http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref=ts.
I'm sure most everyone in the Canadian and international rugby communities knows Tom Woods,a real character if ever there was one. Besides being a cultish member of the rugby community he played in 2 Rugby World Cups for Canada, was president of one of the oldest and most accomplished rugby clubs in Canada ( James Bay Athletic Association - JBAA) ,now heads up the Canadian Classics team that plays in the World Classics Rugby Tournament played annually in Bermuda and has always been a generous supporter of the Howlers.

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:27:30 -0800
Subject: Re: Thanks to all that supported upstart Afghan Rugby to date with their most generous donations - I'm sure there will be many more
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

Mein Kamerad Kapitan:

Put me down for $50 toward the ARF. I am not rich but like this and think your fucked up brain sometimes has some merits. I am mainly supportive of this initiaitve because:

1. ARF is a great acronym - my vote for a National team name is the Afghan Dogs. Who let the dogs out? ARF ARF ARF ARF
2. I have always said if rugby men ruled countries there would be no more wars
3. Any nation that has a game called Buzkashi and it features a dead goat, is a friend of mine. I see all sorts af great possibilites introducing the goat aspect here as well. I know this would be a huge hit at JBAA.

I am mailing the cheque this morning. Love and kisses.
 
TW
===================

"HOWLERS SUPPORT AFGHANISTAN RUGBY" IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST ABOUT THE ACTUAL GAME - IT'S ABOUT GIVING KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY/OPTION.
LOOK AND LISTEN TO THIS VIDEO WHICH SAYS IT ALL -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Hewson a cultish rugby disciple and honorary Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces from Vancouver who generously contributed to this endeavour had this to say - "Great cause! I was in Kabul and area this year, any positive impact we can help the children with is good. Play rugby not war!" . He agrees with Asad Zair the CEO of the Afghanistan Rugby Federation's assessment that " by making the young generation busy in sport activities they won't have sufficient time for drug addiction and that they will be prevented from other criminal activities and in turn hopefully they won't be part of the fighting sides". He went further to say - "There are about 50 countries helping Afghanistan to fight terrorism, but there is not a single country to help our war-torn country develop the sport. Sport is a strong tool for bringing peace, stability and brotherhood in Afghanistan, and not the weapons and war planes, since we have witnessed that with the bombings and fights nothing has been achieved"

In a telephone conversation I had with Asad he attributed one reason for the relatively rapid growth of the game (500 players in 18 months) in his country to the fact that Afghans really enjoy the physical aspect of the game. The biggest impediment he has when he goes into the schools in an effort to promote the game is that he has no balls or any other rugby essential support "stuff" to give them to actually start a program. Keep in mind that the average anual income in this war torn country is $600 .

LISTEN AND WATCH WATCH WITH WHAT PASSION/INTENSITY THESE YOUNG AFGHAN RUGBY STARS OF THE FUTURE PERFORM THE TRADITIONAL MAORI WAR DANCE/CRY THE "HAKA " THAT THE NEW ZEALAND 'ALL BLACKS' TRADITIONALLY PERFORM PRIOR TO THEIR MATCHES -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woXNILYnFtk

The object of this fundraising endeavour is to purchase much needed balls, cones, flags,and rugby jerseys/tops etc. along with collecting any full sets of used playing strip and boots and ship them to the Afghanistan Rugby Federation.

The Dog River Howlers rugby club's hope is that the rugby community (clubs, schools and individuals) recognize and embrase the merits of this project and in turn organizes their own fundraiser/strip boots collection to support this "Howlers Support Upstart Afghanistan Rugby " project. Check the facebook page for updates - http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref=ts

Let's make Canada the global leader in supporting the development of Afghan sport !!

The Howlers would like to thank the people listed below who have so generously helped kick this campaign off.

Cash Contributors To Date - ($3800) .
1. Tim Powers - Ottawa Irish RFC/ Rugby Canada board member 
2. Jim Sullivan - Regina Rogues RFC (now living in Vancouver, BC )
3. Karl Fix - Dog River Howlers/ Regina Rogues RFC
4. Donnie Hewson - Vancouver Rowing Club,/Canadian Classics RFC
5. Troy Meyers - Rugby Nova Scotia/Rugby Canada board
6. Randy Ludwar - Moose Jaw Nads RFC/Dog River Howlers board member
8. Shawnigan Lake School, Shawnigan Lake BC
9. Rick Bourne - UBC Old Boys RFC/Rugby Canada board
10. Pemberton Holmes (Mike Holmes - Velox Valhallians RFC in Victoria, BC)
11. Joshua Campbell - Regina Rogues RFC
12 Ottawa Irish RFC
13. Frank Hart - President and Managing Director od Greystone Managed Investments : Regina, Saskatchewan
14.Tom Woods - James Bay Athletic Association/ Canadian Classics

Rugby Gear Contributors To Date:
1. Canadian Rugby Foundation - 
25 Size 4 Trainee Balls, 50 Size 5 Balls, 100 mouth guards, 5 Speed pumps, 5 Whistle’s, 5 Package’s of Saucer Cones, 5 Tee’s, 5 Duffell Bags, and approx. 50 Singlets.

