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The Ebb Tide Rugby Football Club is the oldest continuously operating Over-40 rugby club in British Columbia, Canada. We have active players between the ages of 38 and 70's and active social members well into their 80's.  Social members and visitors are welcome to join us at our regular Thursday evening run-around.  Ebb Tide is a member of the Pacific Northwest Over 40's Rugby Union.

Players are eligible to play at 38 years.

Greetings all,

Hopefully you and your families are healthy and as happy as can be under the circumstances. There has not been a lot to report since the November suspension of adult sports but with vaccinations and other actions there is some reason for optimism about returning to the rugby pitch.

Return to Play

On Wednesday, April 21, the BCRU hosted a call to update clubs on possible scenarios for resuming with the Return to Play program:

  • Resume Phase 3 (touch) in June, adults may start later than youth
  • Phase 3 for all age groups during July & August
  • Phase 4 (modified contact, possibly inter-club play) may start in August and run through September
  • Modified contact rugby during a shortened fall season in October & November
  • Return to full contact rugby late January
  • Potential dates for PANORU clubs: September 4th – exhibition games
  • October 17 – renew league matches

Registration

Registration opens April 22 for two time periods:

June to August 1: in preparation for resumption of Phase 3
August 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022: in preparation for modified and full contact play
$10 for the 12 week period from June to August 1, 2021
$82 for the 13 month period from August 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022
BCRU is encouraging early player registration so that we will be ready for action whenever in June we get approval to return to the pitch. Darren is working with BCRU to ensure that the Ebb Tide package is good to go.

We have our COVID management plan for running at Windsor Park approved by BCRU so once we get the green light, practices should resume in short order.

Annual General Meeting

The AGM will hopefully be held in person in a safe manner outside on the field after a practice in June. Here are the executive positions up for election. While all the current office holders except Darren have indicated that they are prepared to stand for another term, more nominations are still welcomed for all positions. The club will need for certain a new Registrar.

  • President: Glen Okrainetz
  • Quartermaster: Dave McMordie
  • Registrar: Darren Kovacs is stepping down
  • Fields: Murk Toorenburgh
  • Director at Large: Dave Valentine
  • Captain: Paul Eby

Duties of the Registrar include:

  • assisting players with the annual registration process;
  • reporting regularly to executive on the status of club registration; and
  • developing a relationship with BCRU and Rugby Canada to ensure the smooth functioning of the annual registration process.

More recently, Darren was the club’s COVID Safety Manager but hopefully by the Fall this will no longer be needed. If you want further information about the Registrar position contact Darren.

Social

The club’s last formal social event was the Christmas Party in December 2019!!! Dave Valentine has been in touch with Cedar Hill Golf Club about a tournament in August or September but they do not have approval to offer a date yet. If allowable under future health directives, there may be opportunities for social gatherings over the summer months.

Stay tuned! Be safe and we’ll all get together soon!!

Yours in rugby,

Glen

February 5, 2021

Earlier today, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the extension of the current Public Health Order with no definitive end date. This extension maintains the restrictions that are in place for sport as specified in the Gathering and Events Order updated on January 8, 2021. This extension is likely to last the month of February, although Dr. Bonnie Henry made clear the opened ended extension is intentional.

Happy New Year/Hogmanay Ebb Tiders!

For some, this email will be a reminder but for the rest us here’s an update on what’s happening with BCRU and getting back to running around again.

BCRU indicated back in December, in response to PHO restrictions, that Phase 3 resumption (touch rugby practices) will not occur until later in January or sometime in February. Keeping fingers on the pulse, the exec anticipates, realistically, a February restart (so there’s still at least three weeks for personal training to get fit ready for when we get back to it). Another update will be emailed out as soon as confirmation is received from BCRU to resume practice touch sessions… In the meantime, keep an ear to the Facebook page and the website for changes and more information as it becomes available.

Here's to looking at the try line in the coming weeks and cheers!

Chris - Vice President

Ongoing issues with the Rugby Canada and Sportlomo web platforms have delayed registration for the rugby restart. Therefore, the first run is scheduled for Friday September 18 @ 5:30 at Bullen Park. But before then here are the steps that need to be taken:

  • Darren will get the RC & Sportlomo sites functioning properly for our club
  • Darren will prepare an e-mail to members explaining the new process with links to get started
  • Members have to register BEFORE 5:30pm on Friday September 18
  • Members will also have to do the COVID attestation BEFORE 5:30pm on Friday September 18, you will get instructions on how to do this

Please have another look at the e-mail sent out on September 2 with details about how the runs will be conducted.

Thanks for your patience and cooperation.

Game on!

Glen

COVID-19 has had a major impact on all our lives, including on our rugby club, our members, and their families. It has been a rough sea to navigate during an everchanging situation. BC Rugby and by association the Ebb Tide Rugby Football Club has had to shut down all rugby related activities including practices and social events, considering the risk of infection transmission and potential severity of the COVID-19 virus.

