Kicking things off it’s impressive to know that week 18 honor role players include both Jackson Findlay (DB), Keon Hatcher Sr. (WR) and James Butler (RB)  who were named to the CFL in their respective positions. 

Findlay (90.8 PFF Grade)- making only his second career start at safety, Findlay emerged as the week’s second-highest graded defensive player. 

Along with recording his second interception in as many games to end a Stampeder scoring threat with no time left in the third quarter, the Vancouver College product had three defensive tackles, bringing his season total to 15.

Hatcher Sr. (79.1 PFF Grade)- it was another clutch performance for the CFL’s leading receiver, hauling in seven receptions for 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

Hatcher has now recorded a CFL-best six 100-plus yard games this season and a total of 1,516 receiving yards through 16 games.

Butler (72.5 PFF Grade)- he may be a top-three CFL rusher, but it was through the air where Butler carved up the Calgary defence on Saturday. 

The versatile back recorded 97 of his 139 scrimmage yards on six receptions, including a 44-yard catch and run that preceded Zander Horvath’s game-sealing major in the final moments.

Lions president Duane Vienneau mentioned “The excitement for our push to a home playoff game has only increased day-by-day. We’re calling on the great fans of British Columbia to pack the dome, as our quest for a home playoff game remains very much in play,”

PlayNow Sports, presents the Lions “Our Backyard Party” which is  being moved INSIDE with Western-themed festivities including a mechanical bull and lasso performers while the Halftime features Whiskey Blind.

Fans are also encouraged to bring toy or cash donations in support of London Drugs and Vancouver Firefighters.

With upper bowl seating open, fans can expect an action-packed game filled with country-themed activations all night long. Starting with the Backyard Party, presented by PlayNow Sports, festivities begin at 5:00 pm on Terry Fox Plaza.

Inside, BC Place shifts into a country bar, with bull riding, line dancing and performances from local country band Whiskey Blind. After the game, fans can show their game ticket at The Yale Saloon before midnight for free entry.

London Drugs will also be hosting a toy drive to get a head start on the holiday season. Fans can drop off unwrapped and brand-new toys or cash donations inside Gate H to be entered in a draw.

Prizes include 4 tickets to a 2026 regular season game in Vancouver, a London Drugs $250 gift card and a gift basket including firefighter calendars from Vancouver Fire Charities.

The post Lions Host Edmonton Elks first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Depending on who you ask, everyone has their own opinion if they were made for the  betterment of the game or if the game is going in the wrong direction.

Both of those questions are yet to be understood and of course we’ll know fully next season and will be in place starting in the 2026 pre-season allowing the players to adapted to what they will be facing from the opening kick-off.

Locally, Lions QB Nathan Rourke who never once minced his words when asked about the CFL’s latest slate of rule changes set to begin in 2026 went on to mention

“It’s garbage. As many people did. Fans and people who play in this league grew up watching the CFL and loving the game and I grew up in Ontario, played Canadian football rules all my life, was aware of the league down there, but was a fan of the CFL because of its differences.”

He continued “I went down to the States proud of the game, being able to explain the differences. What the waggle, the yard, the extra person, these are the things that are unique about the game that make it different.”

While Rourke isn’t a fan of the changes 12-year veteran and two time league outstanding player Bo Levi Mitchell backed the moves as a way to push the game forward.

Mitchell told the media “This is not about Americanizing the game, this is about modernizing the game and what can we do to put a better product on the field, a product that people want to watch, at a faster pace? This is not taking away the unique things (about the CFL).”

There is also the idea that pushing or moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone and altering the rouge will give kickers fewer opportunities to score.

The changes were unanimously approved by the CFL’s Board of Governors, and will roll out in a two-year plan.

Beginning in 2026 the league will introduce a modified rouge disallowing teams from scoring a single off a missed field goal and a 35-second automatic reset on the play clock also noting that the team benches will be on opposite sides of all CFL fields.

Also in 2027, the goalposts will be moved to the back of the end zone, which will be shortened from 20 to 15 yards also noting that the length of the field will also be shortened from 110 yards to 100 yards but will keep its 65-yard width.

