Barrie Rugby: The Fastest Growing Rugby Club in Canada

By Adam Murday, Brandon Kirkwood, Photo Credits Barrie Rugby Club

Five years ago, Barrie Rugby made a conscious decision to commit to doing their part to improve the rugby landscape in Canada the only way that a small club can at the grass roots level; by increasing participation and focusing on the youth. Barrie committed to making decisions that will benefit the entire rugby community. Since that time, the club has seen growth and development at every level and in almost every way thanks to the amazing parents and volunteers who offer an awesome summer experience that is attracting some of the best athletes around.

With a focus on the youth, the minis (12 and under) side of the club has exploded! The last two summers have seen over 150 minis playing rugby each summer. These massive numbers have allowed the club to offer a house league which has made weekly practices significantly more exciting and competitive for our young ruggers. By reaching out to elementary schools to promote the game, Simcoe County has seen a boom in elementary school rugby, with 80 schools offering some form of rugby to their students.

The bi-product of this increase in participation in youth has already translated into some major points of pride for the Barrie Rugby Club. Being able to say that they are currently the fastest growing club in the country and the second largest club in Ontario last year is a testament to fact that this great game sells itself when things are done the right way. This investment in our Juniors has also created an environment where our athletes are able to flourish. The 2019 season has seen seven girls and four boys be selected for Rugby Ontario teams and we currently have four young women and one young man training with the Canadian National Under-18 teams.

With yet another move up their sleeve, the Barrie Rugby Club is looking to continue to strive for excellence by partnering with the Georgian Bay Titans to bring on Simcoe County’s first every Rugby Development Officer. This move represents a massive step for the area that will provide an on-the-ground resource for all coaches, administrators, clubs, and athletes. Brandon Kirkwood has been appointed to this position after five years working as a coach with the men’s program and as the Barrie RFC Director of Player Development. Brandon is uniquely equipped for this position with experience coaching rugby at the Collegiate level, a current head coach at the University of Toronto, and Varsity Team trainer at Georgian College, as well as the founder of the Northern Performance Rugby Academy, he has the experience and knowledge to help ensure athletes are being properly developed throughout all level and ages. After spending the last three years as the head coach of the Barrie men’s program, Brandon feels that focusing his efforts to raise

the participation and standards of junior rugby all over Simcoe County, as well as ensuring that athletes, coaches, and volunteers have the most up-to-date information and resources, is how he can best continue to grow the game of rugby.

The Rugby Development officer will attract and retain players and coaches through the delivery and implementation of rugby programs, resources, and networking within primary, secondary schools, and clubs across the region. They will manage integrated relationships with schools, clubs, and provincial teams to promote seamless transition of participation. The RDO will look to initiate, facilitate, and assist with the creation of new rugby clubs within Simcoe County. All coaches within Simcoe County will be able to contact and engage their services free of charge through the Northern Performance Rugby Skills Academy (Website coming soon). For now, if you are interested in chatting with Brandon and how he could support your team, you can contact him through the

Barrie Rugby Club. There is a lot to be excited about moving forward with the Barrie Rugby Club. With a team for every age for males and females beginning at age 5, there is a spot for everyone to be part of the fun this summer. Jump on the bandwagon while its hot and visit www.Barrierugbyclub.com to see how you can be involved.

BRFC 2019 High Performers: Jesse Kilgour(ON), Calllum Caldwell(ON), Eden Kilgour(CAN), Olivia VanWart(ON), Mackayla Valley(ON), Cassandra Kumah(ON), Nova McCollum(ON), Jessica Dean(CAN), Olivia Hooper(CAN), Wyatt Pilz(ON), Ryan Moulton(NFLD), Ethan Jurgeneit(CAN)