2023 ARC Host Announcement

Rugby Alberta is pleased to announce the 2023 edition of the Alberta Regional Championship XVs tournament will be held at the St Albert Rugby Football Club from June 30 – July 2, 2023. The Alberta Regional Championship XVs tournament is one of Rugby Alberta’s flagship tournaments that normally consists of 16 teams, 8 teams per gender, and is run over the Canada day long weekend. Rugby Alberta strives to provide good value and meaningful competition for developing athletes across all the regions of Alberta. Rugby Alberta’s goals and objectives for the ARC Tournament is to explore the boundaries of player capabilities and identify players for the Wolf Pack age grade representative teams. In addition, Rugby Alberta is committed to upholding our standard of excellence, and delivering an outstanding experience for all players, coaches, match officials, spectators, sponsors, and supporters.

In March, Rugby Alberta requested bids from locations across our province that would be interested in hosting the 2023 ARC tournament, and a Bid Review Sub-Committee was formed that consisted of the following members:

  • Darren Andruko – Treasurer, Rugby Alberta
  • John Vavrek – Director-at-Large, Rugby Alberta
  • Peter Houlihan – Executive Director, Rugby Alberta

The St Albert Rugby Football Club is well-known in the Alberta rugby community and has demonstrated experience in hosting a variety of high-profile events such as the 2021 YEG Sevens tournament and numerous international rugby matches including the 2006 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Rugby Alberta is excited to have the ARC XVs tournament return to the Edmonton-area in 2023, and will be using this year as the re-start of the typical 3-year rotation for ARC-hosting duties where we alternate hosting between the Edmonton-area, the Calgary-area, and a non-Edmonton or Calgary-based location.

Interested In Becoming A Match Official

Are you a fan of rugby and interested in becoming a match official? Here’s your chance to learn the ins and outs of the game and take your passion to the next level. The Alberta Rugby Union is proud to announce the Match Official Course, which is designed to help aspiring referees develop their skills and knowledge.

The course will be held in Edmonton on April 27-29 and May 11-13, and in Calgary on May 5-6. It is open to anyone who is interested in becoming a rugby match official, regardless of their level of experience. The course will cover a range of topics, including the laws of the game, referee positioning, communication, and decision making. Check course listings: Rugby Canada Training & Education Course Listings Page

The course will be led by experienced referees and coaches, who will provide participants with hands-on training and feedback. By the end of the course, participants will have a deep understanding of the game and the confidence to make informed decisions on the field.

Becoming a match official is a great way to get involved in rugby and make a positive impact on the sport. It offers the opportunity to work closely with players and coaches, while also contributing to the growth and development of rugby in Alberta.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for the Match Official Course today and take the first step towards becoming a rugby referee. To register, visit the Alberta Rugby Union website or contact them directly for more information. We look forward to seeing you on the field!

Rugby Alberta Events Feeding The Player Pathway

Rugby Alberta is excited to partner with Rugby Canada on upcoming events to provide opportunities to showcase the rugby talent we have in our province.  Rugby Canada recently announced that women’s age grade national programming would relaunch, ‘…with the aim of running programs that develop players and coaches through a national pathway in close collaboration with communities, clubs, schools, universities, and provincial unions.’  Rugby Alberta has been working with a number of Rugby Canada programs to plan upcoming events that will serve as part of the national player pathway.

For U18 and U20 female athletes, we are hosting a Talent Identification and Development Session in Red Deer on April 22 and 23.  This session is being held in partnership with staff members of the Rugby Canada age-grade programs and will serve as an opportunity for national coaches to observe players from our province.  Our provincial ID camp, along with similar camps being held in other provinces, will lead into:

  • A Rugby Canada U20 selection camp to be held June 2-6 in Vancouver and Canada’s U20 Women’s Rugby Team will then play two matches alongside the Canadian-hosted Pacific Four Series games this July.
  • The opportunity to be selected for Canada’s U18 West Women’s program. Following selection, athletes will have an opportunity to train and scrimmage to further identify talent in the Rugby Canada pathway restart. The U18 West program will be coached by University of Alberta coach Chelsea Ross, while University of Calgary coach Ricky Coombe will oversee the U18 program as a whole.

We have also recently announced the Senior Women’s Wolf Pack North v South Series, which will be used to prepare and showcase female athletes for selection to the Senior Women’s National Team, the Rugby Canada U23 women’s program, and the previously mentioned Rugby Canada U20 Women’s program.  Under the direction of Rugby Canada’s Senior Women’s Programming, this two-match series in May will feature the top rugby players from across the North and South regions of our province. This event will be an excellent opportunity for these athletes to showcase their talent and represent their regions with pride.

