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 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.
The BC Bear is highly recognizable image with over a decade of history behind it. With our newly updated BC Bears logo, which features on the new BC Bears kits provided by official kit supplier X-Treme Sports Gear, we aim to champion a greater sense of team, identity and consistency between all BC Provincial Representative teams.
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
ENTRY LEVEL
DEVELOPMENT
REGIONAL TEAMS
Regional selection for competitions such as Provincial Regional Championships.
Players can also tryout for BC Bears at Open Identification Sessions throughout Province.
PROGRESSION
PROVINCIAL TEAMS
BC Bears selection at U16 and U18 level for Boys and Girls.
Compete in summer months against other provinces in events such as Western Canada Championships.
PERFORMANCE
NATIONAL TEAM
Selection for National Programs and Canada’s National Teams. Canada has several Age-Grade national programs, from U15 and U18 Girls to U18 Boys.
SENIOR
ENTRY LEVEL
CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL
Playing in BC Rugby Senior Club leagues increases chance of selection for Senior Regional Competition.
DEVELOPMENT
REGIONAL TEAMS
Regional selection for competitions such McKechnie Cup, Dunbar Keg or Ruth Hellerud-Brown Competitions.
Players can also tryout for BC Bears at Open Identification Sessions throughout Province.
PROGRESSION
PROVINCIAL TEAMS
BC Bears selection at U19 (Men), U23 (Women) and Senior Level (Men and Women).
Compete in winter months against other provinces, professional Club or National teams.
PERFORMANCE
NATIONAL TEAMS
Selection for National Programs and Canada’s National Teams at XVs or 7s Level.
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:
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 2023, 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, January 28 – University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna (UBCO Gymnasium – Okanagan Campus, 3211 Athletics Ct, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7)
- Saturday, February 11 – University of Victoria, Victoria (CARSA Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities – Gabriola Rd, Saanich, BC V8P 5C2)
- Sunday, April 16 – University of British Columbia, Vancouver (War Memorial Gym – 272-6081 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1)
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), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