** thanks for your generosity

Canadian tax receipts issued for contributions over $100. 
Donation mailing instructions:
Cheque made payable to Rugby Canada for tax receipt purposes
Mail to - Karl Fix, c/o East End dental, 2069 Park Street, Regina, SK, Canada, S4N-6S2
Mark on it - Afghan Rugby

Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "it's more than a game, it's a way of life" -www.dogriverhowlers.com and Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts

The Beginnings for Afghanistan Rugby - written by Afghan Rugby CEO Asad Ziar - [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------
The idea of introducing rugby in Afghanistan was a kind of a shared idea because it involves three founding members which include Mr.Mohammad Mansoor, Abdul Khalil and Mr. Asad Ziar and they all agreed in October 2010 that will introduce rugby to Afghans and it was the foundation day of rugby, while officially rugby came into existence in Afghanistan in May 2011 and it was first introduced through a Rugby Introductory Camp which was sponsored by a shopping Mall called “ Majid Mall”

About the founders:

1. Mohammad Mansoor, President of Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) , who is a well known Afghan businessman who is now living in Dubai, UAE and apart from supporting rugby development in Afghanistan also owns firms and businesses in Dubai and as well as in Afghanistan. He owns a master degree in management and has done many business development courses and always do his best to financially help the ARF. Mr. Mansoor is not only a businessman he is a also dedicated to provide work facilities to Afghans and assist them in their lives and he is keen to see rugby’s growth in Afghanistan, since he is a peace loving person he always strive to share his struggles from Dubai, UAE or London, UK.

2. Abdul Khali, Vice President of Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ), who is now living in London, UK is a keen lover of rugby and was the marketing officer for Afghanistan Cricket Board and has good contribution in developing Afghan Cricket while he was in Afghanistan, He is now living and working in UK. He is a grade 12th graduate from Afghanistan. Mr. Khalil is a good asset to Afghan Rugby and he always help the Federation in technical aspects since he has an experience of 5 years in another sport federation and his suggestion for contacting the Afghan National Olympic committee is always positive. He is a volunteer and all his advices are free of cost and he even spends from his own pocket to push the development of rugby in Afghanistan from thousands of miles away.

3. Asad Ziar, Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF), is someone in the ground and can be name as the one who introduced into the country, since he is the one who lives in Kabul and works in Kabul and always travels to far flung areas in Afghanistan and has a decade of experience working for the development of education, lives of the children, demobilization and re integration of the underage soldiers and many more fields. He owns a Master in Business Administration ( MBA) and as well a Master in Literature ( M.A) along with many technical trainings by Humanitarian and other organizations. Mr.Ziar is dedicated for changing the lives of the Afghan children by sport. He is now employed by a firm and work as general manager and he has good relation with ISAF / NATO / UN and other reputed organization and he always spends some of his pocket money for the development of rugby in Afghanistan and works voluntarily for Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF).

After the rugby was introduced locals loved it from the off, with many leaving other sports clubs to come and join in a game they’d never heard of before. Rugby perfectly suits their physical and robust nature and has pretty similar DNA to the national sport of Buzkashi, except that involves a dead goat.

Asad Ziar has been travelling the country spreading the word and opening up rugby clubs wherever he can, teaching everyone from boys to men the basic skills they need. The International side is extremely determined and according to Asad has several characters who would push for an All Black’s place. 

Our aim is to support a youngsters, youth , kids and girls who are choosing sport against a backdrop of violence, conflict and suffering. We’re not making judgments about the war, or about individuals, it’s about sport, doing something positive and result oriented and having fun and the most positive aspect that we will attract our new generation towards sport and providing them the opportunity to not to be part of the violence , war and drug addiction.

This is a huge undertaking for Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) and we're just very committed to introduce rugby to each and every kids in Afghanistan and it is only possible with the help from around the world. 

All the three founders are young , energetic and dedicated people and none of them need anything from Afghanistan Rugby Federation but the development of sport, their vision and aim is a shared one and they have always contributed in the development of rugby in Afghanistan. We do have a transparent financially and monitoring system that each penny is donated to us has been received a transparent report and if we are donated kits we have sent out videos and pictures along with the financial reports , hence there will always be an addition from us and no subtraction and we do realize that our country stands in the second row in the field of corruption but till we are there , we will not allow such people to join us.

http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref=ts

"HOWLERS SUPPORT AFGHANISTAN RUGBY" IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST ABOUT THE ACTUAL GAME - IT'S ABOUT GIVING KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY/OPTION. LOOK AND LISTEN TO THIS VIDEO ABOVE SAYS IT ALL 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Hewson a cultish rugby disciple and honorary Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces from Vancouver who generously contributed to this endeavour had this to say - "Great cause! I was in Kabul and area this year, any positive impact we can help the children with is good. Play rugby not war!" . He agrees with Asad Zair the CEO of the Afghanistan Rugby Federation's assessment that " by making the young generation busy in sport activities they won't have sufficient time for drug addiction and that they will be prevented from other criminal activities and in turn hopefully they won't be part of the fighting sides". He went further to say - "There are about 50 countries helping Afghanistan to fight terrorism, but there is not a single country to help our war-torn country develop the sport. Sport is a strong tool for bringing peace, stability and brotherhood in Afghanistan, and not the weapons and war planes, since we have witnessed that with the bombings and fights nothing has been achieved"