‘We are excited to kick-off some exciting events in April and May that will allow us to showcase some of the amazing women’s rugby players we have in our province.  You only have to look to the recent rosters of the Women’s National team playing in the PAC4 and on the Women’s National 7s team to know that our province is already well-represented in both squads.  But we know there is more talent to be showcased and that is why we have been working hard with Rugby Canada staff to plan these events.’ Rugby Alberta President Chris Cooke

Rugby Alberta plans to host other Talent Identification camps this summer for male athletes and will be working with Rugby Canada to ensure those camps can be held with Rugby Canada staff in attendance.  Stay tuned for more information over the coming months as details are finalized.

Women’s Wolf Pack North V South Series

Welcome to the Women’s Wolf Pack North v South Series!

We’re thrilled to announce this exciting rugby event that will showcase the best female rugby players from the North and South regions of Alberta.

This highly anticipated event will take place on May 6th at the Calgary Rugby Union and May 21st at RugbyFest in Leduc. These matches promise to be thrilling, action-packed events that will leave rugby fans on the edge of their seats.

Our Women’s Wolf Pack team is made up of the top rugby players from across the North and South regions. This event will be an excellent opportunity for these athletes to showcase their talent and represent their regions with pride.

We will be holding an information meeting on March 29th, 2023, at 9pm via Microsoft Teams. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the details of the upcoming North v South Series. We believe that this series will be an incredible opportunity for to showcase our Alberta athletes. We will be discussing various topics such as scheduling, logistics, pathway, fundraising, and much more.

Register for the meeting here

Don’t miss out on this incredible event! Get your tickets now and join us for an unforgettable experience. We look forward to seeing you at the Women’s Wolf Pack North v South Series!

Wolf Pack Talent Identification And Development Sessions

Rugby Alberta is pleased to announce Wolf Pack Talent Identification and Development Sessions for U18 and U20 female athletes (birth year 2003-2006) taking place in April 22nd and 23rd, 2023.

In conjunction with Rugby Canada’s U20 and U18 Programs, Rugby Alberta is looking to identify all eligible athletes for summer programming. U20 Eligible athletes are those born between 2004-2005 for the 2023 U19 Canadian Rugby Championships, as well as any athletes born in 2003 who would be eligible for the U20 National campaign. U18 eligible athletes are those born in 2005-2006 to be identified for the 2023 Western Championships in August and future Rugby Canada camps.

Sessions will be hosted in Red Deer and will cost $50 with fees helping offset field rental.

ALL athletes MUST pre-register for the camp by clicking on the button below. (Athletes will not be able to show up on the day of and complete the registration)

Sessions will take place on the following dates and athletes must be available to attend both sessions:

  • April 22nd 1pm – 5pm
  • April 23rd 9am – 12 pm

Venue

  • The Dome in Red Deer (334 Energy Way Red Deer County AB, T4E 0A7

All athletes are advised to bring cleats for turf at The Dome, as well as their own snacks and water as there will be breaks during the sessions. There will be a therapist on hand for taping and emergency care only.

REGISTER NOW

ARC Day 2 Schedule

Day 2

 

SUNDAY

22-Jan

Day 2

 

SUNDAY

22-Jan

Time

Comp

Team A

Team B

Time

Comp

Team A

Team B

8:00

Warm up

8:00

Warm up

8:42

Shield

Preds

v

GP

9:04

Shield

Mavs Grey

v

GP

9:26

Cup

Gold 1

v

Mavs Grey

9:48

Cup

Mavs Maroon

v

Preds

11:38

Cup

Pronghorns

v

Mavs Maroon

12:00

Cup

Gold 1

v

Lethbridge

12:22

Shield

Gold 2

v

GP

12:44

Shield

Gold 2

v

GP

14:36

Cup

Bronze – Loser SF1 v Loser SF2

14:58

Cup

Bronze – Loser SF1 v Loser SF2

15:20

Shield

Gold 2

v

Preds

15:42

Shield

Gold 2

v

Mavs Grey

16:04

Cup

Final – Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

16:26

Cup

Final – Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

END AT 5:00pm

END AT 5:00pm

ARC 7s 2023

Rugby Alberta is pleased to announce that the 2023 Alberta Regional 7s U18 Competition (indoors) will be held at Foote Field, University of Alberta, Edmonton. This event will run alongside the Western Canada Women’s University Rugby 7s hosted by the U of A Pandas.

The tournament will be taking place over 2 days. Player welfare and quality of play were major factors in this decision.

The Alberta Regional 7’s Championship will consist of the following teams.

