Blues Newsletter - October

In this issue:
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Senior Women, 15s: 1st in EORU Prem, Intermediate Cup Finalists

Our senior women’s program has soared this summer, ending their regular season at 6 wins and 0 losses in the EORU premiership division.

They followed that up with a 39-31 win over the Toronto Rugby Union women’s champion, Brampton Beavers on home field. Their season came to a close with well-fought loss to the Kingston Panthers in the Intermediate Cup Finals.

While the season was an on field success, the team prides itself on being open to all levels from beginners to provincial level players. The team culture of inclusivity and camaraderie combined with a focus on skill development has been key. We’re excited to see this program continue to grow and reach new heights!

22+ U18s and senior women are playing post secondary rugby at many universities and colleges across the country.

U18 Boys, 15s

Our U18 boys started the season very strong with players representing six different high schools.

Three players, Aton Biakabutuka, Jackson Kuhnstadt-Landon and Aidan McGuire were invited to the Canada U18 ID camp in Guelph and we were extremely well represented when Team Ontario’s Development Academy played a friendly against a top Scottish touring side. Suiting up for the ON Blues were Francesco Pagani, Thomas Wheatley-Price, Ben Potter and Henry Chernoff.

In the end, the U18s dropped a close semi-final and our season ended sooner than planned but allowed us to host Loretto School from Scotland at TERP for a friendly touring match.

An amazing 16 graduating players went on to play next level rugby in September at Algonquin, Ottawa U, Queen’s, Guelph, Western, McMaster, Toronto, and Nichols College (MA).

To those lads moving up: Advance! And we look forward to seeing you next summer playing for our Marshall League men’s squad. Thanks to our coaches, Matt Carter, Brody McDonnell and Craig Workman.

U16 Boys, 15s

The U16 boys played an intense season with games in both the Regional and Provincial leagues. Sometimes playing 3 games in a week, the 16s developed their skills and came together as a team.

Our core of young players will be a dominant force next summer and showed it by capping their season off hosting Loretto School from Scotland and scoring an impressive 5 tries against a top notch touring side.

Well done lads! Huge Thanks to our coaches Andres Beltran and Kyle Labine.

U14 Boys, 15s

Our U14 boys played in the festival circuit through Eastern Ontario and put considerable work into their preparation and development.

Hats off to coaches Cam Potter and Kyle Lambert for making the season an amazing success- building character and most importantly creating a high spirited, fun environment for the boys to thrive. And thrive they did- incredibly going UNDEFEATED on the season, winning every festival they entered.

While success isn’t always about counting wins and losses, for our U14 boys- their results matched their efforts the entire summer. Congratulations on a season full of great performances, both team and individual.

Junior Girls U14, U16 & U18, 15s and 7s

Well 2025 is drawing to a close, and a quick summary of the season is in order. When we started the junior girls program at winter training with 4-5 new players to the club and good numbers at U16 & U18 for winter training at Ottawa University dome.

The summer season turned out to be a great year for growing the program, we started with a few try rugby sessions at Elmwood school in early to mid march, which turned out to be a great success in getting new players out. Thanks to Natalie Wallace and Stephanie Chin (and headmaster James Whitehouse) for the use and running of sessions. We had 11 new U14-18 players try the sessions out.

In summer we were pleasantly surprised by the numbers who signed up at U14 and U16, but fell a little short on the U18s, the graduating class being busy with preparations for post secondary, we suppose.

U14W:
We had 14 U14s so were able to run Blues only at the U14 festivals in summer. They fared well at the tournaments and improved their game knowledge and skills throughout the season. For Fall 7s we had 11 signups and also ran a great and competitive program for the 2 tournaments (3 more tournaments in October to come). We had two players make the EORU U15 rep 7s program; Naya Laggis and Flavia Montoya. Well done! Thanks to coach Sam Laggis

U16W:
We started expecting a smaller group of U16 girls, but with a push at Franco, Immaculata, St Pat's HS and Glebe we reached an amazing 22 registered players for summer 15s. A very young team composed of many grade 9s and eager to learn. We had a couple of Ospreys bolster the side as they needed a place to play! We had 11 of them return for fall 7s, with a couple of new players as well. Fielding a Blues team at the festivals. Thanks to coaches Natalie Wallace, and Thomas Kelley (who has graciously stepped up to help).