In a telephone conversation I had with Asad he attributed one reason for the relatively rapid growth of the game (500 players in 18 months) in his country to the fact that Afghans really enjoy the physical aspect of the game. The biggest impediment he has when he goes into the schools in an effort to promote the game is that he has no balls or any other rugby essential support "stuff" to give them to actually start a program. Keep in mind that the average anual income in this war torn country is $600 .

LISTEN AND WATCH WATCH WITH WHAT PASSION/INTENSITY THESE YOUNG AFGHAN RUGBY STARS OF THE FUTURE PERFORM THE TRADITIONAL MAORI WAR DANCE/CRY THE "HAKA " THAT THE NEW ZEALAND 'ALL BLACKS' TRADITIONALLY PERFORM PRIOR TO THEIR MATCHES -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woXNILYnFtk

The object of this fundraising endeavour is to purchase much needed balls, cones, flags,and rugby jerseys/tops etc. along with collecting any full sets of used playing strip and boots and ship them to the Afghanistan Rugby Federation.

The Dog River Howlers rugby club's hope is that the rugby community (clubs, schools and individuals) recognize and embrase the merits of this project and in turn organizes their own fundraiser/strip boots collection to support this "Howlers Support Upstart Afghanistan Rugby " project. Check the facebook page for updates -http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref=ts . 

Let's make Canada the global leader in supporting the development of Afghan sport !!

The Howlers would like to thank the people listed below who have so generously helped kick this campaign off.

Cash Contributors To Date - ($3750) .
1. Tim Powers - Ottawa Irish RFC/ Rugby Canada board member 
2. Jim Sullivan - Regina Rogues RFC (now living in Vancouver, BC )
3. Karl Fix - Dog River Howlers/ Regina Rogues RFC
4. Donnie Hewson - Vancouver Rowing Club,/Canadian Classics RFC
5. Troy Meyers - Rugby Nova Scotia/Rugby Canada board
6. Randy Ludwar - Moose Jaw Nads RFC/Dog River Howlers board member
8. Shawnigan Lake School, Shawnigan Lake BC
9. Rick Bourne - UBC Old Boys RFC/Rugby Canada board
10. Pemberton Holmes (Mike Holmes - Velox Valhallians RFC in Victoria, BC)
11. Joshua Campbell - Regina Rogues RFC
12 Ottawa Irish RFC
13. Frank Hart - President and Managing Director od Greystone Managed Investments : Regina, Saskatchewan

Rugby Gear Contributors To Date:
1. Canadian Rugby Foundation - 
25 Size 4 Trainee Balls, 50 Size 5 Balls, 100 mouth guards, 5 Speed pumps, 5 Whistle’s, 5 Package’s of Saucer Cones, 5 Tee’s, 5 Duffell Bags, and approx. 50 Singlets.

** thanks for your generosity

Canadian tax receipts issued for contributions over $100. 
Donation mailing instructions:
Cheque made payable to Rugby Canada for tax receipt purposes
Mail to - Karl Fix, c/o East End dental, 2069 Park Street, Regina, SK, Canada, S4N-6S2
Mark on it - Afghan Rugby

Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "it's more than a game, it's a way of life" -www.dogriverhowlers.com and Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts


The Beginnings for Afghanistan Rugby - written by Afghan Rugby CEO Asad Ziar - [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------
The idea of introducing rugby in Afghanistan was a kind of a shared idea because it involves three founding members which include Mr.Mohammad Mansoor, Abdul Khalil and Mr. Asad Ziar and they all agreed in October 2010 that will introduce rugby to Afghans and it was the foundation day of rugby, while officially rugby came into existence in Afghanistan in May 2011 and it was first introduced through a Rugby Introductory Camp which was sponsored by a shopping Mall called “ Majid Mall”

About the founders:

1. Mohammad Mansoor, President of Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) , who is a well known Afghan businessman who is now living in Dubai, UAE and apart from supporting rugby development in Afghanistan also owns firms and businesses in Dubai and as well as in Afghanistan. He owns a master degree in management and has done many business development courses and always do his best to financially help the ARF. Mr. Mansoor is not only a businessman he is a also dedicated to provide work facilities to Afghans and assist them in their lives and he is keen to see rugby’s growth in Afghanistan, since he is a peace loving person he always strive to share his struggles from Dubai, UAE or London, UK.

2. Abdul Khali, Vice President of Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ), who is now living in London, UK is a keen lover of rugby and was the marketing officer for Afghanistan Cricket Board and has good contribution in developing Afghan Cricket while he was in Afghanistan, He is now living and working in UK. He is a grade 12th graduate from Afghanistan. Mr. Khalil is a good asset to Afghan Rugby and he always help the Federation in technical aspects since he has an experience of 5 years in another sport federation and his suggestion for contacting the Afghan National Olympic committee is always positive. He is a volunteer and all his advices are free of cost and he even spends from his own pocket to push the development of rugby in Afghanistan from thousands of miles away.

3. Asad Ziar, Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF), is someone in the ground and can be name as the one who introduced into the country, since he is the one who lives in Kabul and works in Kabul and always travels to far flung areas in Afghanistan and has a decade of experience working for the development of education, lives of the children, demobilization and re integration of the underage soldiers and many more fields. He owns a Master in Business Administration ( MBA) and as well a Master in Literature ( M.A) along with many technical trainings by Humanitarian and other organizations. Mr.Ziar is dedicated for changing the lives of the Afghan children by sport. He is now employed by a firm and work as general manager and he has good relation with ISAF / NATO / UN and other reputed organization and he always spends some of his pocket money for the development of rugby in Afghanistan and works voluntarily for Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF).

After the rugby was introduced locals loved it from the off, with many leaving other sports clubs to come and join in a game they’d never heard of before. Rugby perfectly suits their physical and robust nature and has pretty similar DNA to the national sport of Buzkashi, except that involves a dead goat.

Asad Ziar has been travelling the country spreading the word and opening up rugby clubs wherever he can, teaching everyone from boys to men the basic skills they need. The International side is extremely determined and according to Asad has several characters who would push for an All Black’s place. 

Our aim is to support a youngsters, youth , kids and girls who are choosing sport against a backdrop of violence, conflict and suffering. We’re not making judgments about the war, or about individuals, it’s about sport, doing something positive and result oriented and having fun and the most positive aspect that we will attract our new generation towards sport and providing them the opportunity to not to be part of the violence , war and drug addiction.

This is a huge undertaking for Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) and we're just very committed to introduce rugby to each and every kids in Afghanistan and it is only possible with the help from around the world. 

All the three founders are young , energetic and dedicated people and none of them need anything from Afghanistan Rugby Federation but the development of sport, their vision and aim is a shared one and they have always contributed in the development of rugby in Afghanistan. We do have a transparent financially and monitoring system that each penny is donated to us has been received a transparent report and if we are donated kits we have sent out videos and pictures along with the financial reports , hence there will always be an addition from us and no subtraction and we do realize that our country stands in the second row in the field of corruption but till we are there , we will not allow such people to join us.

http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref=ts

The "Howlers Support Upstart Afghanistan Rugby" campaign (http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref=ts) just received a most generous donation from the Canadian Rugby Foundation (http://www.rugbycanadafoundation.ca/) of - 25 Size 4 Trainee Balls, 50 Size 5 Balls, 100 mouth guards, 5 Speed pumps, 5 Whistle’s, 5 Package’s of Saucer Cones, 5 Tee’s, 5 Duffell Bags, and approx. 50 Singlets. This again goes to show that truly "it's more than a game, it's a way of life".

Cash Contributors To Date - ($3450) .
1. Tim Powers - Ottawa Irish RFC/ Rugby Canada board member 
2. Jim Sullivan - Regina Rogues RFC (now living in Vancouver, BC )
3. Karl Fix - Dog River Howlers/ Regina Rogues RFC
4. Donnie Hewson - Vancouver Rowing Club,/Canadian Classics RFC
5. Troy Meyers - Rugby Nova Scotia/Rugby Canada board
6. Randy Ludwar - Moose Jaw Nads RFC/Dog River Howlers board member
8. Shawnigan Lake School, Shawnigan Lake BC
9. Rick Bourne - UBC Old Boys RFC/Rugby Canada board
10. Pemberton Holmes (Mike Holmes - Velox Valhallians RFC in Victoria, BC)
11. Joshua Campbell - Regina Rogues RFC

Rugby Gear Contributors To Date:
1. Canadian Rugby Foundation - 25 Size 4 Trainee Balls, 100 mouth guards, 5 Speed pumps, 5 Whistle’s, 5 Package’s of Saucer Cones, 5 Tee’s, 5 Duffell Bags, and approx. 50 Singlets.

** thanks for your generosity

Canadian tax receipts issued for contributions over $100. 
Donation mailing instructions:
Cheque made payable to Rugby Canada for tax receipt purposes
Mail to - Karl Fix, c/o East End dental, 2069 Park Street, Regina, SK, Canada, S4N-6S2
Mark on it - Afghan Rugby

Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "it's more than a game, it's a way of life" -www.dogriverhowlers.com and Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts

Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) Is committed to spread the sport of rugby into each and every part of Afghanistan ( see attached picture). "Howlers Support Upstart Afghanistan Rugby" endeavour (http://www.facebook.com/HowlersSupportUpstartAfghanistanRugby?fref )which has raised $3450 to date will help support this effort by purchasing and collecting balls , tops , boots etc.
Contributors To Date
1. Tim Powers - Ottawa Irish RFC/ Rugby Canada board member 
2. Jim Sullivan - Regina Rogues RFC (now living in Vancouver, BC )
3. Karl Fix - Dog River Howlers/ Regina Rogues RFC
4. Donnie Hewson - Vancouver Rowing Club,/Canadian Classics RFC
5. Troy Meyers - Rugby Nova Scotia/Rugby Canada board
6. Randy Ludwar - Moose Jaw Nads RFC/Dog River Howlers board member
8. Shawnigan Lake School, Shawnigan Lake BC
9. Rick Bourne - UBCOld Boys RFC/Rugby Canada board
10. Pemberton Holmes (Mike Holmes - Velox Valhallians RFC in Victoria, BC)
11. Joshua Campbell - Regina Rogues RFC
** thanks for your generosity

Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "it's more than a game, it's a way of life"  - www.dogriverhowlers.com   and Facebook  -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts

COLIN FREEZE
TORONTO — The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Nov. 23 2012, 2:26 AM EST
Last updated Friday, Nov. 23 2012, 2:58 AM EST

Around campus it’s becoming a well-known fact that 100 Grey Cups ago, the University of Toronto’s rugby-football team proudly held the trophy aloft as the championship’s inaugural winner. En route to a threepeat, at that.

Since then, football and rugby – once the same game – have hit a fork in the road, and the Varsity Blues have fallen on hard times. The rugby team amassed an 0-8 record this fall, getting cumulatively outscored 554 to 15 in intercollegiate play.

THE SAD-SACK SEASON WAS JUST A PRELUDE TO THE REALLY BAD NEWS. NEXT YEAR’S TEAM IS EFFECTIVELY HOMELESS, HAVING JUST LOST ITS PRACTICE PITCH TO A FIELD-HOCKEY TURF THAT’S BEING INSTALLED FOR THE 2015 PAN AM GAMES. WORSE STILL, THERE MAY NOT BE A TEAM NEXT YEAR AT ALL.For reasons best known to themselves, U of T sports officials chose this month to float a controversial plan to phase out the men’s and women’s rugby teams from intercollegiate competition, and reconstitute them into some kind of on-campus intramural league. The campus-sports bombshell collided with history, coming as it did just ahead of this weekend’s 100th Grey Cup game, a landmark event to be played just a few kilometres away at the Rogers Centre.

While no decisions will be made until March, players past and present are pushing back forcefully, calling the proposal an affront to tradition.

“We were demoted down to the very bottom,” says Karla Telidetzki, a 22-year-old on the women’s team, which won one game this year. Calling rugby’s budget “minuscule,” she said that “we just feel it’s hypocritical. If they want excellence, they have to make significant changes.”

Canada’s largest university has 66,000 students, and yet consistently punches below its weight in team sports. Sports officials say one reason is that U and T has long overvalued inclusivity and undervalued competitiveness. In other words, a very crowded roster of sports teams has literally resulted in crowded fields – creating logjams for practice and playing time, which comes at a premium in downtown Toronto.

Administrators suggest that spreading resources too thinly over too many programs is untenable in an age when champions bring cachet – and cash – to campus.

“We need to decide: Do we want to be a competitive school?” said Beth Ali, a former elite field hockey player, now U of T’s director of intercollegiate sports. “If you have a championship team, you will have more access to marketing dollars. You'll be able to build a business model around that.”

Alumni acknowledge that rugby has had some very lean years – but insist it is not beyond saving. “I think it would be a huge loss,” said David Miller, the former Toronto mayor. A member of the U of T’s last championship team – in 1982 – he said “the solution is to turn the program around, not cancel it.”

The perspectives of past players can be persuasive. At powerhouse Queen’s University, Royal Bank Canada chief executive Gord Nixon – a renowned tackler in his heyday – dug a million bucks out of his deep pockets to fund the construction of a new field for his alma mater.

It’s unlikely that the U of T rugby program will find a donation of such magnitude, but it can tap into much goodwill. For example, Michael Garratt, a business executive who played centre for the 1988 team, has pledged $500 a year for the past three years just to help keep the program going.

But “what the U of T needs is like Queen’s,” he said. “U of T needs a good rugby field.”

Today’s rugby captain, 21-year-old Nader Mohamed, said he was thrilled to play Saturday night home games under the bright lights of Varsity Stadium. But, he says, the team has already been told that “playing at Varsity won’t be an option” in the future. Meantime, the grass of the practice field is about to be ripped up to make way for a Pan Am field hockey turf – a development that’s made the hockey team, one of the university’s sports success stories, quite happy.

Being part of a losing side is never easy, Mr. Mohamed says. “Obviously it’s difficult and not fun, but you still have 30 guys around you that are like brothers,” he said.

Now he and his brethren are preparing to meet with university officials next week to see what can be done to keep the teams alive. Satellite campuses in Scarborough and Mississauga could be a new home for rugby, he says. And for practices, “we’re looking into some of the high schools around campus.”

The team is even reaching out to the city’s brisk rugby club scene for potential partnerships and practice facilities.

Should that happen, the Varsity Blues will have come full circle. The team first made a name for itself as a club that trounced the Parkdale Canoe Club, 26-6, in 1909 – thus winning the first in a series of Grey Cups before play halted during the First World War.

While the past is clear, the future is uncertain. The blowback appears to be causing the university to step away somewhat from its Plan A. “The first round is, ‘We don't want to be intramural’ – got it,’” Ms. Ali said. “Second round is, ‘what is it going to look like?’”

Varsity Blues Rugby “has had a long-standing tradition,” she acknowledged. “Everyone's talking about the fact that U of T won the first Grey Cup.”

Rugby is a sport played in over 120 counties by over 5 million people. The sport has evolved in to two versions including Rugby Union, and Sevens. Rugby continues to grow in popularity worldwide, and the sevens version of the game will make its Olympic début in Rio De Janeiro in 2016. Since 2007, participation has grown by 33% in Africa, 22% in South America and 18% in Asia and North America. 

Number Of Registered Players Globally:
1.England 2,549,196
2. South Africa 632,184 
3. France 273,084
4. Ireland 153,080 
5. New Zealand 146,893
6. Japan 122,598 
7. Sri Lanka 103,325 
8. Argentina 102,790 
9. Australia 86,952 
10. USA 81,678 

Rugby is increasing its footprint within the USA, where a 350% participation increase has been experienced since 2004 and is the third fastest-growing sport in the country.
Growing interest in the USA is also reflected by securing the first ever network broadcast deals for Rugby in the country, with the USA leg of the 2010/11 HSBC Sevens World Series broadcast live on NBC Universal and Rugby World Cup 2011 and Rugby World Cup 2015 set to enjoy an extensive platform with the same network.The US has a current fan base of approximately 300,000-400,000.

Canada 's numbers go as follows:
Number Of Clubs:324
Registered+Unregistered Players:73,664
Number of Referees:651
Pre-teen Male Players:3,189
Pre-teen Female Player:733
Teen Male Player:29,678
Teen Female Player:25,904
Senior Male Player:10,471
Senior Female Player:3,689
Total Male Player:43,338
Total Female Player:30,326

The introduction of Rugby Sevens as an Olympic Sport in 2016 has had a major impact on the development of the game particularly in Asia.

International Rugby Board (IRB) Member Union countries include New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, France, Ireland, England, Argentina, Wales, Scotland, Fiji, Italy, Samoa, Japan, Canada, Georgia, the United States, Tonga, Romania, Russia, Uruguay, Portugal, Namibia, Spain, Chile, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Brazil, Ukraine, Tunisia, Germany, Morocco, Korea, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Moldavia, Poland, Lithuania, Arabian Gulf, Ivory Coast, Paraguay, Kenya, Croatia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Malta, Sweden, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Columbia, Bermuda, Cook Islands, Malaysia, Latvia, Venezuela, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Andorra, Switzerland, Senegal, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, Guyana, China, Niue Islands, Hungry, Denmark, Cayman, Denmark, India, Israel, Zambia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Batswana, Barbados, Solomon Islands, Peru, Cameroon, Lucia, Norway, Guam, Swaziland, Jamaica, Bahamas, Austria, Tahiti, Bosnia Herzegovinian, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Monaco, Vanuatu, Luxembourg, and Finland.

As always
Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "it's more than a game, it's a way of life"  - www.dogriverhowlers.com   and Facebook  -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts

The Dog River Howlers Rugby Club are heading up a drive to to support the upstart rugby community in the war torn country of Afghanistan where the average anual income is some $600. We are looking to collect sets of playing strip, balls, boots and monetary donations to purchase some much needed rugby support "stuff ".

I've contacted the Canadian Armed Services in hopes that they will help transport this various rugby "stuff" we collect and purchase to Afghanistan for us.

Having said that if you and/or your club would like to support this endeavour with donations of money or rugby "stuff" please contact me at --- [email protected] or 306-535-0800 . 

Please take the time to read some information about this new rugby community posted below.

This is an opportunity for the rugby fraternity to again show that "it's more than a game, it's a way of life" by supporting their rugby bothers and hopefully sisters.

Yours in rugby
Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club - www.dogriverhowlers.com and Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts and youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq2CLUdzri8

============

Letter from Afghanistan Rugby Federation to Dog River Howlers Rugby Club

Dear Karl,

Thank you very much for your contact and for offering your help. 

Just went through your club's website and you are really doing a great job for the development of rugby not only in Canada but in some other poor countries as well. Thanks for offering your help and I would like to as you for the as many balls and used kits as you can send, we have rugby clubs for all ages starting from 7 years and ending at 25 years and
above we will appreciate if you can send us the kits, jerseys, balls, shoes or any other stuff related to rugby since we are doing our best to spread this great game to a huge number of Afghans in country and it is a very clear fact that we are lacking kits and balls and if you are willing to help us with this it will be your kindness.

Asad Ziar
Chief Executive Officer
Afghanistan Rugby Federation

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Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) 

About
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It is the official Federation for the sport of Afghan Rugby and is involved in educating, supporting and enabling young Afghans to excel and compete
Mission
In recent times, rugby has been reintroduced by foreign forces once more, being played amongst British, Australian, French, Canadian and even American troops in their forward operating bases where common Afghan people can’t watch them playing rugby and we could not witness any Afghans playing rugby.

Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) officially launched rugby in Afghanistan on May 20, 2011 with the aim and intention that Rugby will soon be developed into a sport game. ARF is registered with National Olympic Committee and approved by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Rugby Federation is in process of developing into a nation-wide organization which will certainly promote the game of rugby and the accompanying spirit of teamwork and fair competition in between all age-groups throughout Afghanistan emphasizing the young generation of Afghanistan. ARF is sure that rugby will only thrive if it becomes a game played by a large number of young generations.

ARF has a very result oriented plan in hand which is called “ Afghan School Rugby (ASR) by implementing this project ARF will be able to achieve a widespread popularity in Afghanistan by making it the number one playing sport game in the country. The ASR project really need sponsors and donors who are willing to help the young generation to avoid war and criminal activities and to be a healthy member of an Afghan family.


Since we understand by making the young generation busy in sport activities they won't have sufficient time for drug addiction and that they will be prevented from other criminal activities and that they won't be part of the fighting sides.

Description
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The Afghanistan Rugby Federation is affiliated with the National Olympic Committee, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan[citation needed]. It is the official Federation for the sport of Afghan Rugby and is involved in educating, supporting and enabling young Afghans to excel and compete internationally. In this way the Afghan Rugby Federation is helping to strengthen a sense of National pride and cohesion among talented young Afghans.
General Information
Afghanistan has indigenous sports which bear some resemblance to rugby football. One of these sport game is called Buzkashi, which has been compared to a cross between rugby and polo and uses a dead goat or sheep as the ball. The goal of a player is to grab the carcass of a headless goat or sheep and then get it clear of the other players and pitch it across the goal line or into a target circle or vat. The game has even been referred to as "Sheep Rugby" by the Society for Creative Anachronism since the 1970s.

The history of rugby in Afghanistan is an intermittent and discontinuous one, often played by invading armies. The game was first introduced into the country from British India and was played by British troops. After the British left Asia, the game died very soon in Afghanistan. By way of return, the British took polo back with them from the region.


During the Soviet Afghan War, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, only few sport games were played by Red Army troops which did not include Rugby at all.

Following cricket's lead
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Afghanistan has developed a reputation for its cricket after winning the World Cricket League Division 3 tournament in 2009 and qualifying for the Twenty20 World Cup. Although cricket is still a relatively new sport in Afghanistan, it is increasing in popularity and now players hope the same will happen for rugby. 

It is clear rugby is getting more popular not only in Afghanistan but in Asia which has seen a recent surge of interest from the Middle East and the Islamic world. Dubai has built a specialised academy for rugby players and now hosts tournaments, while unions have been set up in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Qatar.

Afghanistan’s international side may not have showed particularly well at the third and final leg of the HSBC Asian Rugby 7s in October, in Mumbai, but momentum is building, and the game is developing. This is being done by promoting club rugby and by showing the world Afghans have the best physiques for playing and are not simply a struggling nation.

The Afghan people have started to worry about what will happen when NATO departs but the Afghanistan Rugby Federation is optimistic that attitudes towards rugby will remain strong and that each province will continue to develop the sport. 

It has been said that in the absence of war, society looks to sport to fulfill its combative nature. However, the relationship between war and sport goes far beyond the similarities of winning and losing. In fact, sport and war has throughout history proved to have a much more symbiotic relationship.

With very limited resources, the Afghanistan Rugby Federation does face problems but is as ever committed to taking this great game of sport and introducing it to every Afghan.

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http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5-love-conquers-all-for-wounded-soldier-1.776682

(attached picture is of  Canadian Rugby World Cup captain Paddy Riordon presenting Trevor Greene with a "We Stand On Guard For Thee" limited edition print the Dog River Howlers commissioned artist Ladd Fogarty to paint for their 2011 fundraiser to support the Canadian National World Cup Rugby Team )

Hi,
I'm supporting an idea in the Aviva Community Fund -- an annual competition which contributes $1,000,000 to create positive change in communities across Canada. If the idea I'm supporting receives enough votes, it has a chance to win a share of the $1,000,000 prize. 
 Please check out the idea and vote for it at http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf16382#.UKBvtb6We64.email
Trevor

"The axe has finally fallen on this shameful women's sport!"

This was a headline reported to have appeared in a Tehran newspaper at the end of last week, reporting the apparent end of Iranian women’s rugby.

The story of women’s rugby in Iran had been truly inspiring sporting tales in recent years. The game received particular attention following the appearance of Faramarz Beheshti’s remarkable film Salam Rugby (http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1015547417/ ) in 2010. The documentary, which has been shown around the world (apart from Iran), details the struggles and unique challenges faced by coaches and players who just want to play the game they love.

