News

Bayne Recognized for Rugby Contributions

Date: February 7, 2013

Chris Bayne would be the first to tell you that there are lots of people like him in our rugby community.  People who just get things done - behind the scenes, out of the spotlight.  Chris is correct in one sense, our rugby community exists purely on the volunteer contributions of approximately 50 people.  Most of them are school coaches, others are organizers, managers, or referees providing some level of service to our sport. 

However, few people have been donating generous amounts of their time to rugby for as long as Chris Bayne has.  For the past 17 years, Chris has been a coach at three different schools, for boys and for girls.  He has held every position on the executive of the PV Vicars.  He is a Founding Member and Director of the Central Okanagan Rugby Enthusiasts.  He was the key driver behind the hosting of the Canadian Rugby Championships in Kelowna in 2011, the first time a BC game was played outside the Lower Mainland.  Chris was also our rugby voice fighting to keep a rugby pitch in City Park, something we now know has a long history in our City.

For all these contributions, Chris was recognized by the City of Kelowna, Pacific Sport, and Tourism Kelowna for his contributions to local sport.  As a 2013 Sports Hero recipient, he joins Don Bingham, Sam Overton, and Dakota Poole as rugby volunteers or players who have been recognized by these organizations. 

Congratulations to Chris for all his contributions.  It is people like him that give us hope for growth and development in our rugby community.