History of the Calgary Canucks Rugby Club
Founded in 1968, the Canucks Rugby Club was formed by a notorious group of Canadian athletes who were drawn to the game. The young founding members, who went on to become of some of Calgary’s leading citizens, opted to form their own club in order to establish a more serious dedication to the social side while maintaining competitiveness and a unique Canadian brand of play. After these early years, these stalwarts of tough, unorganized ,football style rugby led the way to a newer and somewhat younger brand of player. Fitness and hard work on the field, foreign concepts to the forefathers of our Club, would begin to pay dividends for the Canucks. Through the early 1970’s, the Canucks began to establish their own unique brand of rugby while maintaining the hard core socializing attitude of the founders. What this has fostered is an example of how important it is to the Club to be a place where great friends are made and lifelong relationships are shared. It soon became well known that if you were a member of the Canucks, you would share a bond of many years. On the field, this new younger contingent of players played a wide open brand of rugby and returned home victorious most Saturdays. Of course these results were more than enough fuel to keep the social contingent onside. During the latter part of the seventies, the Canucks acquired the talents of many playing members from the University of Calgary Stags Rugby Club, which was forced to withdraw from the Calgary Rugby Union due to funding cutbacks in the University’s rugby program. This further bolstered the strength of the team for many years and put the Canucks on solid footing to become a strong club in the future. Over the years, the Canucks have maintained the goals of its forefathers of playing a competitive game on the field and emphasizing the social side off of the field. It was important to them that the club be a fun place to come to and a welcoming place for visitors who want to enjoy the Canadian hospitality. The Canucks have grown into one of the strongest clubs in the province of Alberta who contend in all divisions every season. In recent years, our First Division Premier side has won the Alberta Cup as Provincial Champions in 2003. The club has seen its First Division team in the Provincial Grand Final in 2008 and they were the Calgary City Champions for 2010 as well as the Provincial Grand Finalist for 2010. The Second Division is perennially in the top competition and the Third Division Canucks have been Calgary Champions for 2008, 2009 and 2010. During those three years, the Thirds have brought home the Provincial Championship two times. The Canucks also take great pride in their Junior program which was started in 2003 and has made great strides since. For 2011 the club will have kids playing in U19, U17, U15, U13 and U10 in the blue on blue. In 2004, the Canuck Under 18 side won its first City and Provincial Title. It then went on to become City and/or Provincial Champions for the next 4 years. In 2010, the U18’s played in the City final in what was termed the best U18 final the city has ever seen. The Canucks are now a well organized and well respected Club in the Calgary and Alberta Unions and field sides from 8 years old to 40 years old. The Club has toured more than any other club in the Province, to all parts of the world, and keeps to its Founders objectives of being competitive and friendly to all visitors while fostering a love of the game and friendships for life.
