Congratulations to BC Rugby Official Shanda Assmus, who has been announced as a finalist for the upcoming Sport BC Annual Athlete of the Year Awards!
Shanda is named as a Finalist in the Official of the Year Category for the 56th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards, taking place on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Winners will be announced on the night.
Shanda was the first person to referee both Men’s and Women’s National University Finals in the same year, as well as being the first person to officiate both BC Rugby Men’s and Women’s Premier League Finals. She has officiated at international level in both 7s and XVs Rugby, represents the BC Rugby Referees Society Board of Directors, is a World Rugby Educator, and also mentors new referees in the community. Shanda continues to officiate both Senior and Age-Grade matches every week across the province.
Congratulations, Shanda!
ABOUT THE AWARDS
BC Rugby nominated the BC Bears U16 Boys team that achieved a perfect 6-0 record last summer under the “Team of the Year” category. The team, coached by John Mergui (Vancouver Rowing Club RFC), Remi Anctil (Salish Sea Warriors), and Scott McGinley (Meraloma RFC), did not concede a single point throughout six matches that culminated in an impressive 2023 Western Canadian Championship title win.
We also nominated Liam Turnbull (UBCOB Ravens/St George’s School) and Adia Pye (Vancouver Thunderbirds/Castaway Wanderers RFC) respectively in the High School Athlete of the Year and Post-Secondary Athlete of the Year. However, these nominations were unsuccessful.
The 56th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards will take place on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The event, to be hosted by CBC’s Scott Russell, recognizes the province’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, teams, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport in the 2023 season. Each finalist was nominated by their Provincial or Multi-Sport Organization, High School, College, or University. The Selection Committee, led by long-serving Chair Bernie Pascall, included a diverse group of highly experienced British Columbia sport leaders and media members.
An additional six awards will be presented at the ceremony including the Best of BC, KidSport BC Community Champion, Harry Jerome Comeback, Daryl Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award and In Her Footsteps Honourees and the Bobbie Steen Legacy Foundation Award recipient.
“The Athlete of the Year Awards is a true celebration of sport in our province. The finalists listed below will be honoured at the event and represent exceptional efforts and accomplishments in 2023. We congratulate our finalists and the organizations they represent”, shares Sport BC’s President and CEO, Rob Newman. “We look forward to celebrating as a sector together on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The finalists represent 24 sports from communities all throughout BC demonstrating the collective strength of our province’s sport sector.”
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.
