Canadian Rugby Championship
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Rugby Championship (CRC) is an amateur rugby union competition contested by 4 Canadian teams annually. During the inaugural season in 2009, the champion of round robin play would go on to play in the Americas Rugby Championship
. Starting from the 2010 season, a "Canada Select XV" is formed from players participating in the CRC to go on and compete in the ARC. The winner of the CRC is awarded the MacTier Cup
.
started the NA4, to help create a higher level of rugby in North America, as well as to develop players and provide a pathway to national team selection, to make North American rugby teams more competitive at the international level. It was contested by 4 teams, 2 each from Canada and the USA.
was later added in the 2nd season)
In order to select a team that would play in the ARC, Rugby Canada
announced the CRC, with the champion advancing to the ARC. Following the first season, a national select team was chosen instead, from players who competed in the CRC.
The regular season follows the same format as the Tri Nations and the Six Nations
, having teams playing in a round robin format, with the team that accumulates the most points throughout the tournament winning the MacTier Cup. Every team plays five games, the western teams playing three at home and two away, while the eastern teams play a reversed schedule.
The MacTier Cup was created in 1988 to be awarded to the champion of the Rugby Canada Super League. Since the RCSL folded, the MacTier Cup is now being awarded to the CRC Champion.
Americas Rugby Championship
The Americas Rugby Championship is a rugby union competition contested by national and regional teams from North and South America. The league has replaced the IRB's previous North American competition, the North America 4....
. Starting from the 2010 season, a "Canada Select XV" is formed from players participating in the CRC to go on and compete in the ARC. The winner of the CRC is awarded the MacTier Cup
MacTier Cup
The MacTier Cup is the name of the championship for the Rugby Canada Super League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. The MacTier Cup was established in 1998 along with the RCSL. The first MacTier Cup Championship match was played between the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide...
.
The NA4
In 2006, the IRBInternational Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
started the NA4, to help create a higher level of rugby in North America, as well as to develop players and provide a pathway to national team selection, to make North American rugby teams more competitive at the international level. It was contested by 4 teams, 2 each from Canada and the USA.
The ARC
On September 7, 2009 the IRB scrapped the NA4 and unveiled the ARC competition, in which Canada, the USA and Argentina would send representative teams to fight for a championship title (TongaTonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
was later added in the 2nd season)
In order to select a team that would play in the ARC, Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada, is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in Canada. Rugby Canada was incorporated in 1974, and stems from the Canadian Rugby Football Union, a body established in 1884 that now governs amateur Canadian football as Football Canada; and the now-defunct Rugby Union of...
announced the CRC, with the champion advancing to the ARC. Following the first season, a national select team was chosen instead, from players who competed in the CRC.
List of teams
| Team | City/Area | Field | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC Bears | Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... , BC British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
Various | Kris de Scossa |
| Prairie Wolf Pack Prairie Wolf Pack The Prairie Wolf Pack is a Canadian rugby union team representing the Prairies region in the Canadian Rugby Championship. The Wolf Pack's inaugural season includes a home game at the Calgary Rugby Park against The Rock and away games at the BC Bears and Ontario Blues.-Current squad:Squad for the... |
Calgary Calgary Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies... , AB Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces... |
Calgary Rugby Park | Colin Jeffs |
| Ontario Blues Ontario Blues The Ontario Blues are the senior men's representative rugby team for Ontario. They were founded in 2009 to compete in the Americas Rugby Championship against other representative teams from Canada, Argentina, and the United States... |
Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... , ON Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
Fletcher's Fields Fletcher's Fields Fletcher's Fields is a rugby stadium in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It currently serves as home to the Toronto Rebellion of the Rugby Canada Super League. The stadium, which seats 3,000 people, has hosted numerous Canada national rugby union team matches in the past was one of the venues for the... |
Rob Doyle |
| The Rock The Rock (rugby team) The Rock, also known as the Atlantic Rock, are a Canadian rugby union team based in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. The team plays in the Canadian Rugby Championship and is intended to draw most of its players from the rugby unions of Canada's five Eastern provinces: Quebec, New Brunswick,... |
St. Johns St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St... , NL Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
Swilers Rugby Park Swilers Rugby Park Swilers Rugby Park is a Rugby union stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland.... |
Pat Parfrey |
Season Structure
The CRC is broken up into a pre-season and a round robin season. During the pre-season teams play exhibition matches against other teams, usually not participating in the CRC.The regular season follows the same format as the Tri Nations and the Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, having teams playing in a round robin format, with the team that accumulates the most points throughout the tournament winning the MacTier Cup. Every team plays five games, the western teams playing three at home and two away, while the eastern teams play a reversed schedule.
Trophy
| Team | Titles |
|---|---|
| BC Bears | 1 |
| The Rock The Rock (rugby team) The Rock, also known as the Atlantic Rock, are a Canadian rugby union team based in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. The team plays in the Canadian Rugby Championship and is intended to draw most of its players from the rugby unions of Canada's five Eastern provinces: Quebec, New Brunswick,... |
1 |
| Ontario Blues Ontario Blues The Ontario Blues are the senior men's representative rugby team for Ontario. They were founded in 2009 to compete in the Americas Rugby Championship against other representative teams from Canada, Argentina, and the United States... |
1 |
The MacTier Cup was created in 1988 to be awarded to the champion of the Rugby Canada Super League. Since the RCSL folded, the MacTier Cup is now being awarded to the CRC Champion.
See Also
- Americas Rugby ChampionshipAmericas Rugby ChampionshipThe Americas Rugby Championship is a rugby union competition contested by national and regional teams from North and South America. The league has replaced the IRB's previous North American competition, the North America 4....
- North America 4North America 4North America 4, also known as IRB North America 4 often abbreviated to NA4, was a North American rugby union competition launched in 2006...
- Rugby Canada Super League
- Rugby CanadaRugby CanadaRugby Canada, is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in Canada. Rugby Canada was incorporated in 1974, and stems from the Canadian Rugby Football Union, a body established in 1884 that now governs amateur Canadian football as Football Canada; and the now-defunct Rugby Union of...