Rugby is a big sport at schools across the UK, with some very talented players. At each high school fair attend, I typically have at least one student asking me about rugby scholarships to the USA which – though they do exist – are very few in number and at quite obscure universities. Though some of the more well-known US universities do offer rugby, it’s going to serve more as a ‘hook’ then as a means of any funding. Rugby as a sport at universities in the US is still in its infancy, and the quality pales in comparison to the UK.
All of this explains why I tell these students to turn their attention to Canada. Unlike in the US, Canada has a thriving college rugby scene, with their national championship for university rugby featuring teams from across the university sectors. UBC, McGill, U Toronto, Guelph, Bishop’s and more have strong rugby teams with rugby featuring as a varsity sport for Canadian universities.
Being a varsity sport (rather than a club sport as it is at most places in the USA) brings with it many benefits, with this video from the 2017 final showing the standard of the rugby being played:
So, for rugby players who are interested in studying in North America, Canada is the option to consider!
