View source for British Columbia Rugby Union

{{Short description|Canadian sports organization}}
{{Infobox national rugby union
| unionname    = British Columbia Rugby Union
| nativename   =  
| logo         = British columbia ru logo.png 
| logosize     = 170px
| founded      = {{Start date and age|1889}}
| IRB          =  
| region       = Rugby Canada
| regionyear   = 
| president    = Samantha Shorter <ref>[http://www.bcrugby.com/about-the-organisation/ About BC Rugby]</ref>
| leadertitle  = 
| leadername   = 
| coach        = 
| womenscoach  = 
| sevenscoach  = 
| countryflag  = 
| url          = [http://www.bcrugby.com/ bcrugby.com]
}}

The '''British Columbia Rugby Union''' ('''BCRU''') is the provincial administrative body for [[rugby union]] in [[British Columbia]], Canada. The BCRU consists of nine sub-unions and 65 clubs. It was originally organized in [[New Westminster]] in 1889 where [[Alfred St. George Hamersley]], the former [[England national rugby union team|England rugby union]] captain and recent immigrant to [[Vancouver]], and member of Vancouver Football (Rugby) Club, became the first President.<ref name="Touchlines">[http://www.rugby-memorabilia.co.uk/touchlines_apr09.pdf Touchlines - The Magazine of the Rugby Memorabilia Society, Issue 43, April 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726044116/http://rugby-memorabilia.co.uk/touchlines_apr09.pdf |date=2013-07-26 }}</ref> The same man is credited with founding the Amateur Athletic Club of British Columbia.<ref name="Debrett">''Debrett's House of Commons'' Volume: 1918, publisher: London Dean</ref> and previously had introduced the game of rugby to the youth of [[South Canterbury]], [[New Zealand]].<ref name="News">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19290227&id=AxoTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vJYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5460,754582 The Sydney Morning Herald. - Feb 27, 1929]</ref> The current headquarters is on the west side of [[Vancouver]].

British Columbia is considered a hotspot for rugby in [[Canada]], as its mild weather allows the sport to be played year-round.

The BCRU is responsible for organizing the [[British Columbia Men's Premier League|British Columbia Premier League]], the provincial men's club championship, and the [[Ruth Hellerud-Brown]] Senior Women's Premier Competition. It also oversees provincial representative teams which compete for national championships organized by [[Rugby Canada]].

The BCRU also has a [[British Columbia Rugby Hall of Fame]].

==The BC Premier League==
The [[British Columbia Men's Premier League (rugby union)|BC Premier League]] is the highest level of amateur rugby in British Columbia. Many current and former Canadian internationals have participated in the league as well as a number of high-level foreign born players. The champions of the league's playoff system are awarded the Rounsefell Cup.

===Participating Clubs (2021–22)===
The BC Premier League is open to a maximum of 12 teams and features the following clubs from [[Vancouver Island]], [[Washington (state)|Washington State]] and the [[Lower Mainland]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Ground
!City/Area
!Founded
|-
| [[Burnaby Lake Rugby Club|Burnaby Lake]]
| [[Burnaby Lake Sports Complex]]
| [[Burnaby]]
| 1994
|-
| [[Capilano RFC|Capilano]]
| [[Klahanie Park]]
| [[North Shore (Vancouver)|North Shore]]
| 1969
|-
| [[Castaway Wanderers RFC|Castaway Wanderers]]
| Windsor Park
| [[Oak Bay]]
| 1906
|-
| [[James Bay Athletic Association|James Bay]]
| [[MacDonald Park (British Columbia)|MacDonald Park]]
| [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]]
| 1886
|-
|[[Meraloma Rugby|Meralomas]]
|[[Connaught Park, Kitsilano|Connaught Park]]
|[[Kitsilano]]
|1923
|-
| [[Pacific Pride (rugby union)|Pacific Pride]]
| [[Starlight Stadium]]
| [[Langford, British Columbia]]
| 2019
|-
| [[UBC Old Boys Ravens|Ravens]]
| [[Jericho Park]]
|[[Point Grey, British Columbia|Point Grey]]
| 1974
|-
| [[Vancouver Rowing Club|Rowers]]
| [[Brockton Oval]]
|[[Downtown Vancouver|Vancouver]]
| 1908
|-
|[[Seattle Saracens]]
|[[Starfire Sports]]
|[[Seattle]]
|2014
|-
|[[UBC Thunderbirds]]
|[[Wolfson Field]]
|[[University of British Columbia]]
| 1906
|-
|[[Victoria Vikes|UVIC Vikes]]
|[[Wallace Field]]
|[[University of Victoria]]
| 1963
|-
|[[Velox Valhallians|Westshore Valhallians]]
|[[Westshore Velodrome|Juan de Fuca]]
|[[Langford, British Columbia|Langford]]
|1969
|}

