| Unionname | British Columbia Rugby Union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1889 (age 137) |
| Region | Rugby Canada |
| President | Samantha Shorter [1] |
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 rugby union captain and recent immigrant to Vancouver, and member of Vancouver Football (Rugby) Club, became the first President.[2] The same man is credited with founding the Amateur Athletic Club of British Columbia.[3] and previously had introduced the game of rugby to the youth of South Canterbury, New Zealand.[4] 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 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 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 (2025–26)
The BC Premier League is open to a maximum of 12 teams and features the following clubs from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.[5] Prior to the 2024-25 season, 12 teams competed, but Seattle left the Premier League for an American domestic competition and the Vancouver Rowing Club was demoted to the First Division. The Pacific Pride is a developmental team for the Canadian National Team and does not play as many games as the rest of the league. The 2026 champions are the UBC Old Boys Ravens, who beat UVic 30-3 to claim their 10th Cup.
Province Wide First Division
Participating Clubs (2025-26)
The Province Wide First Division includes 18 teams from Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley, 10 of which are reserve sides for the Premier League. The Vancouver Rowing Club won the 2026 championship, beating Capilano 29-20.
| Team | Ground | City/Area | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | CFV Exhibition Park | Abbotsford | 1972 |
| Vancouver Rowing Club | Brockton Oval | Vancouver | 1908 |
| Bayside Sharks | South Surrey Athletic Park | White Rock | 1987 |
| Axemen | Brennan Park | Sea to Sky | 2014 |
| Cowichan Piggies | Herd Road | Duncan | 1962 |
| Langley | Crush Cresent | Langley | 1969 |
| Nanaimo Hornets | Pioneer Park | Nanaimo | 1888 |
| Port Alberni Black Sheep | Port Alberni Rugby Park | Port Alberni | 1979 |
Province Wide Second Division
Participating Clubs (2025–26)
The Province Wide Second Division includes 10 teams, with 1 reserve side (Meralomas) as well as the following clubs from the Lower Mainland, the Thompson-Okanagan region and the Fraser Valley. Kelowna and Kamloops faced each other in the 2026 championship, with the Crows emerging 21-15 winners.
| Team | Ground | City/Area | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brit-Lions | John Oliver Park | Delta | 1928 |
| Kamloops Raiders | Exhibition Park | Kamloops | 1968 |
| Kelowna Crows | Parkinson Recreation Centre | Kelowna | 1969 |
| Langley | Crush Crescent | Langley | 1969 |
| United | Hume Park | Tri-Cities | 2005 |
| Chilliwack Crusaders | Yarrow Field | Chilliwack | 1978 |
| Surrey Beavers | Sullivan Heights | Surrey | 1972 |
| Richmond | King George Park | Richmond | 1957 |
| Kats | Balaclava Park | Kitsilano | 1953 |
| Ridge Meadows Bruins | Thomas Haney Field | Maple Ridge | 1960 |
Province Wide Third Division
Participating Clubs (2025–26)
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 each Fall.
Mainland League
This league includes 11 teams, 9 of which are reserve sides, as well as the following clubs from the Lower Mainland. Burnaby Lake won the 2026 Mainland Third Division title.
| Team | Ground | City/Area | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Fraser RC | Simon Fraser University | Simon Fraser University | 1965 |
| Scribes | John Hendry Park | East Vancouver | 1967 |
Women's Leagues
The BC Rugby Union also runs a tiered league system for women's teams. There are three tiers, the Women's Premier League, Women's Division One and Women's Division Two Tier 1. The makeup of the teams in each tier is similar to the men, save for a few changes. The lists only include non-reserve teams.[6]
Women's Premier League (25-26)
- Burnaby Lake
- Westshore
- Meralomas
- Castaway Wanderers
- Vancouver Thunderbirds (2026 champions)
- Seattle
- Abbotsford
- UBCOB
Women's Division One (25-26)
- Comox Valley Kickers
- Kamloops
- Bayside Sharks
- Capilano (2026 champions)
- James Bay
- Castaway Wanderers
- Nanaimo Hornets
- United
- Cowichan Piggies
Women's Division Two Tier 1 (25-26)
- Chilliwack Crusaders
- Simon Fraser RC
- Kelowna Crows (2026 champions)
- Vancouver Rowing Club
- Ridge Meadows Bruins
- Langley
- Richmond
- Scribes
Rounsefell Cup
Since 1922, the Rounsefell Cup has been awarded to the Men's Premier League champions. Since 2015, the cup has only been won by two clubs, the UBC Thunderbirds and UBC Old Boys Ravens. James Bay has won the most titles by far, with Meralomas coming in 2nd with 13. Of the current Premier League teams, Westshore, Burnaby Lake and the Pacific Pride have not won the Rounsefell Cup.[7]
| Club | Titles | Most Recent |
|---|---|---|
| James Bay AA | 24 | 2014 |
| Meraloma Club | 13 | 2009 |
| Kats Rugby Club | 12 | 1970 |
| UBCOB Ravens | 10 | 2026 |
| UBC Thunderbirds | 9 | 2023 |
| North Shore All-Blacks | 6 | 1955 |
| Castaway Wanderers | 4 | 2011 |
| King George | 4 | 1931 |
| Capilano RFC | 3 | 2012 |
| UVic Vikes | 3 | 2010 |
| Vancouver Rowing Club | 3 | 1995 |
| Vindex RFC | 3 | 1953 |
| Cowichan RFC | 2 | 1998 |
| Brit-Lions | 2 | 1984 |
| Oak Bay Wanderers | 2 | 1962 |
| South Burnaby | 1 | 1949 |
| Army Victoria | 1 | 1944 |
| Royal Canadian Naval College | 1 | 1943 |
| Lord Byng | 1 | 1942 |
| The 5th Regiment | 1 | 1936 |
| The Canadian Scottish Regiment | 1 | 1931 |
| Central Athletic Club | 1 | 1922 |
See also
- Rugby Canada
- Fraser Valley Rugby Union
- Vancouver Rugby Union
- British Columbia Men's Premier League
- Vancouver Rogues
- Coastal Cup
References
- ^ About BC Rugby
- ^ Touchlines - The Magazine of the Rugby Memorabilia Society, Issue 43, April 2009 Archived 2013-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons Volume: 1918, publisher: London Dean
- ^ The Sydney Morning Herald. - Feb 27, 1929
- ^ "League – BC Rugby". Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "League – BC Rugby". Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "Rounsefell Cup on the line as Thunderbirds square off against Ravens". University of British Columbia Athletics. 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2026-03-16.