It’s time to put the pre-season work into action as Lower Mainland Clubs return to the pitch this weekend.

The first Fall/Spring Senior Club Season since the global pandemic takes a slightly different format than previous years. All Senior Men’s teams will contest a full Fall/Spring season. The first six weeks of Men’s Premier League and Men’s Premier League Reserve Divisions will feature regional fixtures. Results will not count towards final league standings.

All Senior Women’s teams will play regionally throughout the Fall across three Mainland and one Island Divisions, with regular leagues – including the BC Rugby Women’s Premier League – starting in Spring 2023.

Men’s Premier League presented by Onni, Men’s Premier League Reserves

The Men’s Premier League presented by Onni and Men’s Premier League Reserves Division begin with all teams competing regionally for six weeks until October 29, while University academies will face off against each other and the Pacific Pride.

The Men’s Premier League teams based on Vancouver Island – Castaway Wanderers RFC, James Bay AA and Westshore RFC – will face each other home and away with one bye week for each side.

The Mainland teams – Burnaby Lake RFC, Capilano RFC, Meraloma Rugby Club, Seattle RFC, UBCOB Ravens and Vancouver Rowing Club – face each other once with one bye week for each team.

UBC Thunderbirds, the 2022 Premier League champions, University of Victoria Vikes, Trinity West Spartans, and Pacific Pride will play each other home and away over the opening six weeks.

The Men’s Premier League Reserves also begins with six regional rounds, before regular league fixtures begin on October 29.

Men’s Division 1, 2 and 3

The BC Rugby Men’s Division 1 is wide open this season after the 2022 champions, UBCOB Ravens, returned to the Men’s Premier League Reserves Division.

Last season’s Division 2 champions, Axemen RFC, move up to Division 1, while 2022 Division 1 Runners-Up Bayside Sharks RFC will be aiming to go one better this time around.

Cowichan RFC, Nanaimo Hornets and Port Alberni Black Sheep fetch strong representation from across the Georgia Strait, while Kamloops Rugby Club and Kelowna Crows RFC will bring the challenge from BC’s interior. Abbotsford RFC and Langley RFC will be targeting a big play-off run, with Trinity West Spartans completing the league’s line-up.

In Men’s Division 2, newcomers Kats RFC will be looking for a double success following their 2022 Division 3 triumph in May.

In what will be a hotly contested league, the Kats will be joined by 2022 semi-finalists United RFC and Scribes RFC, as well as quarter-finalists Simon Fraser University Rugby Club. Burnaby Lake RFC, Capilano RFC, Meraloma Rugby Club and UBC Thunderbirds round up the division.

The Men’s Division 3 sees 17 Clubs go for glory and the right to be called champions in May. Runners-up Bayside Sharks RFC will be looking to avenge championship defeat to the Kats last time out.

2022 Playoff hopefuls Langley RFC, Chilliwack Crusaders and Richmond RFC all return, as does the Vancouver Rogues fresh off the back of a convincing Bingham Cup performance.

Castaway Wanderers RFC, UVIC Vikes, Nanaimo Hornets RFC, and Comox Valley Rugby Club will be hoping to bring the trophy back to the Island. However, the likes of Abbotsford RFC, Axemen RFC, Kamloops Rugby Club, Kelowna Crows RFC, Surrey Beavers, Scribes RFC, Simon Fraser University Rugby Club and the Brit Lions Rugby Club will allbe aiming to make their own mark in Division 3 this season.

Women’s Regional Divisions

Senior Women’s teams will contest the first half of the 2022/23 season in regional divisions, before regular league play returns in Spring 2023. Each division, apart from Mainland Division 1, will begin with a Jamboree before teams then face each other in development matches each week. Check out the below table for regional splits and Jamboree fixtures!

Below is clarification on the qualification format for the 2022/23 Men’s Premier Reserve/Men’s Division 1 Crossover Playoff Format scheduled for April 1, 2023.

While both leagues will ultimately play 17 fixtures throughout the season, the Men’s Premier League Reserves will begin with six rounds of regional competition. These regional games will not count towards final league standings.

The Men’s Division 1 teams will play 17 rounds of regular competition, with all results counting towards final league standings.

Once all regular league games are completed, the top eight teams from the Men’s Premier League Reserves and Men’s Division 1 will qualify for the Crossover Playoffs and face each other in the following seedings:

• Men’s Prem Reserves #1 vs. Men’s Division 1 #8
• Men’s Prem Reserves #2 vs. Men’s Division 1 #7
• Men’s Prem Reserves #3 vs. Men’s Division 1 #6
• Men’s Prem Reserves #4 vs. Men’s Division 1 #5
• Men’s Prem Reserves #5 vs. Men’s Division 1 #4
• Men’s Prem Reserves #6 vs. Men’s Division 1 #3
• Men’s Prem Reserves #7 vs. Men’s Division 1 #2
• Men’s Prem Reserves #8 vs. Men’s Division 1 #1

The eight winning teams will advance to the BC Rugby Senior Club Playoffs and will be reseeded ahead of the quarter-finals on April 15, 2023.

With an action-packed weekend of Rugby – which also includes the 2022 Saratoga Cup Finals in Kamloops – be sure to download the BC Rugby App to keep on top of all scores and results!

The BC Rugby App also includes important Safe Sport information including Concussion management and prevention, mental health resources and emergency service contact details.

Click below to download: