Edmonton Annual General Meeting Agenda

Sunday November 16, 2017 , 2:00 p.m.

Administration

1. Call to order 2. Attendance – confirm quorum was met 3. Agenda a. Amendments/additions b. Motion to adopt the agenda

4. Previous Meeting a. Review of minutes from November 24, 2018 b. Motion to adopt 2018 AGM Meeting Minutes

Board Reports and Questions from the Membership

1. President 2. Treasurer 3. Secretary 4. VP Administration 5. VP Ellerslie 6. VP Senior Rugby 7. VP Junior Rugby 8. Director of Discipline 9. ERURS 10. Members at Large

Motion to confirm the reports as presented

Resolutions and New Business

No resolution/new business unless added under amendments/additions to the agenda

Election of Officers / Selection of Auditors

Members at Large (3 positions, 1 year term each, open for election) VP Junior Rugby (2 year term, open for election) VP Senior Rugby (2 year term, open for election) Secretary (2 year term, open for election) Treasurer (2 year term, open for election)

Selection of Auditors

Motion to Adjourn

Title: Edmonton Rugby Union Annual General Meeting Date / Time: November 24, 2018 – 12:00 p.m. Location: Ellerslie Rugby Park – 11004 Ellerslie Road, Edmonton, AB Recorder: Jasmine Jarvis President Devin Vandenberg VP Ellerslie Judy Seddon Member at Large Jeff Berg VP Rugby Treasurer Juliette Bradley Jo Reinbold Member at Large Simon Healy Board of (Senior) Directors: Secretary Jasmine Jarvis ERURS Mick Graham Member at Large John Frame Director of VP Admin Anna‐Liza Aguilar Ron Allen VP Rugby (Juniors) vacant Discipline ITEM DISCUSSION GENERAL Attendees:

Edmonton Rugby Football Club (Pirates): Angela Lieu, Kate Childs Leprechaun Tigers RFC: Bill Winterton, Carlos Valle, Alanna Fittes, Lauren Stavert, Kristy Sargent Strathcona Druids RFC: Shawn Thomas, Brent Gallagher, Liam Mills, Miranda Monty, Stacey Gallagher, Pete Houlihan Edmonton Clansmen RFC: Darren Cunningham, Peter Weran, Leo MacDonald, Steve Saunders, Dave Logan, Davie Graham Nor’Westers Athletic Association: Eve Fletcher, Stan Dilworth, Rick Oldring, Kelly Pawlik, Anthony Kovacic, Brittany Demers, Attendees Graham Thompson Edmonton Rockers Athletic Club: Moira Rankin L.A. Crude RFC: Trevor Macaulay, Candace McGowan St. Albert RFC: Terry MacPherson, Matt Jarvis, Marcia Davis Cold Lake Penguins RFC: Erin Bowman, Sean Verheyde Parkland Rugby Club: Graeme Dawes, Julian Gauthier Drayton Valley Riggers Rugby Club: Todd , Chris Cooke • Meeting call to order at 12:07 p.m. • Motion to accept the agenda by Dave Logan (Clan), seconded by Bill Winterton (LTs) Administration • 51% of quorum has been met – total votes: 32.5 • Motion to accept 2017 AGM Minutes • Motioned by Graeme Dawes (Sharks), seconded by Trevor Macauley (Leduc) BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ERU Meeting Summary Page 1 of 4 November 24, 2018

● See attached report ● Stan Dilworth (NWAA) asked about the technical committee discussed at the 2017 ERU AGM and the outcome of committee. Devin advised that the ERU has been working with Rugby Alberta on an AC/E2 Structure which will be presented later under new business. Stan inquired if that committee was responsible for the age grade changes from U18 to U17 and U19 ‐ Devin explained that was a decision. ● Trevor Macauley (Leduc) asked who approved the $20.00 increase to dues from Rugby Canada? Devin advised that Rugby Canada President went to Rugby Alberta and held meetings with all the provincial unions. Other options were reviewed, however in the end, the $20.00 per player option was agreed on by all provincial unions. ● Steve Saunders (Clan) asked when RC has to set dues by? Judy advised April 30, however no expected increase ‐ the $20.00 increase from last year will stay. Steve suggested increasing communication on what the $20.00 does ‐ now that RC gets more funding for making RWC, what does grassroots get? Judy suggested that clubs ask the RA President this question at the AGM on December 2, 2018, and he will go to RC to find out answer. Devin also suggested that concerns be brought forward to him, and he can bring to RA meetings. ● See attached report Treasurer ● Anna‐Liza Aguilar (ERU) asked when the next casino is ‐ expect December 2019. ● Steve Saunders (Clan) motioned that the membership accept the 2018 financials ‐ seconded by Simon Healy (ERU). All in favor. Secretary ● No report to give

VP Administration ● See attached report ● See attached report ● Will add registration statistics to www.edmontonrugby.com after the meeting ● Anna‐Liza Aguilar (ERU) asked if the ERU will be keeping with SportLomo next season ‐ Judy confirmed yes. Matt Jarvis (SARFC) VP Ellerslie asked if the system has the ability to offer payment plans ‐ Judy said no for RC and RA dues but will ask about club dues. There is a meeting in December ‐ any questions about the registration system to be submitted to Judy by December 15. ● Stan Dilworth (NWAA) asked if there was an increase or decrease in senior registration ‐ Judy confirmed a decrease in senior and increase in junior

VP Rugby (Juniors) ● See attached report

VP Rugby (Seniors) ● See attached report ● Devin advised approximately a 23% decrease in senior registrations Director of ● See attached report Discipline

ERU Meeting Summary Page 2 of 4 November 24, 2018

ERURS ● See attached report

Member at Large ● No report to give (Jeff) Member at Large ● Interim VP Rugby (Junior) (John) ● See attached report Member at Large ● No report to give (Simon) Administration Motion to confirm reports as presented by Leo Macdonald (Clan), seconded by Bill Winterton (LTs) AC Championship Proposal ‐ Graeme Moffatt ● See attached proposal ● AC and E2 would be together 80% of the time ● Ron Allen (ERU) asked about the status of the Wolfpack and what RA envisions as a provincial team moving forward? Graeme advised that this is an opportunity to re‐establish Alberta’s representative rugby identity. ● Graham Thompson (NWAA) advised that the import eligibility portion of the proposal has a typo ‐ should be two years, not three ● Ron Allen (ERU) asked what problem this proposal was trying to solve? Graeme advised increasing the quality of the competitions, optimizing player experience, having meaningful competition and avoiding blowouts. ● Ron advised he would worry about an ERU team travelling to Calgary and a bench player only getting 20 minutes playing time. Graeme advised that they are decreasing the number of bench spots from eight to five, however will allow for twelve substitutions to avoid that. ● Ron asked who plays first ‐ AC or E2? Graeme advised it depends on what the membership prefers. New Business ● Dave Logan (Clan) asked what the thought process behind shortening E3 to August is? Graeme explained that the social rugby aspect is being lost as when playoffs start, it’s difficult to field teams. This will allow everyone to be available for E3 playoffs versus pulling players into other divisions come playoff time. ● Darren Cunningham (Clan) asked if we can share the information from the ERU/CRU to see the percentage of players playing in both E2 and E3? He stated it makes more sense for E2 and E3 to play on the same day as most players seem to play in both. He asked what the identity of a E2 versus E3 player? Graeme advised this goes back to the proposal which would optimated player experience and allow teams to retain numbers. ● Lauren Stavert (LTs) asked how the schedule would be managed due to the mid‐season split? Graeme advised the schedule will be completed and teams slot into spots. Graeme confirmed the women’s structure will be discussed over the next couple months. ● Matt Jarvis (SARFC) asked if filming games is mandatory, will it be subsidized? Graeme advised not in the position to subsidize but can look to live stream games from ERP and CRP. ● Stan Dilworth (NWAA) asked if CRU is experiencing the same decline in numbers? Graeme confirmed yes ‐ it’s happening ERU Meeting Summary Page 3 of 4 November 24, 2018

worldwide. Need 5‐6 years to build a successful U21/23 league and increase recruiting to address this issue. ● Devin to contact clubs to get a representative to vote on this proposal, then discuss further at the provincial union level. Members at Large – One Year Term ● Jeff Berg (standing for re‐election) – returns by acclamation ● Simon Healy (standing for re‐election) ‐ returns by acclamation ● Marcia Davis ‐ nominated by SARFC (accepts nomination) ● Marcia Davis is elected by acclamation

Director of Discipline – Two Year Term ● Terry MacPherson ‐ nominated by SARFC ● Terry MacPherson is elected by acclamation

VP Rugby (Junior) – Two Year Term ● Rick Oldring ‐ nominated by NWAA ● Rick Oldring is elected by acclamation Nominations and

Voting VP Ellerslie – Two Year Term ● Judy Seddon (standing for re‐election) – returns by acclamation

VP Administration ‐ Two Year Term ● Ron Allen ‐ nominated by Clan ● Ron Allen is elected by acclamation

President ‐ Two Year Term ● Devin Vandenberg (standing for re‐election) ‐ returns by acclamation

Auditors ● Miranda Monty ● Julian Gauthier CONCLUSION Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 1:35 p.m.

ERU Meeting Summary Page 4 of 4 November 24, 2018

Edmonton Rugby Union FY2019 President’s Year End Report

It has been an honour to serve as the Edmonton Rugby Union President this past year. The 2019 season was the first year of my second term as President. I would like to thank the ERU clubs, their respective boards, the referees and all volunteers for their support and hard work this past season. I as well want to thank those of you who have helped us by participating on our various subcommittees. I particularly want to thank the ERU board who have done a wonderful job this past season and for all the help you have provided me. To a person you have been an absolute pleasure to work with.

I would also like to make special mention of Jo Reinbold, who is stepping down after many years on the ERU board. Her selfless dedication to the Edmonton rugby community is not without notice and I would like to personally thank her for all the year of hard work she has put in.

Overall, 2019 was a season of ups and downs for rugby in Edmonton. In this report, I will provide a brief summary of the highlights from the season. I will close by discussing what I believe some of our focuses should be for the upcoming season.

Season Highlights:

Investment in Youth Rugby: The ERU continue to increase its investment in our youth rugby programs. We increased our budget, adding incremental staff, and the board as a whole spent an increasing amount of time with our youth program. It should be noted that we have seen an overall 160% increase in our youth membership over the past four years. Our youth program now represents 63% of our overall membership up from 40% four years ago. This is a testament to the great programs our clubs are running. It also speaks to the hard work and dedication of the ERU’s staff and volunteers who run our programs. I am extremely proud of the amazing job they do. The ERU will continue to increase the investment in our youth programs.

Finances: The Edmonton Rugby Union continues to be in a strong financial position running a modest surplus for the past two seasons. I want to thank Juliette Bradley, our Treasurer, for the financial leadership she has provided over here past two terms. I would also like to thank Carmen Maday and Judy Seddon who work very closely with Juliette. Juliette is stepping down this year and I want to personally thank her hard work and dedication. She is an absolute pleasure to work with.

Club Cooperation and Communication: I am relatively happy with the open and collaborative relationship the ERU has with our member clubs. I think we have made great strides over the past few years and we continue to seek ways to improve. There are a number of clubs we work with closely and there are still some clubs we need to do a better job with. I would like to challenge our clubs to try and get more involved; have a club member join the board, come to the ERU board meetings, attend our coaches meeting or volunteer for the sub committees we put together.

Referee and Volunteer Abuse: As mentioned at our last three AGM’s, we have seen increased incidences of abuse. Most of the incidents have been directed towards referees and our volunteers. Most distressing is that the majority of incidents are happening at the youth level and this is clearly not acceptable. While there may not have been an increase in the number of incidents this year, we did have a number of incidents that I would consider serious. The ERU will continue to enforce its zero‐tolerance abuse policy and deal with offenders harshly. For the upcoming season, we will continue to work with our clubs and members to make improvements. This is an issue that we all own; the ERU, the clubs, the coaches, parent and players.

Edmonton Rugby Union 11004 Ellerslie Road SW, Edmonton AB T6W 1A2 www.edmontonrugby.com Edmonton Rugby Union FY2019 President’s Year End Report

Referee Numbers: We have seen a decline in the number of certified referees over the past few years, which was particularly challenging this year. To be frank, we do not enough match officials to cover all the games. This issue had been further complicated by our increasing youth numbers, match officials being utilized for our younger age grades, and incidents of abuse. We were very lucky that we have a dedicated group of referees who officiated more games than is reasonable. This is not sustainable and, in my opinion, we are at a critical juncture. This is not an issue for the referees to fix on their own. We need the help of the provincial union, the ERU board, the clubs and the Edmonton Rugby Union Referees Society (ERURS) to put an action plan in place to make significant improvements. I would like to make special note of the hard work and extra effort that was put in by the ERURS, its member referees and the ERU Board for helping to deal with this challenging issue this year.

Prairie Super League and the Edmonton Senior Men’s Gold: The reintroduction of the Prairie Super League a couple of years ago was an important step in the revitalization of senior representative rugby in Edmonton. The league had mixed success in its inaugural season but this year was an improvement. I look forward to the continuing improvement this upcoming season.

Focus for the Upcoming Year:

We will continue to build on our successes from the previous seasons. For the upcoming season there are a number of items that I recommend the ERU board focus on.

 Ensure the Edmonton Rugby Union’s and our members unique needs are met in relation to policy, governance, age grade and league structure.  Review senior league structure to ensure the ERU clubs’ needs are being met.  Improve governance by ensuring our policies, rules and procedures are consistent and clear to all clubs and members.  To work collaboratively with the clubs to decrease discipline and abuse incidents.  Work with the referee societies and the clubs in improve referee numbers.  Continue to increase our investment in our youth rugby program.  Continue to work with the Edmonton rugby community to make rugby in Edmonton a safe and abuse free environment.

I would like to remind every member that the Rugby Alberta AGM and Alberta Junior Rugby Association’s AGMs are being held on November 30 and Dec 1st in Edmonton. It is important to the long‐term success of rugby in Edmonton that all clubs participate. This is where our collective concerns are heard and where changes can be made. This is also your opportunity to participate on these boards. If you are interested, you can be directly involved in improving the development of our sport.

I am looking forward to another exciting season of rugby.

Regards,

Devin Vandenberg President; ERU [email protected]

Edmonton Rugby Union 11004 Ellerslie Road SW, Edmonton AB T6W 1A2 www.edmontonrugby.com

Treasurer's Report

During my two terms (four years) as Treasurer, the Edmonton rugby community has seen significant change. The change that has had the most impact on financial management is the growth of junior rugby, and the decline in senior. Junior player numbers grew in 2019 for the third year running (by 11.7%), and our junior program now dwarfs the senior, in terms of player numbers; there’s nearly 60% more junior players - at just shy of 1,700 - than senior players in the ERU now. This represents almost a complete turnaround from the 2016 season.

In response to this, the ERU negotiated with the AJRA some changes in funding arrangements which resulted this year in the ERU charging a flat fee per junior player U7 and up of $40. This has brought in “new” revenue of nearly $58k, which is offset in part by related expenses – such as match officials – that were previously paid by the AJRA; overall, it means that the ERU Board has the control to be able to resource the program effectively. This process has begun with, amongst other things, an adjustment to junior staff structure and payscales to better reflect the work involved; and the incoming Board recognizes that the continuation of this is a key priority for next year.

Due to what I call our unpredictable revenue streams coming in strong this year, and the fact that some of our expenses didn’t materialize early on (the funding of senior rep programs – a reflection of the trend in senior rugby?), we spent money in new areas, including the live streaming of City finals, and giving financial assistance to Clubs. This has left us with a healthy profit for the year.

Overall, the ERU is in a strong position financially, and I would suggest that the incoming and future Boards can feel comfortable in finding creative ways to help support the growing junior program and re-ignite the flagging senior program.

Juliette Bradley, ERU Treasurer November 13, 2019 Edmonton Rugby Union Comparative Income Statement

Actual 11/01/2018 Budget 11/01/2018 Actual 11/01/2017 to 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2018

REVENUE

Gaming Revenue WEMBA 38,371.88 30,000.00 18,717.90 Casino 34,244.11 35,000.00 34,570.54 Subtotal Gaming Revenue 72,615.99 65,000.00 53,288.44

General Revenue Playing Dues ‐ Seniors 38,000.00 38,000.00 37,050.00 Playing Dues ‐ Juniors 57,660.00 54,000.00 0.00 Interest 3,210.60 0.00 0.00 Fines 2,000.00 0.00 0.00 Special Events 0.00 0.00 600.00 Grants 16,500.00 0.00 18,500.00 AJRA 0.00 0.00 48,270.00 Fundraisers 0.00 3,000.00 7,926.11 Sponsorship 0.00 0.00 318.94 Kinsmen Junior Sessions 2,560.00 2,500.00 2,645.00 Subtotal General Revenue 119,930.60 97,500.00 115,310.05 TOTAL REVENUE excluding Gold Program 192,546.59 162,500.00 168,598.49

TOTAL REVENUE including Gold Program 284,478.57 162,500.00 263,779.58

EXPENDITURE

Administration Advertising & Promotions 0.00 500.00 1,222.73 Audit & Legal 227.58 100.00 0.00 Awards, Trophies & City Finals 1,685.35 2,000.00 1,900.96 Bookkeeping 3,840.00 3,840.00 3,600.00 Bank Charges 1,412.00 1,500.00 1,423.68 Donations 0.00 400.00 200.00 Website & SportLomo 1,757.31 1,850.00 2,117.49 Directors' Expenses 2,423.47 1,700.00 868.83 AGM Expenses 3,014.54 500.00 563.06 Registration & League Management 7,000.00 6,000.00 7,510.00 Hall of Fame 0.00 500.00 183.75 Ellerslie Rugby Park 30,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 E3 Team Rebates 2,450.00 0.00 0.00 Subtotal Administration 53,810.25 38,890.00 39,590.50

______Juliette Bradley, Treasurer November 9, 2019 Edmonton Rugby Union Comparative Income Statement

Actual 11/01/2018 Budget 11/01/2018 Actual 11/01/2017 to 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2018

EXPENDITURE continued

Rugby Program Expenses Sr Men Gold 9,636.20 7,000.00 11,215.34 Sr Women Gold 0.00 7,000.00 0.00 U21 Gold 0.00 3,000.00 0.00 Junior Rugby Development Co‐ordinator 12,861.65 7,500.00 10,000.00 Junior Representative (Gold) Technical Director 4,799.97 4,800.00 10,000.00 Junior Representative (Gold) Administrator 7,666.66 7,667.00 0.00 RDO's 2,020.00 10,000.00 9,795.66 Staff Development 600.00 0.00 0.00 YDO Matching Grants to Clubs 3,000.00 6,000.00 4,373.00 Match Officials ‐ Seniors 31,238.00 27,900.00 34,071.25 Match Officials ‐ Juniors 7,116.95 8,000.00 0.00 Junior Development 693.26 500.00 0.00 Field Rentals 11,780.00 11,340.00 8,625.00 Medics ‐ Juniors 4,348.32 5,625.00 3,386.96 Challenge Cup 0.00 0.00 500.00 City Finals & Provincials ‐ Seniors 7,275.00 3,000.00 186.25 City Finals & Provincials ‐ Juniors 4,149.50 0.00 0.00 Equipment, Kit & Storage 3,725.63 8,500.00 4,552.52 Kinsmen Junior Sessions 2,290.62 2,150.00 1,275.00 Subtotal Rugby Program Expenses 113,201.76 119,982.00 97,980.98

Write offs & posting error 193.00 0.00 2,840.00 Depreciation 0.00 0.00 15,436.00

TOTAL EXPENDITURE excluding Gold Program 167,205.01 158,872.00 155,847.48

TOTAL EXPENDITURE including Gold Program 262,136.99 161,872.00 253,528.57

Gold Academy Program ‐ Income Fees 2,949.98 0.00 5,347.84 Tours 70,612.60 0.00 65,846.00 Summer 15s & Winter 7s 18,369.40 0.00 23,987.25 Subtotal Gold Academy Income 91,931.98 0.00 95,181.09

Gold Academy Program ‐ Expenditure Operations 2,949.98 0.00 5,347.84 Tours 70,612.60 0.00 65,846.00 Summer 15s & Winter 7s 18,369.40 0.00 23,987.25 Contingency 3,000.00 3,000.00 2,500.00 Subtotal Gold Academy Expenses 94,931.98 3,000.00 97,681.09

NET INCOME 22,341.58 628.00 10,251.01 ______Juliette Bradley, Treasurer November 9, 2019 Edmonton Rugby Union Balance Sheet

Actual 11/01/2018 Actual 11/01/2017 to 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2018

ASSET Current Assets Bank; Operations* $ 193,166 $ 174,006 Bank; Consolidated Gaming $ 2,459 $ 988 Bank; WEMBA Bingo $ 6,830 $ 761 Bank; Casino $ 699 $ 35,699 Restricted Investment - Allendale* $ 70,000 $ 70,000 GIC Account $ 5,532 $ 2,624 SubTotal Cash Assets $ 278,687 $ 284,077 Accounts Receivable $ - $ 470 ERP Owner Loan/Advance $ 15,454 $ 15,454 Total Receivable $ 15,454 $ 15,924 Ellerslie Rugby Park - Mower $ - $ - Subtotal Fixed Assets $ - $ - Total Current Assets $ 294,140 $ 300,001 TOTAL ASSET $ 294,140 $ 300,001

LIABILITY Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $ 2,805 $ 156 Grants - deferred $ 25,000 $ - Casino revenues - deferred $ - $ 34,571 WEMBA revenues - deferred $ - $ 19,000 Fund our Future $ 4,000 $ 4,000 Gold fundraising - deferred $ 6,809 $ 7,076 Evans Trust $ 2,239 $ 2,239 Prepaid expenses -$ 1,214 $ - Game Fines clearing account -$ 800 $ - Total Current Liabilities $ 38,839 $ 67,041 TOTAL LIABILITY $ 38,839 $ 67,041

EQUITY Retained Earnings Retained Earnings - Previous Year $ 232,959 $ 222,708 Current Earnings $ 22,342 $ 10,251 Total Retained Earnings $ 255,301 $ 232,959 TOTAL EQUITY $ 255,301 $ 232,959

TOTAL LIABILITY AND EQUITY $ 294,140 $ 300,001

*Note to reader: ERU's share of the proceeds from the sale of Allendale Bingo Hall is $120,000. Of this, $70,000 sits in a GIC; the remaining $50,000 sits in Operations following term coming due on GIC. ______Juliette Bradley, Treasurer November 13, 2019 V-P Administration Report 2019

The duties of the VP Administration typically involve fairly mundane and uneventful housekeeping items such as keeping track of the trophies and ensuring they are in good repair and up to date. To this end I am pleased to announce they are and further would like to announce that we have initiated a new trophy - the Jo Reinbold Cup for the ERU U15 Women' Championship. This trophy is to in some small way honour the years of service and dedication that Jo has given to rugby at every level – local, provincially and nationally. Jo is retiring from many years of serving as the ERU VP of Rugby but I suspect she has no plans to quietly fade away!

Another pleasant event was the induction of Helen Wright into the ERU Hall of Fame. Her list of accomplishments are too much to list in entirety but notably she was selected to the first Canadian Women's Rugby team (as was Jo Reinbold). She coached at every level city, provincial and national. She was the first woman to coach senior men’s rugby (both the Druids and the Clansmen). Perhaps most notably, she coached the U of A Pandas to 5 straight National Championships finishing with a record of 38-1-1..... a record in Canadian Intervarsity Sports. It's been my real pleasure to have known and worked with these to women.

Ron Allen

Ellerslie Rugby Park 2018/2019

The following chart shows the locations of the ~ 300 regular league & playoff games in the various ERU age grades; U17, U19, Senior Men and Women.

~300 League & Playoff Games for teams in ERU Sr Men & Women, Boy & Girls U17 & U19 Airways 21 Lep/Tigers 18 Cold Lake 2 Lloydminster 2 Drayton Valley 2 NorWesters 25 Edson 4 Pirates 12 ERP 45 Southern Alberta 68 Fort McMurray 9 St Albert 43 Grande Prairie 14 Stony Plain 0 Leduc 16 Strathcona Druids 29

In addition, the ERP fields were used for other rugby activities: . 32 High School Regular League Games & Championships . Rugbyfest 7’s Tournament . Edmonton Gold Junior training, camps and exhibition games . 2 Prairie Super League Games . EPSB Junior High Flag Tournament . 6 of the 8 Saturday morning U5 to U11 Festivals (1 @ SA and 1 @ NW) . 10 Wednesday Evenings U13 & U15 Games . 2 Saturday sessions for Junior Fall 7’s

The ERP Inc. working Board of Directors is as follows. These are volunteer working positions target such things as such as Finance, Marketing, and Maintenance. . Leprechauns & Tigers: Ryan Thomas & Brian Game . Clansmen: Dave Logan . Druids: Darrell Holowaychuk . Pirates: Rob Burstall . NorWesters: Mike Walchuk . ERU: Judy Seddon . Graeme Dawes: Chairman

Once again I would like to say how lucky the ERP and ERU have been to have long-term, loyal and hardworking facility staff. It makes our volunteers’ jobs so much easier to have people we can depend on. Thanks Carmen Maday and the rest of our wonderful staff for your continued dedication.

2019 Registration by Club; ERU Coach * U5 U7 U9 U11 U13 U15 U17 U19 Senior Temporary Masters CLUB Totals some also Mixed F M F M F M F M F M F M F M M counted in players # Antediluvians 31 30 1 Clansmen 372 2 11 13 9 19 16 16 7 22 25 38 18 31 37 80 2 13 13 Cold Lake Penguins 44 2 2 18 9 1 1 8 2 1 Druids 404 16 21 40 12 31 21 32 16 15 30 32 20 21 13 64 3 4 13 DV Riggers 56 3 2 9 3 3 8 3 1 8 4 5 3 4 Edson Axmen 23 7 13 3 Fort McMurray Knights 158 12 12 7 2 9 2 1 1 19 33 42 17 1 GP Centaurs/Sirens 140 1 10 11 9 12 3 5 2 3 3 24 37 6 11 3 Leduc LA Crude 193 19 16 18 5 12 1 6 3 1 17 10 30 35 3 11 6 Lep/Tigers 187 5 6 16 2 13 5 3 7 1 15 31 60 3 6 9 5 Lloydminster Reapers 24 16 8 Nor'Westers 312 11 16 21 9 17 10 11 14 21 19 15 16 23 24 43 2 12 15 13 Parkland Sharks 72 1 1 1 1 3 10 2 19 26 3 5 Pirates 109 11 12 9 1 2 1 24 29 12 4 4 Rockers 75 9 10 6 4 3 2 30 7 4 St. Albert 663 74 66 43 19 46 29 36 28 41 40 37 19 28 37 54 6 11 26 23 Union Totals 2863 160 172 183 77 162 107 114 98 117 144 125 115 116 296 502 87 105 87 96

2018 Registration Numbers by Club; ERU U5 U7 U9 U11 U13 U15 U17 U19 Senior Temporary Masters Coach Total CLUB Mixed F M F M F M F M F M F M M Antediluvians 24 24 Clansmen 296 2 14 16 25 9 17 14 15 11 28 15 27 31 51 2 13 6 Cold Lake Penguins 61 4 1 25 10 20 1 Druids 346 20 15 19 35 11 20 23 8 27 41 13 37 24 49 4 DV Riggers 67 3 9 4 9 6 3 3 18 1 7 4 Edson Axmen 31 29 2 Fort McMurray Knights 158 19 10 16 10 1 6 2 1 1 3 22 34 16 16 1 GP Centaurs/Sirens 89 3 8 6 20 29 12 10 1 Leduc LA Crude 174 16 10 22 3 13 9 3 15 5 32 34 2 7 3 Lep/Tigers 199 2 8 12 8 3 2 2 2 19 1 24 6 32 61 2 3 10 2 Lloydminster Reapers 16 16 Nor'Westers 284 9 10 24 14 34 10 20 19 17 16 15 15 54 2 14 6 5 Parkland Sharks 93 3 3 2 4 1 5 2 11 2 18 32 1 4 5 Pirates 80 6 6 4 1 2 2 1 21 19 6 10 2 Rockers 53 9 8 9 1 1 23 2 St. Albert 553 80 54 50 47 22 36 22 36 23 31 16 15 23 57 10 4 14 13 Union Totals 2524 163 142 182 163 54 143 113 95 126 121 108 103 279 486 60 84 54 48

2017 Registration Numbers by Club; ERU U5 U7 U9 U11 U13 U15 U17 & U18 Senior Temp Masters CLUB Total Mixed F M F M F M F M F&M M Antediluvians 28 28 Clansmen 338 6 10 20 25 3 15 11 26 25 36 35 99 26 1 Cold Lake Penguins 38 9 22 7 Druids 268 14 8 18 23 6 8 14 21 10 43 28 64 11 DV Riggers 72 1 7 10 2 11 14 5 1 20 1 Edson Axmen 31 28 3 Fort McMurray Knights 75 13 12 5 3 8 32 2 GP Centaurs/Sirens 117 2 2 4 13 2 3 2 3 33 42 11 Leduc LA Crude 133 5 14 10 6 4 6 2 10 24 38 14 Lep/Tigers 241 6 10 13 11 1 1 7 1 46 3 36 74 18 14 Lloydminster Reapers 44 2 11 22 9 Nor'Westers 306 22 17 17 11 20 10 24 35 28 24 69 18 11 Parkland Sharks 93 2 6 5 2 2 1 1 1 12 19 40 2 Pirates 125 3 7 1 1 1 16 3 40 31 22 Rockers 62 10 4 3 3 12 29 1 St. Albert 429 72 35 37 13 36 25 24 32 22 45 69 19 Union Totals 2400 61 168 138 151 40 99 89 101 208 136 361 631 163 54 Chart following ERU player registrations by category 2012 through 2019 1000

Juniors U13 to U19

900

800 Minors U5 to U11

700

600 Minors U5 to U11 Juniors U13 to U19 Senior Men 500 Senior Women Senior Men Temporary 400 Masters

Senior Women 300

Temporary 200

100 Masters

0 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Minors U5 to U11 754 650 518 334 346 279 208 211 Juniors U13 to U19 936 863 673 477 592 643 635 686 Senior Women 296 279 361 313 264 262 238 312 Senior Men 502 486 631 640 673 620 601 795 Temporary 192 144 163 205 302 209 173 149 Masters 87 54 54 43 27 VP Senior Rugby

This year end report is my last official duty as the VP of Senior Rugby for the Edmonton Rugby Union. It has been a challenging year for clubs and administrators. The numbers are fluctuating between clubs and age grades and the schedule changes have been difficult.

The senior men’s GOLD program did well this year and the coaching staff of Warren de Bruin and Martin van der Heever’s experience and skill put a strong team together. The indoor game in March against the Australian Red Devils consisted of 31 GOLD players taking the field which gave us a strong base to select from. James “Archie” Lees came back as the manager with so much experience I could jet away to drink wine with my girlfriends and not worry about anything.

The ERU had more players on the WolfPack senior and U19 men’s teams this year and if we could get everyone out on the same weekend we would probably be the strongest team in the west. We had about 13 changes to our lineup between the two games against BC and they marginally won the David Brown Memorial trophy.

Congratulations to the City and Provincial Champions – list attached. I would like to thank the many different presidents, executive members, Ellerslie staff and players that I have worked with over the years. Your support and commitment has always been appreciated and I think together we have made Edmonton rugby stronger.

Jo Reinbold

November 2019

2019 ERU City Champions

Division One Men Under- 17 Boys Strathcona Druids Clansmen Ken Ann Cup Ron Allen Cup Under-15 Boys Division Two Men Grande Prairie Dutch Memorial St Albert J.W. Shaw Cup Centaurs Trophy Division Three Men LA Crude Under 15 Girls NorWesters Visser Cup

Jo Reinbold Cup Clanswomen Under 13 Boys Strathcona Druids Division Two Women

Johnsen Cup LA Crude Under 17 Girls Strathcona Druids Division One Women

Under-19 Boys Under- 19 Girls NorWesters Strathcona Druids NorWester Cup Helen Wright Trophy

ERU 2019 Fixture Adjustments Changes, cancellations, defaults - AFTER season has begun (Senior & U17/U19) Does not include the mass changes made pre-season for combined or drop-out teams Default Notes: some games were played under 'best intentions'; sharing of players or playing 10's/7's, but score indicates as 20 - 0 for DF. 11 Senior games were actual "no go" defaults.

Week Changes Postponements Defaults Other Notes 1 2 1 2 Cancellation of Exhibition Games

2 1

3 1 2 1

4 4 4 Week of poor Air Quality

5 4 1

6 4 1

7 1

8 1

9 1 1

10 4 1 1

11 2 4 4

12 3 1 3

13 1 1

14 5 2

15 6 2

16 2 1 1

17 2 1

18 1 5

45 14 24 2

2019 ERU Final Standings

Alberta Cup Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts The Canucks RFC 65012691411286026 Calgary Rams RFC 64022421361068024 Strathcona Druids RFC 6312218132867021 St Albert RFC 6213158230‐724014 Nor Westers AA 5104114169‐55206 Calgary Hornets RFC 510486279‐193 1 0 5

AC ‐ Championship Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts Calgary Saracens RFC 6510211117945027 Leprechaun Tigers RFC 65012091061036026 Calgary Canadian Irish 6303121186‐652014 Clansmen RFC 6213134145‐114014 Bow Valley Grizzlies 510498154‐56408 LA Crude RFC 5005104169‐65202

ERU Div 2 Men (E2) Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts Grande Prairie RFC 12 11 0 1 608 153 455 11 0 55 Parkland Sharks RFC 12 10 0 2 595 202 393 11 0 51 Fort McMurray Knights 12 10 0 2 460 240 220 11 ‐5 46 Clansmen RFC 12 6 0 6 255 276 ‐21 8 0 32 Leprechaun Tigers RFC 12 5 0 7 283 420 ‐137 6 ‐5 21 St Albert RFC 12 4 0 8 235 394 ‐159 5 ‐5 16 Nor Westers AA 12 1 1 10 204 548 ‐344 5 0 11 Strathcona Druids RFC 12 0 1 11 147 554 ‐407 2 ‐5 ‐1

ERU Div 3 Men (E3) As Per Percentage % formula = Possible earned pts / Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts Points possible pts Clansmen RFC 9801339135204804045 89% Grande Prairie RFC 7502434117317702735 77% LA Crude RFC 7601315662495-52435 69% Edmonton Pirates RFC 9504314344-30502545 56% Strathcona Druids RFC 9405238195437-51845 40% Penguin/Reapers 9405172291-119 4 -5 15 45 33% Edson Axmen RFC 9207115456-341 2 -5 5 45 11% LT/NW 9009108431-323 5 -5 0 45 0% AWP Final Standings Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts Leprechaun Tigers RFC 7700272861865033 Edmonton Pirates RFC 76013221042186030 Titans RFC 7403237196416022 Calgary Hornets RFC 7403207224‐174020 St Albert RFC 7304209222‐136018 Clansmen RFC 7304177208‐314016 Calgary Rams RFC 7106138300‐162 3 0 7 Calgary Canadian Irish 700784306‐222 1 ‐5 ‐4

ERU Div 1 Women (EW1) Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts Leprechaun Tigers RFC 77003701042667035 LA Crude RFC 7601256167897031 Nor Westers AA 7313210158525019 Strathcona Druids RFC 7214212178345‐510 Rockers Athletic Club 7106113355‐242 2 0 6 Grande Prairie RFC 710665264‐199 0 0 4

ERU Div 2 Women (EW2) Team Pld W D L PF PA Diff BP Ded Pts Clansmen RFC 7601198851137031 St Albert RFC 7502267228397027 LA Crude RFC 7403191142498024 Nor Westers AA 7304233151825017 Fort McMurray Knights 710649177‐128 2 0 6 Parkland Sharks RFC 7205166321‐155 3 ‐5 6 2019 Rugby Alberta Provincial Champions

Alberta Cup (AC) Alberta Women's Premiership Division One Men : Labatt Cup Edmonton Leprechaun Tigers Calgary Canucks Alberta Cup - Championship Division Two Men Division One Men Lor-Ann Cup Leprechaun Tigers Grande Prairie Centaurs Division Three Men Davie Graham Cup Digby Dinnie Cup "Old Boys" LA Crude Cobras Under-19 Girls Under-19 Boys Strathcona Druids NorWesters Under-17 Boys Under-17 Girls Clansmen Calgary Hornets Kish/Steacy Cup Ron Oates Cup U18 7's Girls ERU v CRU U18 7's Boys ERU v CRU Rick Oldring Cup Suggitt Cup U16 7's Girls ERU v CRU U16 7's Boys ERU v CRU

ERU VP Junior Year End Report 2019

Introduction

This year, the ERU had 2863 registered players from fifteen clubs participate in the junior program. The ERU juniors

Edmonton Gold Rep Program

The Edmonton Gold continue to build a solid reputation both at home and abroad. Thanks to all the coaches, ERU staff and volunteer parents who make this program such a success.

Gold 7s The Gold 7s teams did very well at the Alberta Region Championship again this year and played fantastic rugby at the Vancouver International 7s Invitational. The results were excellent considering this regional team was playing against BC elite and Academy teams. ● U18 Girls - 3rd place ● U18 boys - 4th place ● U16 Girls - 4th place ● U16 Girls - 2nd place

Gold 15s The Gold took three of the four Alberta Regional Championship age group competitions. It was a great showing for our program and led to many of our players being invited to the Alberta Wolfpack Tryouts. There were also 50 - 70 athletes trying out for each team. ● U18 Girls - 1st ● U18 Boys - 1st ● U16 Girls - 1st ● U16 Boys - 2nd

Edmonton Gold Academy THe Gold Academy ran in the spring and provided athletes with the opportunity to develop their skills aligned to the Alberta Way. It was also used as an opportunity for coaching development and mentorship. Unfortunately, the number of participants is small as there are many competing forces as other clubs and organizations run their own academy. Plans are underway to revise the Gold Academy for 2020 to be more game based, which will help situate its role in player development and compliment the external academies. Gold Player Invites to Rugby Canada ● One Gold girl (Cassie Jorgenson Nor’Westers) has made the travelling roster for the Canada U18 girls heading to San Diego in December and two other Gold players made the non travelling squad (Melina Ioannides, Nor’Westers and Shelby Pierce, St. Albert). ● Canada U18 girls ID camp was held Oct 5 in Calgary. 17 out of 31 invited are from our Gold program ● Canada U20/U18 boys ID camp was held Oct 4-6 in Calgary. 16 boys from Edmonton were invited to and attended the camp.

2019 Mini Rugby season

Spring Drop In at the Kinsman The Spring Drop in at the Kinsman continues to be a success at introducing new players to the game and providing skill development to the minis. There are some problems with space as the number of drop ins increases, and the ERU organizers will look at some solutions for next year. The fieldhouse has been booked for 2020 and will run on Thursday nights 7pm-8pm, from Feb 6th to March 26th (8 weeks).

5-U11 Player numbers compared to 2018 ● U5 - 160 players (-6) ● U7 - 172 players (+30) ● U9 - 183 players (-1) ● U11 - 239 players (+76)

These age grades continue to run relatively smoothly with eight mini festivals (and one cancellation due to air quality). There was a misunderstanding of the introduction to contact rules in U11 due to the release of the Rugby Canada Age Grade Laws. Next year, the U11s will have a progression in the first three weeks of the league in order to transition the players into contact.

These teams have enjoyed a festival day in Red Deer. We will reach out to them again next year to see if we can arrange some road trips for these age grades.

The 2020 season will begin on May 9th, 2020.

2019 Junior Rugby

U13 -U15 Player numbers compared to 2018 ● U13 Girls - 107 players (+53) ● U13 Boys - 114 players (-29) ● U15 Girls - 98 players (-15) ● U15 Boys - 117 players (+22)

The level of competition continues to grow and improve in these age grades. This year saw the introduction of mid week games for these age grades instead of Saturday and ran eight Wednesday festivals. The overall feedback was that this was the preferred time, although some Wednesday nights conflicted with the Junior High Flag league and some night went late. We are looking into potential tweaks to the schedule to improve the experience for everyone next year.

We had some issues with some parents and coaches which had to go to discipline hearings. However, the addition of technical zones and a concerted effort by everyone involved seemed to clean things up near the end of the season. We will continue to use technical zones next year and will begin the season with an explanation of the player, parent and coach's code of conduct.

The 2020 season will begin on May 6th, 2020

U17-U18 Player numbers compared to 2018 ● U17 Girls - 144 players (+18) ● U17 Boys - 125 players (+4) ● U19 Girls - 115 players (+7) ● U19 Boys - 116 players (+13)

These age grades continue to be fraught with issues. However, to the credit of the coaches, the ERU staff, parents, I believe most players enjoyed their rugby season. There has been some political upheaval regarding the Provincial Final, which at the time of writing has still not been sorted out.

The length of season, the age grade designations, the number of dispensations will continue to be a problem if the current model is continued next year. Even though we have seen a growth in numbers, we are having difficulty retaining players. We need to consider setting up the leagues for these late teens and early adults that best suite our Edmonton context.

The 2020 season start date has yet to be determined due to the uncertainty of the age grade designations.

General Issues and Recommendations

Reffing continues to be a major concern. Fortunately Juliette Bradley and Judy Sutton stepped up to manage the reffing allocations for the U13/U15. If they hadn’t, I do not believe would have had any refs. The system is not working well and I don’t entirely think it is due to a lack of refs. Work needs to be done to look into the processes and incentives to get young people reffing more.

The ERUs participation in the AJRA should be reviewed next year. They are the body that governed the crossover games between the CRU and the ERU and responsible for grass roots rugby development. Some of the current direction they are taking may not be conducive to our context. Serious consideration needs to be given to how involved we want to be with the AJRA next year.

Conclusion

All in all, I believe the ERU has done a very good job in providing young athletes an opportunity to play rugby and grow in skill and character. I am very proud of the work done by our staff: ● Dayna Taramai - Development ● Danelle Warren - Admin ● George Harding - Technical ● Phoebe Woo Banson - RDO ● Shelby Vadnais - RDO ● Alberto Bustamante - Development

I would also like to thank Judy Sutton for all the work she has done to insure we are doing our due diligence and providing us with insight into how to manage these programs. Juliette Bradely also deserves special mention for her work with the budgets and ensure we have the funds we need to do the work. And finally, we need to that Carman for her collaboration and support, ensuring that we have the resources we need.

Although I am not able to attend the ERU AGM, it is my intention to let my name stand for another term.

Thank you Rick Oldring ERU VP Junior Rugby