What They're Looking For

  • 🏀Sports: Rugby
  • 🎂Age: 17 - 21
  • 🌎Citizenship: Canadian

Additional Notes

A current male or female student who is involved in the sport as a player, coach or administrator:

  1. Involved in the development and expansion of the game;
  2. Enrolled in a full-time degree (graduate or undergraduate), diploma or certificate program at a Canadian college or university for the academic year commencing in the year in which the scholarship is granted.  Students commencing their studies in the Fall are eligible.

About Scholarship

In 2001, an idea was presented to create a foundation which would support the growth and development of the sport of rugby in Canada.  This idea was strongly supported by many rugby enthusiasts across the country, including Mr. Grenville Thomas.  Though it would take several years for the foundation to come to fruition, it was Mr. Thomas who put his hand up first to make the initial pledge to support this special project.

Since 2003, the Canadian Rugby Foundation has been active in the sport providing numerous grants to aid in the establishment of new rugby programs, clubs and ventures.  In addition, the Foundation has supported many students through scholarships and awards which allow them to achieve their academic goals while continuing to stay active in the sport.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation has a number of scholarships and awards which have been named after deserving people in the rugby community who have made significant contributions to our game.  There is no family more deserving of this honour than the Thomas family.  Their contributions to Canadian Rugby have been more significant than any other in the past.  The Thomas’ initial pledge has also encouraged others to give back to the sport they love.

The Thomas family originates from Morriston, a small town in Wales.  As a young engineer, Mr. Thomas decided to emigrate to Canada.  He is, and always has been, very passionate about rugby.  It is for this reason that the family decided to make this significant pledge to support the Foundation as a way of saying thank you to a country and sport that has given so much joy to the entire family.  As a way of thanking the Thomas family for their extreme generosity to the Foundation and all of the various rugby projects they have supported over the years, the Foundation presents the Thomas  Family Scholarship to be distributed annually to a Canadian student playing the great game of rugby.

About Company

The Canadian Rugby Foundation operates independently of, but cooperatively with, Rugby Canada. The Foundation is a non-profit organization governed by a Board consisting of directors appointed by the Foundation from donating members, and from Rugby Canada.