“This isn’t about changing the CFL game and taking away from it,” Mitchell added. “This is about trying to create an entertainment factor that can add a dollar, that can make sure that seven out of nine teams aren’t losing money.”

The two-part plan was unanimously approved by the CFL’s Governors, and will be phased in over the next two years or seasons.

Changes taking effect beginning in the 2026 season are listed below:

• A modified rouge, which will no longer award a single point for certain missed kicks through the endzones.
• Requiring all teams to have benches on opposite sides of the field.
• A new 35-second play clock that starts automatically after a play is whistled dead.

Then, in 2027, the following changes to the field of play will be made:

• Moving the goalposts to the back of the end zones to encourage more touchdowns.
• Shortening the end zones from 20 to 15 yards.
• Shortening the length of the field from 110 yards to 100 yards.

He (Rourke) went on to mention “The worst part is the fact that the people who play football, and who have the football knowledge, were not consulted about this. The players weren’t consulted, the coaches, management, nobody was consulted. This was done on their own accord.”

He continued “This was done independent of asking anyone who actually knows football what they want to do, what they think would be better. We have a commissioner who hasn’t been here for a year who’s already trying to make, trying to change the game. And I don’t believe he loves football as much as I do, as much as many fans do.”

In conversation with some football fans earlier today they are willing to give it a try and see if it changes the game and if so how drastically.

Just maybe it’ll be better and more entertaining for the fans and lastly just maybe we’ll have fewer whistles – thankfully!!!!!

The post CFL Changes Created Various Comments first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

It’s the never quit attitude which goes with saying it a Canadian way of life that is clearly instilled in the mindset for Canadian Athletes for all sports we play.

Aggressive play along with skill says everything for the match that saw Canada pull out an impressive match played in Bristol over the Black Ferns’ who ended their reign as World Champions which sets up Canada’s first World Cup final appearance since 2014.

Enjoy the press release

Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team delivered a performance for the ages, defeating defending champions New Zealand 34–19 in the Rugby World Cup semi-final at Ashton Gate.

It also marks the largest margin of victory ever recorded against New Zealand in men’s or women’s Rugby World Cup history.

First half: Canada come out firing

With a raucous crowd of 25,392 in Bristol, Canada wasted no time asserting themselves. Scrum-half Justine Pelletier opened the scoring in the eighth minute, finishing off a slick move sparked by a chip kick from Taylor Perry and an offload from Alex Tessier.

Moments later, winger Asia Hogan-Rochester stunned the Black Ferns with a powerful fend on Patricia Maliepo Holmes to cross in the corner. 

Canada’s relentless pressure continued, and after sustained multi-phase play, Florence Symonds struck in the 24th minute following a sharp pass from Tessier.

New Zealand briefly hit back through Tanya Kalounivale, but Canada answered immediately. Pelletier again played provider, this time offloading to Sophie de Goede, who sprinted clear from 20 metres to score under the posts. 

The Canadian captain converted her own try to give her side a commanding 24–7 halftime lead.

Second half: Tessier leads from the front

If the Black Ferns needed an early spark after the break, it was Canada who delivered. Alex Tessier produced a moment of class, throwing a dummy and slicing through beside the posts in the 43rd minute.

New Zealand rallied with tries from Liana Mikaele-Tu’u and Braxton Sorensen-McGee, cutting the deficit to 31–19, but Canada held their composure. 

A late penalty goal from de Goede stretched the margin to three scores, sealing a landmark 34–19 victory.

Player of the Match: Justine Pelletier

Pelletier was at the heart of everything, dictating tempo and sparking Canada’s attack. The Mastercard Player of the Match finished with 12 carries, 91 metres gained, and a crucial opening try.

On the team’s performance, Pelletier said: “It was a lot of tempo. It’s just fun to play rugby, and I think we showed what inspiring rugby can be.”

Reflecting on what it took to beat New Zealand, she added: “A lot of grit. A lot of resilience. A lot of hard work. It’s not just one game, it’s three years of hustle in the dark, and now we’re in the light. Thank you everyone for their support.”

