home/BC Bears/BC Rugby Pathways & Programs
CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL
Playing in BC Rugby Club or High School leagues increases chance of selection for regional competition.
All BC Rugby Provincial Representative Teams are collectively known as the BC Bears.
With all male and female Senior and Age-Grade teams representing the BC Bears brand, BC Rugby aims to create unity and build a distinct identity between all our Provincial Representative Teams.
We hope our players are proud to represent a unified BC both on and off the field. Learn more about the BC Bears and Player Pathways below:
BC Bears: A Rich History
BC has a rich Rugby history and has been represented by Provincial Teams for well over a century. BC Rugby is proud to be part of a long tradition of developing elite Rugby players and supplying our National Men’s and Women’s Teams with world-class talent.
The BC Bears are the Provincial Representative Teams across Senior and Age-Grade levels in both XVs and 7s formats. These teams compete at Championships and Tournaments which are attended by Rugby Canada Coaches and Selectors.
Over the decades, our Provincial Teams have toured, hosted and played the world’s biggest and best Rugby teams including the likes of Australia, New Zealand, England and the British & Irish Lions.
Pathways & Programs
Our BC Bears Programs begin at U16 Level through to Senior Men’s and Women’s Programs.
Our Programs are aided by several regional competitions that are attended by BC Bears Team Coaches. These competitions, such as our Age-Grade Provincial Regional Championships or Senior Regional Cup Competitions, give players the chance to impress in front of any watching BC Bears Coaches.
The full selection process to our respective BC Bears teams can be found in our Selection Policies below.
Representing BC Bears for Provincial level is a pivotal step towards representing Canada at National and International Level. Learn more about Rugby Canada’s Player Development Model here.
Below is an example pathway for both male and female Age-Grade and Senior players.
AGE-GRADE
SENIOR
BC BEARS SELECTION POLICIES
How do you get selected to the BC Bears?
Selection can come from regional competitions such as the Age-Grade PRCs or Senior Regional Cup Competitions, as well as Identification and Development Sessions that take place throughout the year which any registered BC Rugby Member can attend. These sessions are advertised on the BC Rugby website and social media channels, with all information being made available on the BC Bears XVs and BC Bears 7s Team Pages.
The full selection process to our respective BC Bears teams can be found in our Selection Policies below:
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE & CARDING
Click below to discover funding opportunities for Age-Grade High-Performance athletes:
BC Rugby Player Subsidy
The BC Rugby Player Subsidy program aims to ensure that no player withdraws from a BC Rugby Team due to financial constraints by providing financial support to players in need in the form of discounts applied against team fees. Targeted towards players who require financial assistance in order to represent their Province, the Player Subsidy program was launched in 2017 and has provided over $120,000 of support to players in BC Rugby XVs and 7s Teams.
The BC Bears Subsidy Program is back for 2024, with $40,000 in funding support available to players aspiring to representative-level Rugby. The subsidies available for the BC Bears 2024 Age-Grade Representative Teams are:
- $ 300.00
- $ 500.00
- $ 750.00
- $ 1,000.00
To apply for the Player Subsidy Program, please complete this form by Monday, July 8, 2024.
Please send your letter of support as detailed in the form to npryce-baff@bcrugby.com prior to July 8.
*Please note: This application is solely for the purpose of players subsidies. This application will not have impact on the BC Bears selection process.
The timeline for selection to BC Bears teams and outcome of Subsidy applications is as follows:
- July 8: Deadline for online applications to Player Subsidy Program
- July 8: Players informed of selection to BC Bears Representative Programs
- July 10: Outcome of Subsidy application shared with applicants
- July 11: Deadline for accepting selection to BC Bears Representative Programs
Canadian Sport Institute Pacific
By virtue of its status as a “targeted sport” within the British Columbia Integrated Performance System (IPS), BC Rugby Union is eligible to nominate selected athletes and their Coaches for enhanced programs and services support through the Canadian Sport Institute and the network of Regional Centres in BC.
Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, through a partnership with the Province of British Columbia (BC), viaSport, the network of PacificSport centres and BC Rugby, collaborates to deliver programs and services to place BC athletes onto National Teams, and ensure athletes and Coaches have every advantage to win medals for Canada.
The partners work jointly to encourage sport excellence and increase podium performances in communities throughout BC. Through the above partnership, and with the above purpose in mind, BC Rugby may nominate athletes and their Coaches who meet specific criteria for Canadian Sport Institute Pacific/PacificSport athlete or Coach registration.
Upon registering, athletes and Coaches can engage in enhanced programs, benefits, and selected support services through Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and the network of PacificSport regional centres in BC. Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and PacificSport athlete support is tiered across four levels based on performance, each with a slate of designated benefits.
For more information on eligibility, please visit the CSI Pacific Website
RBC Training Ground
RBC Training Ground is a talent identification and athlete funding program designed to find young athletes with Olympic potential, and provide them with the resources they need to achieve their podium dreams.
With the belief that high performance sports should be accessible to all athletes that are talented, qualified and have the will to compete, this program travels the country searching for athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 that will fuel the Canadian Olympic pipeline.
In 2024, RBC Training Ground is hosting events across the country and calling on any male or female athlete aged 14-25 to come out and put themselves to the test.
There are three RBC Training Ground Qualifying Events scheduled to take place in BC on the following dates:
- Saturday, March 2 – Victoria (University of Victoria)
- Saturday, March 9 – Vancouver (Richmond Olympic Oval)
- Saturday, March 16 – Kamloops (TCC- Tournament Capital Centre)
Sign-Up is Free – You can register to attend a qualifying event here.
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.
