Rugby Canada board member Brian Burke looked as at home Friday at the AGM and awards banquet at the Royal B.C. Museum as he does peering out of the GM box at the Scotiabank Saddledome as Calgary Flames president of hockey operations and acting GM.
“This is my second-favourite sport. I love rugby,” said Burke.
“I like the teamwork part of it and the camaraderie is special. I spend a lot of my time with an indoor sport. Rugby is an outdoor sport and there is no feeling like being at a rugby game on a nice fall or spring day.”
A dual American-Canadian citizen, Burke was on the management staff of the U.S. men’s hockey teams at the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He touched on the importance of the Summer Olympics — sevens makes it debut at Rio 2016 — for the future growth potential of rugby.
“XVs is the backbone but sevens will attract an audience for rugby that we otherwise would not get,” said Burke, who began playing the sport with the Harvard Business School team.
And Canada seems poised to ride this new wave into the future.
“We’ve had a really good year — the Canadian women’s team recently won the Hong Kong Sevens and the Canadian men’s team came third in the Las Vegas Sevens,” noted Burke.
He knows his stuff regarding the sport. Burke pointed Friday to former Canadian team World Cup captain Gareth Rees of Victoria, now Rugby Canada manager of men’s programs.
“Gareth is arguably the greatest rugby player in the history of this country,” said Burke.
“I’m hanging around the celebrities. It’s great. It’s an honour [to serve on the Rugby Canada board].”
It was inevitable, however, that Burke would also be sprung some questions about hockey. Asked about Keegan Kanzig, the six-foot-five Victoria Royals defenceman and 2013 Flames third-round draft pick, Burke responded: “He’s big and young and has a lot of work to do yet. But we like his approach. He’s an intense kid.”
Burke was also asked about Montreal being the lone NHL playoff club this season and whether this something that is becoming systemic.
“It’s cyclical and I’m not concerned about it at all,” said the former GM of the Whalers, Canucks, Ducks and former president and GM of the Maple Leafs.
“The futures of the NHL teams in Canada are bright. Some are on a down cycle, but in a few years you might see five Canadian teams in the playoffs.”
Meanwhile, Rugby Canada announced its award winners: Ciaran Hearn of Castaway Wanders was named men’s XVs player of the year, Phil Mack of Victoria XVs player of the year as voted by other players, Kelly Russell top women’s XVs player, John Moonlight of James Bay top men’s sevens player, Jen Kish of Edmonton best women’s sevens player, Pat Kay of Duncan top young male player, DaLeaka Menin top young women’s player, Mark Winokur top volunteer, Bruce Kuklinski of Victoria best match official, Michel Francois men’s coach of the year and Stephanie Murphy top women’s coach.