“We love to play a tempo game,” said Tessier. “It’s a fact now that we have a very fast attack, and it’s across our whole squad of 32… we’ve managed to build some depth since the last World Cup, and I think it’s shown now. We support each other, on and off the pitch. When we connect, it’s beautiful.”

Tessier continued: “We trusted our processes, we trusted our preparation, and it was confidence from minute one to minute eighty. I don’t think there were any doubts in our head. I’m very proud of the girls, I’m very proud of this team, how far we’ve come, that we trusted each other and the process, and that we came out with the win tonight. I couldn’t ask for a better day.”

Head Coach Kevin Rouet praised his team’s composure: “The first half was exciting for us. I loved seeing the behaviour from the girls on the field, being calm and composed. You won’t be perfect for 80 minutes, but the fact that they were relaxed and composed when times got tough, I like that.”

Rouet, already looking ahead, added: “Just after the final whistle, I was already starting to think about the next eight days. I’m happy for one second, but then focused on the next job. We are hungry. We came to win a World Cup, and that’s our goal. It won’t be easy, regardless of if it’s England or France. But I’m already excited – I’m ready for it to be eight days from now and the final to be here!”

Canada will face the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between England and France in next weekend’s final at Allianz Stadium in London.

CANADA SCORING SUMMARY

Tries: Justine Pelletier (8′), Asia Hogan-Rochester (11′), Florence Symonds (24′), Sophie de Goede (35′), Alex Tessier (43′)

Conversions: Sophie de Goede (3)

Penalty Goals: Sophie de Goede (74’)

UP NEXT FOR CANADA

Canada will play the winner of semi-final 2 between France and England, happening tomorrow at 7:30PM local time in England (2:30PM EST, 11:30AM PST).

The Rugby World Cup final is on Saturday, September 27 at 3:00PM EST, 12:00PM (8:00PM local time in England) at Allianz Stadium in London, UK. The match will be broadcast live on TSN and TSN+.

CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER VS NEW ZEALAND 

1. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens (36 caps)

2. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (39 caps)

3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (67 caps)

4. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (39 caps)

5. Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby (51 caps)  

6. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers (11 caps)

7. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec (49 caps)

8. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (39 caps)

9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (41 caps)

10. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs (21 caps)

11. Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC (6 caps) 

12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs (64 caps)

13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia (16 caps)

14. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens (24 caps)

15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders (30 caps)

FINISHERS 

16. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC (37 caps)

17. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats (51 caps)  

18. Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC (64 caps)  

19. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders (82 caps)

20. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University / Saracens (20 caps)

21. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (38 caps)

22. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC (23 caps)

23. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau (23 caps)

MISSION: WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP  

In March 2025, Rugby Canada officially launched the Mission: Win Rugby World Cup (MWRWC) 2025 fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1,000,000.

Despite rising to the second world ranking, the Canadian women’s rugby team operates on a fractional budget compared to its closest competitors.

This $1 million gap was identified to best equip the team with extra resources to help them make history. 

The mission is now within reach: over 95% of the fundraising goal has been pledged through generous individual donations and crowd funding.

Rugby Canada extends its deep appreciation to all MWRWC supporters. For more information or to donate, visit rugby.ca/donate.

The post Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Canada Defeats New Zealand 34-19 first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The following is the press release mentioning his hiring – enjoy the read and Congratulations!!!

He was the former Lotus F1 CEO and Team Principal and Business Development Director for Lille Olympic Soccer Club, 

He brings an impressive array of leadership experience in sports management, business development and revenue growth that will strongly support BC Rugby’s vision of becoming the safest, most vibrant, and inclusive Rugby community.

He joins BC Rugby at a pivotal time as the organization continues to implement initiatives aimed at growing the sport throughout the province, enhancing the overall experience for its Members, and ensuring a sustainable future for Rugby in British Columbia.

“We are thrilled to welcome Matthew Carter as the new Chief Executive Officer of BC Rugby,” said Bob Strachan, BC Rugby President. “His strong background in executive leadership, business development and sports management make him uniquely suited to lead the organization forward. We believe Matthew will be a transformative leader who will drive growth and innovation, while maintaining a commitment to our strong community values.”

