Rugby Union in Canada

Rugby Union In Canada

Rugby union is a minority team sport in Canada; it is relatively strong as a participation sport, particularly in several hotspots like British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, but does not attract the same level of spectator support. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board (IRB) as a tier two rugby nation alongside Fiji, Japan, Romania, Samoa, Tonga and the USA (there are ten tier one rugby nations). Tier two nations do not have a full-time professional domestic structure in place, but they are considered by the IRB to be the most promising countries in which to expand the sport. The Canadian national side have competed in every Rugby World Cup to date yet have only won one match each tournament, with the exception of the 1991 tournament where they reached the quarterfinals.

Canada's two main problems have been geographical isolation and the sheer size of the country, which makes inter-province competition difficult - an additional problem is the climate, because many grounds are under snow/ice for significant portions of the year, leading to a split season. However, in terms of international rugby, Canada has not been so isolated, since European sides touring Australia and New Zealand, and vice versa, would frequently stop off there, in the days before proper long distance jet flight. As early as 1905, Dave Gallaher's "Originals" from New Zealand played there, and a long line of All Blacks sides have played there.

Canada has long been a regional power in the sport, albeit in one of the sport's weaker regions. Argentina are the leading team in the Americas, usually followed by Canada, the United States and Uruguay.

Canada has around 13,000 seniors and twice as many junior players spread across the country, the leading domestic competitions are the Americas Rugby Championship, a cross-border regional competition including the United States and Argentina, and the Rugby Canada National Junior Championship for under-20 players organised solely within Canada by Rugby Canada, the sports governing body.

Of the two rugby codes, rugby union is by far the more popular code in Canada whereas rugby league has struggled to establish more than a negligible presence in the country. As a result, Canadian media usually refer to rugby union simply as rugby.