With its dorms and dining room adjacent to fields, a lake and ice rink, Shawnigan Lake School has proved a reliable training camp venue over the years for Rugby Canada, Rowing Canada and Vancouver Canucks’ rookies and prospects.
Shawnigan Lake was a secondary part of North Cowichan’s successful bid, along with main venue Quamichan Lake, to host the Canadian national rowing team following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
On the heels of the Rowing Canada announcement this week, Rugby Canada has followed by cementing its relationship with Shawnigan Lake School by signing a memorandum of understanding to have national team camps held at the institution through 2021.
Rugby legend Gareth Rees has played in four World Cups for Canada, twice as captain. He remembers training at Shawnigan Lake School before heading off to World Cups and other international events: “This has been a huge part of our preparations.”
Rees, enshrined into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, is now director of commercial and program relations for Rugby Canada.
“We’re happy to formalize this agreement [with Shawnigan Lake School],” he said.
Also on hand for the signing were national team players Dustin Dobravsky and Djustice Sears-Duru, both Shawnigan Lake School Stags alumni.
There will be an emphasis put on the men’s and women’s U-20 national team camps at Shawnigan Lake, which will include training sessions for the local community and the Thunder Indigenous Rugby Program. The agreement includes hosting men’s U-20 Test matches at Shawnigan Lake School against the U.S. in June and also in 2020 and 2021.
Shawnigan headmaster Richard Lamont said: “The partnership is a source of great pride for us.”
The institution said it is not committing funds. In return for the school’s in-kind services, the Canadian men’s and women’s national teams will wear Shawnigan Lake School patches on their jerseys over the next three years.
SCRUM NOTES: The second half of the B.C. Rugby Union season begins today at Windsor Park with women’s and men’s Premiership matches between the Castaway Wanderers and Westshore RFC kicking off respectively at 11:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. In-between is a men’s Div. 1 fixture between the clubs at 12:45 p.m. CW is undefeated this season in the men’s Premiership while the Westshore women are the defending B.C. champions.
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