Carter’s appointment follows an extensive and comprehensive search conducted by the BC Rugby Board of Directors in collaboration with a leading executive recruitment firm. His impressive track record includes over 25 years of experience in venture capitalism, business development and sports management.

Carter spent 15 years as a Business Specialist for a venture capital firm based in England before he was appointed CEO and Team Principal for the Lotus F1 Team in 2013. At Lotus F1, Carter was responsible for the daily operations of the team and oversaw over 600 staff members from factory to trackside.

In 2016, Carter was appointed as Business Development Director at Lille Olympic Soccer Club, where he spent two years developing partnerships and growing revenue streams for the French Ligue 1 team.

Carter was named as President and CEO of One Stop Strategy in 2019, where he worked on strategic sponsorships and event management across the motorsport industry, most notably securing the rights for Formula E in Canada.

Carter joins BC Rugby as a Founder and Partner of SC Consulting, a firm that focuses on building strategic partnerships and securing sponsorship deals within the sports industry.

“It is an honour and a privilege to lead BC Rugby into an exciting period for the sport in this province,” said Carter. “Rugby in British Columbia is more than a game – it’s a community, a culture and a vehicle for positive impact. I am excited to work alongside our dedicated staff, board, clubs and volunteers to build on BC Rugby’s strong foundation.”

As the new BC Rugby CEO, Carter will lead a dedicated team responsible for delivering key programming, managing competitions and events, supporting athlete pathways, and advocating for the growth and development of Rugby at all levels across British Columbia.

The BC Rugby Board of Directors would like to thank Interim CEO, John Tait, for his steady leadership and contributions over the past several months.

Tait will continue to support the transition process to ensure a seamless handover before resuming his role as BC Rugby Technical Director.

Sportswave wishes him all the best in his new role!!!!

The post Matthew Carter Named CEO For BC Rugby first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Rather than just sit in the press box as I usually do, I wanted to get the overall feel of the “vibe” from the fans sitting throughout the building.

Fair to say that while the press box has its “perks” the atmosphere comes from everyone in the stands with fans coming from various cities throughout Canada and the US.

The event all kicked-off midday Friday and to my surprise there was a good size crowd on hand which also attracted several schools from the area all being bussed in to BC Place.

Talking about possible future Rugby players this year marked the tenth anniversary of the Rugby Sevens also noting that it is the third consecutive year that there are over 6000 students attended the 7’s – all free. 

Seven’s work diligently with the Vancouver School Board and various schools in Burnaby, North Vancouver and Coquitlam who have the chance to attend matches February 21 ( Friday) on the opening day of HSBC SVNS Vancouver. 

This was first introduced in t2023 and since then the Youth Super Session is the highlight of the annual community events and youth engagement opportunities.

It is affiliated with HSBC SVNS Vancouver. Including 2025, more than 18,000 youth will have been able to watch the tournament for free over the last three years.  

Helen McGregor, VSB Superintendent mentioned in a press release “We are deeply grateful that through this partnership, students across VSB are able to take in the excitement and joy of sport.”

She continued “Student well-being is our top priority, and opportunities such as this help foster school communities where students can learn, see themselves, feel supported and be connected – all of which encourage holistic student development.”    

The Rugby Sevens tournament first came to Vancouver in 2016 noting that Rugby Canada has delivered more than 50 community events in the Vancouver area which has reached over 20,000 kids through Youth Super Session.

Rookie Rugby Festivals, on-field activations at BC Place, and school and Indigenous community visits with our Canadian and other international sevens teams.

With the community events planned for 2025, Rugby Canada will reach the milestone of engaging more than 25,000 youth with rugby while celebrating the tenth anniversary of Vancouver Sevens.  

Steph Veal, Senior Manager of Game Development with Rugby Canada mentioned “The legacy and community events that we have hosted over the last 10 years have been a core component of what makes the Vancouver Sevens event so successful,” 

Continuing to say “The tournament has allowed us to create meaningful and long-lasting connections with schools and our rugby community in BC which has helped us grow the game and expose more Canadians to rugby.”  

