BC Rugby is pleased to announce the 2026 BC Bears XVs Pathway, marking a significant year for representative rugby in the province and the highly-anticipated return of the BC Bears Senior Men’s team.
Thanks to funding from the Canadian Rugby Foundation, the BC Bears Senior Men and BC Senior Women’s Blue and Gold teams will take the field once again this summer.
The BC Bears U19 and U17 XV Programs will head to Ontario, while our U15 Build a Bear Camps return to Shawnigan Lake School.
Programming for each team is listed out below.
BC Rugby will announce all ID and Development Sessions and Camps on its website and social media accounts throughout the year, while more information on each BC Bears Program can be found in the BC Bears section of our website here.
All BC Bears teams will showcase kits and training wear by our official kit and merchandise partner, O’Neills Sportswear.
“The 2026 BC Bears XVs Pathway reflects our commitment to rebuilding and strengthening representative rugby in British Columbia,” said John Tait, BC Rugby Technical Director. “From grassroots development through to the return of our Senior Men’s and Women’s Programs, this pathway provides clarity, opportunity, and aspiration for players across the province.”
Further details regarding fixtures, camps, coaching appointments, and player identification opportunities will be announced in the coming months.
Interested in sponsoring the BC Bears? Contact Rob Bartlett at rbartlett@bcrugby.com
BC BEARS SENIOR XVs PROGRAMMING
The BC Bears Senior Men will face long-time rivals Rugby Ontario Blues in a marquee two-match Series scheduled for May 2026, with one match hosted on Vancouver Island and one at Capilano RFC. The visitors, Ontario, will also face the Vancouver Island Tide in their three-match tour of British Columbia.
Following the conclusion of the Ruth Hellerud-Brown Cup in March, BC Senior Women’s Blue and Gold Teams will host the Alberta Wolfpack Senior Women in an exciting two-match showdown at the end of May. More details will be released by BC Rugby ahead of the Series.
BC BEARS AGE-GRADE XVS PROGRAMMING
The 2026 BC Bears XVs Pathway will also see BC’s Representative Age-Grade teams competing nationally and interprovincially.
The BC Bears U19 Men’s and Women’s teams will head east to Ontario to contest the 2026 Canadian Rugby Championships on July 18-26, continuing BC’s proud tradition of competing on the national stage. The BC Bears U19 Women will travel as defending champions, while the Bears U19 Men will be aiming to go one better than their silver-medal finish in 2025.
Meanwhile, the BC Bears U17 Boys and Girls XVs teams will return to Ontario this July 18-26 to face Rugby Ontario’s U17 XVs Programs in the newly-established O’Neill’s Challenge Cup. The Bears won both Cups in 2025 and will be looking to retain them at Guelph University this summer.
At the foundation of the pathway, BC Rugby’s U15 Build a Bear Camps will return to Shawnigan Lake School on July 26-31. These camps focus on skill development, game understanding, and introducing young male and female athletes to the values and standards of the BC Bears program.
The U15 Camps will also help develop Club, Regional and School Coaches, providing an opportunity for them to observe expert technical coaches delivering sessions to U15 Bears athletes throughout the week.
BC Rugby
A: 2015 Main Street, Vancouver, BC | V5T 0J8
T: 604.737.3065
E: info@bcrugby.com
BC Rugby gratefully acknowledges that its offices reside on the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