U18W:
We had started with a hope of more U18s this summer, but alas the summer work schedules, university prep and vacations wreaked havoc on the team. We did have a core 13 registered players and combined with the Ospreys to field a good and competitive side this season. We look to see many of the U18s back next summer with our senior women, with a few playing university or college this fall, as the FOMO builds (once you play rugby you can't get it out of the system). We also combined in the fall with the Ospreys for the fall 7s tournaments. Congrats to Ella Beltran for making Ontario U18.

Senior Men, 15s - Marshall Championship Semi-Finalists

The Senior Men had a regular season of ups and downs in their first season competing within Ontario-wide the Marshall Championship. After dropping their first two matches, they rattled off 6 straight wins, including a massive win against the previously undefeated London St. George’s (their only loss of the season in the Marshall Championship).

Unfortunately, our Senior Men could not replicate that victory over London in the Marshall Championship Playoff Semi-Finals, where injuries and early departures for University training camps saw our depleted yet determined side lose in a rematch to London.

Overall, the season was a success, we have retained our spot in the Marshall Championship, proven we belong, and look forward to making some more noise next season!

Save the date: AGM on November 30

The Bytown Blues Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Sunday, November 30th, and we encourage all members—players, parents, alumni, and supporters—to attend. The meeting will be conducted virtually over Google Meet.

This is your chance to have a say in the future of the club and to learn more about how we’re building for the years ahead.

The Blues are powered by volunteers. Our Executive Committee and Board of Directors manage the business and operational affairs of the club, but every position is filled by members who step forward to give back. At the AGM, all members in good standing can vote, ask questions, and even run for open election positions—no prior board experience required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to help.

In addition to electing our Executive and Board members, we’ll also be announcing the creation of new Volunteer and Fundraising Committees. These committees will broaden opportunities for members to get involved, share ideas, and help support the Blues on and off the field.

Please mark your calendars for November 30th and make your voice heard. Together, we’ll continue to grow the Blues as a strong, welcoming, and sustainable rugby community.

Key Open Positions

Vice President, Minor Rugby

• Term: 2 years

• Constitutional Duties: Oversees U7-U12, budgets, scheduling, and coach/manager appointments.

• Description: Oversees our youngest athletes’ first experience with rugby.  Facilitates Try Rugby and rookie rugby programs in collaboration with schools and community organizations. Ensures fun, safe, and engaging programs to grow lifelong Blues.

Vice President, Finance

• Term: 2 years

• Constitutional Duties: Prepares and manages the budget, oversees sponsorship and fundraising, liaises with TERP, and supervises the Treasurer.

• Description: The financial steward of the club. Builds sustainable funding through sponsorships, events, and strong budgeting.  Supports program VPs through budgeting and financial planning.

Vice President, Communications

• Term: 2 years

• Constitutional Duties: Markets and promotes the club, manages website, publicizes activities, liaises with life/social members, coordinates volunteers.

• Description: The storyteller of the Blues. Manages branding, social media, and media relations, ensuring members and the community stay connected through effective marketing channels and methods.

Director of Communications

• Term: 2 years

• Constitutional Duties: Assists VP Communications with articles, photos, web and social media coordination.

• Modern Description: Creative producer. Manages storytelling, photography, and content that fuels engagement with members and the public. Media & Content Coordinator – Supports VP Communications and Director of Communications in photography, video, and analytics.

  
  

We have a total of 11 open positions for next years board and volunteer committees. Please email Rupert at president@bytownbluesrugby.ca if you have any questions or want a full list of other roles.  

Complete a Rugby Ontario feedback survey

Have your say and help Rugby Ontario improve your rugby experience through a member retention survey. From Rugby Ontario:

As part of our commitment to enhancing your rugby experience, we are participating in a provincial Member Retention Survey. This survey will help us understand your needs and preferences better, and it’s a key opportunity for you to have your voice heard.

You will also receive the survey link directly from Rugby Ontario to the email you used to register in SportLomo. We encourage you to take some time to complete it, as your feedback is essential to helping us continue to offer quality programming. The survey can be completed once for up to four household members and, as a thank you for your feedback, if you complete the survey by October 7th, you can enter a draw for one of four Rugby Ontario prize packs.

Click here to complete the survey now!

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