Despite all of these obstacles, women’s rugby grew and developed in Iran to the extent that in 2009 they made their international 7s debut. The team immediately captured headlines, not only because the idea of a women’s rugby team challenges every stereotype the west had about Muslim women, but also because of what they wore.

The IRB permitted them to wear full body covering that  met the religious rules demanded by the rulers of their country. It was that kit attracted all the comment and coverage - much to the annoyance of the Iranian women who just wanted to be treated as rugby players.

Because as much as anything, they proved to be pretty good players. Despite everything, from 2009 to 2011 they have won a third of all the internationals they have played. Last October they finished 9th out of 12 in the Asian championships.

But that now seems to be the last we will see of them, for now anyway. Even as they achieved success overseas the pressure had been building at home. Their first – male - coach first barred from going within 10 metres of his team, then threatened with prosecution for “prostitution”, and finally banned from working with the team. More recently they have been forced practice almost entirely indoors, only allowed outdoors when no men could see them, and then at the end of last year rugby was removed from recognition by the main national sports body.

Then, at the beginning of this week, Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail – in an interview with Faramarz Beheshti – revealed that reportedly at the end of December women’s rugby – along with all women’s sports involving any form of contact (even skiing, which is very popular in Iran) were banned. All three Iranian women’s rugby websites and blogs have now disappeared, and reports reaching us from Iran have confirmed everything the Globe and Mail story – including the above headline.

It is a tragic development if it is true– and the motivations behind it are difficult to understand, not least because it contradicts statements made by the Iranian president after his election when he promised to ease restrictions on women’s sport. At present we also have no news at all about what has happened to the hundreds of players and coaches who have taken up the game in recent years,

For more on the clampdown on Iranian women’s sports see here

(attached picture: Iran's Farzaneh Navab Rad, right is challenged by Italy's Federica Carlet in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, where they lost10-0 to the host nation in August, 2010) 

Karl Fix - president of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "it's more than a game, it's a way of life"  - www.dogriverhowlers.com   and Facebook  -http://www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts

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http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/rugbyunion/2012/08/20128420322236763.html?goback=.gde_139681_member_185348803
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Afghanistan's rugby chief speaks about the challenges of developing rugby in his war-torn country.

Afghans have always been living with challenges and have become experts at taking them on.

Such was the case with the cricket, a sport in which Afghans are now confidently expected to follow Bangladesh and take their place as a full Test-playing nation. The rapid progress of rugby is not something new for Afghans and they are confident that they will soon be the number one rugby-playing nation in Asia.

There has been always bad news from this war-torn country and the birth of rugby in Afghanistan is a prosperous good news story. 

The team have started initiatives which are working on the grassroots level and are introducing rugby in schools in Kabul. This is something which is common practice in Europe, but in Afghanistan it has never been witnessed over the centuries.

The international community seems to be quite removed from the developing game of rugby in Afghanistan and until recently there has not been any sponsorship of rugby events. But now we have an event sponsored by the British Embassy which was the Kabul Sevens tournament, following the lead of the Sevens World Series which stops off at such places as Hong Kong, London and Dubai. Let us hope one day Kabul is on that list.

There were eight teams in the first-ever Kabul 7s tournament from across the country, which attracted a huge crowd of spectators over two days.

This was the first time that Afghans enjoyed watching the rugby in their own land.

The tournament was not only a competition but it was also an exhibition for those who were not familiar with rugby. Besides which, the Afghanistan national team has already played against UAE-Shaheen during the Asian Five Nations at the famous Sevens stadium in Dubai, and also played against Pakistan domestic teams in 2011.

But the most interesting match was when the Afghan side played against ISAF teams in Kabul last year.

Time for change

Afghanistan has experienced more than its fair share of war throughout the ages and the Afghan nation has suffered a lot of catastrophe.

"It is now time to change the weapons into pens, and the fight into sport. I have high hopes for rugby and that one day it will replace football and cricket in Afghan hearts. "

It is now time to change the weapons into pens, and the fight into sport. I have high hopes for rugby and that one day it will replace football and cricket in Afghan hearts.

There is no future without children. Recently we just started 15-a-side clubs and mini rugby, and we are entering a new era of introducing rugby to primary school kids in Kabul.

All of this takes up scarce resources and we are still looking for some sponsoring agencies and firms to help us spread the message of peace through rugby, towards each and every edge of the war-torn country.

Moreover, we have now had the opening of one of our new clubs called Shaheen RFC, trials for the under-19 team, and an exhibition match between the two teams.

It is a hard task, and it will not be out of order to state that the team which has put their struggle for the development of rugby includes our president, Mohammad Mansoor, myself, our technical director Abdul Khalik Bik, our coach Mohammad Ashur, and our technical advisor Steve Brooking.

I do not mention these people vainly, but in the hope that their names will help researchers when they put together the history of Afghan rugby many years from today.

Asad Ziar is the Chief Executive Officer of the Afghanistan Rugby Federation.