fun game, crowd were really into it. From following the match on twitter it could ahve gone either way both teams were in the acsendancy for long stretches.