Rugby Canada will need $450,000 for the next eight months to pay staff and players to train for the repechage tournament in November, as per a statement by Rugby Canada.
Statement from Rugby Canada regarding National registration dues & #RWC2019 - Full story >https://t.co/tn38PaUgwv#RugbyCA 🍁🏉
— Rugby Canada (@RugbyCanada) April 7, 2018
The national men’s 15s rugby team had a chance to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in February, but they lost to Uruguay 70-60 after a two-game aggregate-point series. Uruguay beat Canada in the first game 38-29 and 32-31 in the second.
Head coach Kingsley Jones developed a detailed plan that includes hiring a full-time assistant defense specialist coach to assist him. The money will also be spent on keeping professional European players in Langford for the centralized program to practice and play in at least a dozen test matches before the repechage tournament.
Info: Additional points regarding last Saturday's player dues increase announcement to assist in 2019 @rugbyworldcup qualification for Canada's Men's Team. Details> https://t.co/ZcblU4o29S #RugbyCA #RC15s pic.twitter.com/m9DvKwGfT7
— Rugby Canada (@RugbyCanada) April 10, 2018
Rugby Canada worked with the Provincial Rugby Unions to raise the additional funds, and it was decided by a majority vote to increase dues to come up with the funds. Of the eight provinces in attendance at the meeting, the B.C. Rugby Union was the only one that did not vote in favour because they couldn’t guarantee the increase would only be for one year.
If the men’s team qualifies for the 2018 repechage tournament, Rugby Canada will receive $450,000 in 2018 and again in 2019 – in addition to the investment it receives from World Rugby.
Rugby Canada receives more than $2 million annually from World Rugby for all national senior team and U-20 men’s programs. If Canada does not qualify for the 2019 men’s Rugby World Cup it could mean a loss of more than $1 million annually from World Rugby.