==Province Wide First Division==

=== Participating Clubs (2021-22) ===
The Province Wide First Division includes 6 teams from [[Vancouver Island]], the [[Lower Mainland]] and the [[Fraser Valley]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Ground
!City/Area
!Founded
|-
|[[Abbotsford RFC|Abbotsford]]
|[[Rotary Stadium|CFV Exhibition Park]]
|[[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]]
| 1972
|-
|[[Bayside Sharks]]
|[[South Surrey Athletic Park]]
|[[White Rock, British Columbia|White Rock]]
| 1987
|-
|[[Cowichan Piggies]]
|[[Herd Road]]
|[[Duncan, British Columbia|Duncan]]
| 1962
|-
|[[Nanaimo Hornets]]
|Pioneer Park
|[[Nanaimo]]
|1988
|-
|[[Port Alberni Black Sheep]]
|[[Port Alberni Rugby Park]]
|[[Port Alberni]]
| 1979
|-
|[[Surrey Beavers]]
|[[Sullivan Heights Secondary|Sullivan Heights]]
|[[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]
| 1972
|-
|[[United Rugby Club|United]]
|[[Hume Park]]
|[[Tri-Cities (British Columbia)|Tri-Cities]]
| 2005
|}

==Province Wide Second Division==

=== Participating Clubs (2018–19) ===
The Province Wide Second Division includes 11 teams, with reserve sides from clubs in both the Province Wide First Division and the BC Premier League as well as the following clubs from the [[Lower Mainland]], the [[Thompson Country|Thompson-]][[Okanagan]] region and the [[Fraser Valley]].
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Ground
!City/Area
!Founded
|-
|[[Brit-Lions]]
|[[John Oliver Park]]
|[[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]
| 1928
|-
|[[Kamloops Raiders]]
|[[Exhibition Park (Kamloops)|Exhibition Park]]
|[[Kamloops]]
| 1968
|-
|[[Kelowna Crows]]
|[[Parkinson Recreation Centre]]
|[[Kelowna]]
| 1969
|-
|[[Langley rugby club|Langley]]
|[[Crush Crescent]]
|[[Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)|Langley]]
| 1969
|-
|[[Scribes RFC|Scribes]]
|[[John Hendry Park]]
|[[East Vancouver]]
| 1967
|-
|[[Simon Fraser Clan|SFU Clan]]
|[[Simon Fraser University]]
|[[Simon Fraser University]]
| 1965
|}

==Province Wide Third Division==

=== Participating Clubs (2018–19) ===
The Province Wide Third Division is split into 5 conferences, the Mainland League, the Island League, the Okanagan League, the Kootenay League and the Interior League. The Mainland and Island leagues compete during the fall, winter and spring while the Okanagan, Kootenay and Interior leagues compete during the spring and summer. The champions of the league's 5 conferences play for the [[Saratoga Cup (Rugby)|Saratoga Cup]] each Fall.

=== Mainland League ===
This league includes 12 teams, with reserve sides from clubs in the Province Wide First Division, the Province Wide Second Division and the BC Premier League as well as the following clubs from the [[Lower Mainland]] and the [[Fraser Valley]].
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Ground
!City/Area
!Founded
|-
|[[Chilliwack Crusaders]]
|[[Yarrow Field]]
|[[Chilliwack]]
|1978
|-
|[[Richmond Rugby Football Club|Richmond]]
|[[King George Park (Richmond)|King George Park]]
|[[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]]
|1957
|-
|[[Squamish Axemen]]
|[[Don Ross Middle School]]
|[[Sea-to-Sky Corridor]]
|1999
|-
|[[Ridge Meadows Bruins]]
|[[Thomas Haney Field]]
|[[Maple Ridge, British Columbia|Maple Ridge]]
|1960
|-
|[[Kats Rugby Club|Kats]]
|[[Balaclava Park]]
|[[Kitsilano]]
|1953
|}
=== Island League ===
This league includes 4 teams, with reserve sides from clubs in the BC Premier League as well as the following club from [[Vancouver Island]].
{| class="wikitable"
!Team
!Ground
!City/Area
!Founded
|-
|[[Comox Valley Kickers]]
|[[Cumberland Village Park]]
|[[Comox Valley]]
|1889
|}

=== Interior League ===
This league includes 4 teams from the [[Cariboo Regional District|Cariboo]], [[Skeena—Bulkley Valley|Skeena]], [[British Columbia Interior|Northern Interior]] and [[North Coast of British Columbia|North Coast]].
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Ground
!City/Area
!Founded
|-
|[[Terrace Northmen]]
|[[Coast Mountain College]]
|[[Terrace, British Columbia|Terrace]]
|1974
|-
|[[Prince George Gnats]]
|[[Duchess Park Secondary School|Duchess Park]]
|[[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]]
|N/A
|-
|[[Williams Lake Rustlers]]
|
|[[Williams Lake, British Columbia|Williams Lake]]
|N/A
|-
|[[Prince Rupert Seamen]]
|
|[[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]]
|N/A
|}
==See also==
*[[Rugby Canada]]
*[[Fraser Valley Rugby Union]]
*[[Vancouver Rugby Union]]
*[[British Columbia Men's Premier League]]
*[[Vancouver Rogues]]
*[[Coastal Cup (rugby union)|Coastal Cup]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bcrugby.com Official website]

{{Rugby union in Canada}}

[[Category:Rugby union in British Columbia| ]]
[[Category:Rugby union governing bodies in Canada]]
[[Category:Sports governing bodies in British Columbia|Rugby]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1889]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in British Columbia]]