CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS
Lt. Colonel WDC Holmes Awards
The Holmes Awards are presented by Michael Holmes, Chair of the Canadian Rugby Foundation, in memory of his late father Lt. Col. W.D.C. Holmes, who won the sword of honour at RMC in 1942 before embarking on a distinguished career in the British Army during and after World War II.
16 awards are presented to a player nominated by each participating coach at the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship and the U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship recognized for their off-field contributions to the game of rugby at their university and community in the preceding 12 months.
A $500 financial award will be presented to the university for the Rugby Athletic Financial Award (AFA) pool which the coach may determine is directed to the player if their maximum AFA hasn’t been reached, or to the team’s AFA pool.
Examples of factors to be considered in the nomination include organizing community events involving the team, mentoring younger players, volunteering with their home rugby club or at the community in which the university is located, volunteering as a club executive or an official at any level, and providing off-the-field leadership on the university team. The objective of these awards is to encourage the involvement and experiences that will develop Canadian rugby’s managers and administrators of the future, so this should be considered in the nomination.
The Liam Geddes Memorial Award
Established in October, 2022, the Liam Geddes Memorial Award was created to honour the memory of Liam David Geddes. The Liam Geddes Memorial Award Fund is intended to provide funding from its endowment for an annual award presented initially to the outstanding back row player at the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC) and later when appropriate, the national university men’s Back Row Player of the Year.
This award will be presented at the Gold Medal Match by Liam’s parents, Colin Geddes and Alison Longhorn-Geddes.
The Jeff Chan Spirit of Rugby Award
The Jeff Chan Spirit of Rugby Award will be presented to the team that best demonstrates the spirit, values and culture of the game of rugby including good sportsmanship, competitiveness, respect for opposition and officials over the course of the CUMRC tournament.
Selection will be made by the a panel in conjunction with input from officials and the CUMRC Board members present.
This award will be presented at the Gold Medal Match.
The Spence McTavish Cup
The Spence McTavish Cup (and championship banner) is presented to the Gold Medal team by the Chair of the CUMRC or designate and a representative of the host university.
