Rugby Canada selects a record 22 clubs across the country for 2024 Community Rugby Fund

April 17, 2024 (Langford, BC) – Rugby Canada, with funding from the Government of Canada, are pleased to announce the 22 successful applicants for 2024 that will receive support through Rugby Canada’s Community Rugby Fund. This is the highest number of clubs selected in a single year since the fund began in 2021.

2024 marks the fourth year of the Community Rugby Fund, which was made possible through the federal government’s Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI). The fund supports National Sport Organizations (NSOs) in establishing more accessible and locally organized sport programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation, particularly among Black, Indigenous and racialized communities as well as 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, people with low incomes, and newcomers. A total of $16.7 million in funding was provided to 39 NSOs, including Rugby Canada.

This year, Rugby Canada received 67 applications from across Canada and with 22 recipients selected for 2024, a total of 49 applications have now been approved for funding since the Community Rugby Fund began in 2021.

For 2024, priority was given to rugby clubs, schools or community organizations who applied for grant funding that focused on cultivating the community game with special consideration given to projects that:

• Create or develop a school-to-club pathway to increase the number of registered rugby players participating in club rugby.
• Enhance inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility of rugby within a club, educational institution, or community organization, particularly for Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and newcomers to Canada.
• Create new programs or develop existing programs that aim to introduce women and girls to the game of rugby.
• Build program delivery capacity through the development of Coaches or Match Officials within the rugby community.

“2024 marks a monumental year for the Community Rugby Fund,” said Jamie Levchuk, Managing Director of Operations and Game Development for Rugby Canada. “This year we are proud to select 22 new recipients and provide $100 000 in total funding for the successful clubs, schools and community organizations who all displayed the ability to grow community and grassroots rugby in Canada. I look forward to seeing the long-lasting impact all our successful applications will have on our game.”

2024 Community Rugby Fund Recipient List

Langley Rugby Club 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus: School-to-club pathway development & mixed abilities rugby 

Aurora Wolves Rugby Union 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus: School-to-club pathway development 
  
Axemen Rugby Club 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus: School-to-club pathway development 
  
Belleville Bulldogs RFC 
Location: Ontario  
Focus: Programming for Women & Girls, Capacity Building 

Brockville Privateers RFC 
Location: Ontario 
Focus: Programming for Women & Girls, Capacity Building, School-to-club pathway development 
  
Calgary Hornets RFC 
Location: Alberta  
Focus: School-to-club pathway development 
  
Donald A. Wilson Secondary School 
Location: Ontario 
Focus: School-to-club pathway development 
  
Edmonton Clansmen Rugby Football Club 
Location: Alberta 
Focus: New Youth Programming and Programming for Women & Girls 

Elk Valley Rugby Football Club 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus Area: New Youth Programming & School-to-club pathway development 

James Bay Athletic Association 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, Youth Leadership Programming 

Manitoba Wombats 
Location: Manitoba 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development 

Mississauga Blues Rugby Club 
Location: Ontario 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, Youth Leadership Programming 

Mont-Tremblant RFC 
Location: Quebec 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development & Capacity Building 

Nor’ Westers Athletic Association 
Location: Alberta  
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, Programming for Women & Girls  

Ottawa Irish Rugby Club 
Location: Ontario 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development 

Ottawa Wolves Rugby Football Club 
Location: Ontario 
Focus Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming 

Rainbow Griffins Rugby Football Club 
Location: Ontario 
Focus Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming 

Thunder Rugby 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus Area: Indigenous Participation Programming 

Toronto City Rugby Club 
Location: Ontario 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development 

Tri-County Regional Centre for Education 
Location: Nova Scotia 
Focus Area: School-to-club pathway development, New Youth Programming 

Williams Lake Rugby Football Club 
Location: British Columbia 
Focus Area: Indigenous Participation Programming & School-to-club pathway development 

Winnipeg High School Rugby 
Location: Manitoba 
Focus Area: Capacity Building & New Youth Programming 

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY RUGBY FUND

The Community Rugby Fund aims to benefit the sustainability and growth of rugby across Canada. The fund allows all registered rugby clubs, as well as schools and community organizations in Canada, to submit an application for funding based on the guidelines and criteria provided by the program. All submissions will be given equal consideration and recipients of the grants will be announced annually.

Details of the 2025 Community Rugby Fund will be announced early in 2025. For more information, please click HERE or email communityfund@rugby.ca

ABOUT RUGBY CANADA

Rugby Canada is the national governing body of the sport of Rugby Union in Canada. They administer and operate Men’s and Women’s Senior and Junior National programs in both rugby 15s and 7s, as well as govern the Club and community game for more than 30,000 registered participants from coast to coast in conjunction with ten Provincial Union members.

Rugby Canada is headquartered at the Al Charron National Training Centre in Langford, BC, residing on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Lekwungen/Songhees peoples, with staff also working from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Quebec City. Rugby Canada business operations, programs and events are delivered nationwide, including the internationally recognized HSBC SVNS Vancouver annual tournaments.