  • Calgary Mavericks (Zone 2, & 3)
  • Central Predators (Zone 4)
  • Edmonton Gold (Zone 5,6,7)
  • Deep South (Zone 1)
  • Grande Prairie (Zone 8)

This is a great opportunity for the girls to be identified for U Sport and potential scholarships for those looking to pursue post-secondary education.

We would also like to thank all of the hard-working Volunteers associated with the regional teams that put countless hours in to create opportunities like these for the players to play.

Event Website: 

https://www.rugbyalberta.com/arc7s2023/

Event Overview:

Date: January 21 & 22, 2023

Location: Edmonton, Alberta

Venue: Foote Field, University of Alberta

The tournament will follow standard World Rugby Laws for 7s.

(https://www.world.rugby/sevens/laws?lang=en)

Land Acknowledgement 

Rugby Alberta acknowledges the 2023 ARC 7’s will take place on the traditional and ancestral territory of many peoples, presently subject to Treaties 6, 7, and 8. Namely: the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika – the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, and the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta.

Attn: 2022 AGM Rescheduled Saturday December 10th

Notice is hereby given that due to unavoidable circumstances the Board of Directors of Rugby Alberta has rescheduled the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) It will now be held on Saturday December 10th 2022 , time and all other information will remain unchanged.

Please note that voting rights under the current Rugby Alberta Bylaws will not be extended to members in bad standing due to unresolved issues, fines, or suspensions that resulted in their participation in the 2021 – 2022 season. All member clubs must still pay their directors insurance before the start of Rugby Alberta’s 2022 AGM to be eligible to vote regardless of their club participation in the 2022 season

Voting Members – The only Members who can vote at General or Special meetings of the Society are Members in good standing and will include the current Board of Directors.

Number of Votes at a General or Special Meeting – 

Each Club is entitled to a maximum of three votes determined by the programs offered by the club (one vote for each Men’s, Women’s and Junior program. A program will be recognized as such when it has 10 or more registered members. All votes are to be cast by representatives of the Club who are at least eighteen (18) years old. At least one club representative must be in attendance. Voting can only be done by those listed on the official Register of Members.

Written approval from the clubs executive outlining who their voting representatives are will be received by the Rugby Alberta office by fax, mail or email no later than 48 hours prior to any General or Special meeting. Failure to provide notice will result in the club not having voting privileges at that meeting.

Voting privileges will be extended to one vote each for the Executive Council, AJRA, RAMOA, ERU, CRU and any other organization the Board of Directors inducts onto the Board.

By the direction of the Executive Committee

Celebration Of Life For David Robinson

Celebration of Life
Saturday November 5th 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Calgary Rugby Union

We encourage everyone to come out and share a pint as we remember David at the CRU. We hope to see many of you there to reminisce and share a story or two about David.

Donations
Working with David’s Family and the Canadian Rugby Foundation a scholarship award fund has been set up in David’s name to support an Alberta based rugby participant in their post-secondary education. The family has asked that in-lieu of flowers donations be made to the “David Robinson Memorial Award Fund” via the Canadian Rugby Foundation. Donations can be made at :
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/canadian-rugby-foundation/
Select ‘David Robinson Memorial Award Fund’
or
https://canadianrugbyfoundation.ca/index.php/support-a-fund/scholarship/david-robinson-memorial-award-fund/

Rugby Community Mourns The Loss Of David Robinson

On Saturday, October 15, 2022, we lost David Robinson, an outstanding member of the rugby community. David was an active referee for 30 years in Alberta and British Columbia but was often found refereeing around the world. David never missed an opportunity to take his boots with him on his travels, creating a legacy of having refereed in over 20 countries. David was often seen talking to new match officials about his global referring experience.

On the field, David was willing to help whenever and wherever he was needed, from his annual run at the Stampede Rugby 7s, shadowing new match officials, refereeing age grade matches, or the highest level of Provincial tournaments and Provincial finals.

David’s community involvement was not limited to the field. David never missed an opportunity to host a visiting match official. He opened his home, shared his family and community, and ensured everyone got the most out of their visit and the game of Rugby, which he loved.

David was a founding member of the Rugby Alberta Match Officials’ Association (RAMOA) and sat on its first board, serving as both treasurer and president during his time. David’s connections during his travels played a key role in helping RAMOA set up ongoing Match Official exchanges in Northern California.

In recent years, David became a Citing Commissioner for World Rugby and Major League Rugby and has been involved in several tournaments throughout Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to David’s family, friends and the community he tirelessly served. A life well lived in service of others is a life we should all celebrate.