Hopefully we can return to normalcy next year with a face to face AGM meeting, but the electronic approach did the job for this year.

In all, 16 members voted and they were unanimous on both items. So, the Treasurer’s report is adopted and the draft society bylaws were approved. Our application to register as a society under the Societies Act has been approved so we are now officially the Ebb Tide Rugby Football Club.

No new nominations were received for the executive positions that were up for election, so here is your 2020 executive:

  • President: Glen Okrainetz
  • Vice President: Chris Poulton
  • Secretary: David Knox
  • Treasurer: Aaron Cook
  • Quartermaster: Dave McMordie
  • Registrar: Darren Kovacs
  • Fields: Murk Toorenburgh
  • Social: Mike Joss
  • Director at Large (Fundraising): Dave Valentine
  • Captain: Paul Eby

We look forward to serving the interests of club members in the coming year.

On behalf of the club, I would like to thank Jim Capron, Dave Millard and Tim Walshaw for the service they provide in their executive roles.

Yours in rugby

Glen

President

While there has not been any rugby on the pitch, there are many things going on behind the scenes as we prepare to return to play in the fall in the midst of a pandemic.


Return to Play

Rugby Canada approved a Return To Play Strategy and handed over responsibility for implementing it to provincial rugby unions. You can find a copy of the Strategy and a whole lot more related information on the BCRU website: https://www.bcrugby.com/

Here is the short story:

  • There are 5 phases to the Strategy
  • We are gearing up for the third Phase: Rugby Restarted. This will allow us to play touch rugby with some adjustments. It is scheduled to run from September to December but the start date is subject to the state of the COVID pandemic.
  • Rugby Reinvented is the fourth phase and is scheduled to start in January and would allow for inter-club games of either touch or low-contact rugby.
  • Every club must do a risk assessment and prepare a COVID Safety Management Plan; ours is nearly final.
  • BCRU must approve the Plan and as a club we can only undertake the activities described in the Plan.

June 19, 2020 – Langford, BC:

As Rugby Canada and all Provincial Member Unions continue to move towards a return to play, the working group provided further updates on the process:

‘Rugby Return to Play’ document

The national Rugby ‘Return to Play’ guidelines were approved by the Rugby Canada Board of Directors earlier today and will be distributed to all Provincial Rugby Unions. In conjunction, the national suspension of sanctioned rugby activities has been lifted.

The lifting of the suspension does not signify an automatic return to play across the country. Each Provincial Union will now incorporate the guidelines into their planning and apply to their provincial health authorities for approval for rugby to return in an appropriate and safe way. In early stages, this will involve modifications to regular training and/or games.

The regulations and guidelines at the Provincial level will ultimately drive the timelines for when a return to play is possible.

Annual General Meeting

Normally the AGM would be held in June but due to the COVID pandemic it will be deferred to a later date while executive examine options to safely encourage attendance and participation by members.

One of the key activities during the AGM is the election of officers to the executive. The executive meets monthly. This year the five positions up for election are:

Yesterday, Rugby Canada informed all Provincial Rugby Unions that the Board of Directors had approved extending the current suspension on all Rugby Canada sanctioned activities indefinitely. They are committed to reviewing this no later than June 30, 2020.

For clarity, “Rugby Canada sanctioned activities” include all in-person registered participant team training sessions; all in-person match official & coach training & education courses; all inter-provincial, club, domestic & international tours. The only exception to the suspension are the national senior teams and players to whom the suspension will not apply; provided that they train only with the approval and supervision of Rugby Canada’s Chief Medical Officer, and subject to ongoing guidance from the Sport Medicine Advisory Committee and public health agencies.

To read Rugby Canada's announcement of this decision, go to: https://rugby.ca/en

BC Rugby Board is meeting on April 8 and will consider the implications of this indefinite extension, with the latest advice from Federal and Provincial Governments. I will follow that meeting with a communication to provide an update on any decisions made.

Now that weather is getting better training sessions return to Bullen Park for the Spring unless otherwise posted here or on Facebook
5:30 pm at Bullen Park next Esquimalt Recreation Centre

To see if Bullen is open or closed, click here to check the field status.
Changeroom #4 in Arena
527 Fraser Street, Esquimalt BC

Beverages to follow at the Gorge Pointe Pub

This event has been cancelled

To support all of our club and outreach activities we need to reach outside our membership and encourage all our friends to join us.  Get your friends together and form as many rinks as possible. More the merrier, all are welcome, no experience necessary, just alot of fun and sillness on the ice.  Singles, couples, foursomes we will help match you up with curlers.

Saturday, February 15, 2020
Esquimalt Curling Club

  1. Ebb Tide Christmas Party 2019
  2. The 2019 - 2020 PANORU Schedule is now available
  3. 2019 - 2020 Club Registration Information
  4. Ebb Tide Golf Tournament: Saturday, August 24 2019
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