Bryan Ray

CO-FOUNDER / EDITOR / NORTH AMERICA ... has been writing about Canadian rugby since 1998 for various publications. Also talks sports (and sometimes other things) on CBC Radio. Former player of 20+ years, coach, and senior referee.

Hurricanes to help Arrows with Professional Plans

On Wednesday the Ontario Arrows made waves with the announcement that they have formed a partnership with one of Super Rugby’s most iconic franchises – the Hurricanes. Based in Wellington on the southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island, on the face of it the two franchises couldn’t be further …

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Spain now under Player Eligibility Microscope

The extraordinary situation emerging from the Rugby Europe World Cup qualification has taken yet another turn. On Sunday it was confirmed that Belgium had fielded an ineligible player against Germany, and in fact it has since come to light that a second Belgian player is also in question. Who that …

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Serious Questions asked of Romanian player eligibility

Hot on the heels of player eligibility rows that have seen Tahiti disqualified from World Cup qualification and Belgium under investigation is now a third case involving a Romanian international. The Oaks have incorporated several overseas players on residency to their team in recent years but the legitimacy of one …

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Major League Rugby – One Month Out

We’re almost there. One month from today the whistle will blow, the ball will fly through the air, and it will be game on for the newest professional rugby competition in the Americas – Major League Rugby. If things go as planned there will be another beginning further south down …

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A Dark Day for Rugby

On Saturday we witnessed Ireland make history with a Grand Slam finish of the Six Nations, arguably the world’s most prestigious rugby event outside of the World Cup. A day of celebration for the rugby world though decidedly somber for England rugby devotees. When we woke from the hangover on …

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Visa delays force Seawolves to cancel Victoria match

Major League Rugby has hit its first speed bump. Late Wednesday evening its Seattle franchise, the Seawolves, were forced to pull out of a scheduled preseason match against the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide. The match was due to take place at Westhills Stadium in Langford, BC, on Sunday afternoon. A …

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Hooley headlines impressive Eagles freshmen class

There are 13 uncapped players in the Eagles squad for the Americas Rugby Championship. It does sound like a lot. By comparison there were 10 new caps in last year’s ARC. The inaugural ARC in 2016, however, handed debuts to a whopping 25 newcomers. Of those, seven are returning for …

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Heaton Ready to Tackle All Comers

When he’s not busy throwing his body in front of small buses disguised as human beings, Matt Heaton can often be found moving heavy inanimate objects on iron bars. A casual glance at his social media postings will tell you that the hours required in the gym by a professional …

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High hopes for Canadian University Men’s Championship

Canadian rugby could be on the verge of a significant milestone on November as a joint announcement last week confirmed an initiative to hold a Canadian Men’s University Rugby Championship in November of this year. The event is set to be hosted by Guelph University, located approximately 100 km west …

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Notes from the North

Once again we’ve drifted far too long between entries. With so much going on behind the scenes it’s hard to keep track of what’s most important in Canadian rugby right now but in this column we’ll try to focus on the immediate concerns – the Women’s World Cup, the CRC, …

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