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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Beerfalo" data-source="post: 676204" data-attributes="member: 71326">Warning: I'm gonna ramble a lot and I'm kinda stubborn and crazy. These are just thoughts and I know they are highly unlikely to happen, especially anytime soon.You raise a good point with players and the amounts of travel. Traveling on a bus does suck and flights get pricey. I've bused to Vancouver before and that was not fun hahaha. Though if I was with guys I liked it might have been bearable. Who doesn't like a road trip with buddies. I don't know how the guys in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Cold Lake handle that much travel on the road(4-6ish hours one way depending on roads and stops) with like half their games being in Edmonton. I don't know how to fix that but Canada needs a better way to develop talent even though the size of our country really limits what is viable and realistic. Club levels are getting better and the CRC offers high quality games but player spots are extremely limited. If they spun it as similar to the CHL or CJFL then maybe they could get Canada hopefuls from each region/union. It would showcase A LOT more players than the CRC can. I just look around and see the different leagues and levels in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and it makes me frustrated.A young player in Edmonton would be a lot more likely to get playing time and noticed by Rugby Canada by playing for the Gold instead of just their club team. We might even be able to retain talent if Rugby Canada payed attention here instead of seeing player after player leave for BC in a hope to be noticed. I know we have the Wolf Pack for the Prairies but there was only 6 Edmonton based players chosen this year and a lot more want to play at a higher level. And I'm sure there are Saskatchewan and Manitoba players who would like a realistic chance to show what they have to offer since they are seemingly after thoughts for Wolf Pack. As rugby continues to grow country wide I think it may be a lot more realistic. Like a decade down the road, at least for player numbers and depth. But I think you're right, right now it's just a pipe dream.There are rep teams fighting it out in the Western provinces, I guess I just want to see the format grow and expand. Of course travel and costs for in-province rep competition is a lot easier and cheaper. Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Vancouver already face off in a three team series for the McKechnie Cup with each team playing at home once and away once as far as I know. Edmonton Gold vs Calgary Mavericks is still kinda a thing though it's taken a lot less seriously than it was in the past. Saskatchewan has the North Saskatchewan Wolverines and Regina Prairie Fire that play each other from what I've heard. Maybe starting with baby steps with try getting competition between Edmonton Gold, Calgary Mavericks and Saskatchewan Prairie Fire going. Then maybe if that's a hit the winner could have a game against the McKechnie Cup winner in a location like Kelowna at the Apple Bowl  to decide a Western Champion and it can grow from there?</blockquote>

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