The post Rugby 7’s Attracts Record Crowds first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Locally there continue to be various sports to cover that have lacrosse championships, Vancouver Canadians as well as minor sports kicking off their season.

The game saw a twist that saw two completely different half matches with Japan coming out with a fast start that saw them carry the speed through the match eventually pulling out a 55-28 win.

Canada names a roster of 35 players that had 10 plus players plus an additional four which include both Jese Kilgour (Scrumhalf) and Rhys James (Outside) who were part of  the teams last month training but never played against Scotland and Romania.

All photo’s Credit to Wes Shaw. https://www.wesleyallenshaw.com

https://www.wesleyallenshaw.com

This is Canada’s first Nations Cup dating back to 2019 while Japan is ranked 14th noting that both clubs regularly played against each other but have not met since 2016.

The match wasn’t an easy one for Canada considering at the 31 minute mark the Brave Blossoms were up by a commanding 31-0 lead.

All matches are being played in Oceania, North America and Japan with teams being Fiji, Canada, USA, Japan, Tonga and Samoa.

In the officiating department there have been matches handed out to officials from the Americas with officials used from Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Wales, Scotland, Australia and Italy all looking to advance to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

In conversation with some in the press box it was mentioned that the lack of Americas Officials is mostly in part due to working with a long standing understanding of World Rugby to attract officials from various officials from a “limited number of countries.”

Canada’s head coach Kingsley Jones (Japan) was so efficient, the speed of the ball and it was like a whirlwind, like a wave coming over the players.”

Canadian eventually managed to get points prior the half after grabbing a loose ball as Coe jumped on the ball for a try with Nelson making the following conversion albeit with Canada still trailing by a 38-7 margin.

Following the match Talon McMullin mentioned “We’ve always been able to play together, but then to be able to play on the top stage together, we’re always just happy together.” 

https://www.wesleyallenshaw.com

He continued “We’ll fight here and there, but once we step on the field, it’s nothing but love for him. He scores, I celebrate the most. I score, he celebrates the most.”

The Canadians will continue the tournament next weekend, August 31st in Carson, California when they face the United States.

The post Japan Defeats Canada 55-28 first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The post Exciting Rugby Matches To Catch first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Some consider it to be hockey, others think football while others consider soccer, but yet those we have questioned never mentioned rugby..

In order hockey is aggressive where the rule assessment reverts to video review tanking the onus off the officials while some  consider football but those questioned feel that there are far too many stoppages.

Soccer is unique with many telling us that they won’t go for one simple reason and that’s the simple fact that players fall and roll around and when you watch the replay they never get touched and this alone turns them off.

Soccer is a sport that requires the athlete to be in top shape with others telling  us that soccer has far too many players rolling around on the pitch that has the replay showing that they never got touched.

We teach the young players to play within the rules while learning from their coaches who should teach them the meaning of having fun especially at a young age.

For those who have never attended a rugby match this is one sport that you should think of attending and if you leave thinking that others are aggressive, maybe take in a second game.

Recently Vancouver played host to the Rugby 7’s at BC Place in front of an impressive size crowd over the three days.

The event was a return following the sport  which was played to a full building just days prior to Covid-19 that shut down the world.

In recent conversations with some who play the sport they tell me that the most important part of playing is conditioning and nothing short of  conditioning.

Locally BC Rugby has programs  where you can sign up and play at the level you feel comfortable playing in an area close to where you reside.

While games are still being played, BC Rugby sent out a press release mentioning that they are again hosting the 2023 BC Rugby Hall of Fame Gala Dinner June 23rd at the Element Vancouver Metrotown in the Evergreen Ballroom.

The dinner is where they will officially induct the Class of 2022 and 2023 into the BC Rugby Hall of Fame, which will no doubt be a sellout with the dress code listed as Formal.

If you wish to get additional information contact them at BC Rugby, 2015 Main Street, Vancouver BC, V5T 0J8

Date: Friday, June 23, 2023
Time: 6:00pm-11:00pm
Location: Evergreen Ballroom, Element Vancouver Metrotown 

(5988 Willingdon Avenue, 

Burnaby, BC, 

V5H 2A7

The post 2023 BC Rugby Hall Of Fame Gala first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.