Both BC Bears U19 teams headed into Sunday’s final showdowns against Ontario with three victories each having amassed wins against the Atlantic Rock, Alberta Wolfpack and Rugby Quebec over the past week.
With Rugby Ontario’s Men’s and Women’s teams also sitting on three wins each, it meant Sunday’s final Round Robin games were essentially winner-takes-all Championship deciders.
The BC Bears U19 Women rallied from a 0-10 deficit against the defending champions Ontario to win Sunday’s match 17-10 and claim its first ever U19 Women’s National Championship crown. The BC Bears had not won a game since the Women’s competition was first introduced in 2023 but produced four fantastic performances under Head Coach Jake Thiel and Assistant Coaches Jordan McLeod and Jenna Elidoros.
The Bears Women secured wins over the Atlantic (19-0), Alberta (25-5), and Rugby Quebec (34-0) in their opening three matches.
The BC Bears U19 Men’s team, meanwhile, narrowly fell 21-25 to their Rugby Ontario counterparts in an exhilarating final encounter as the Eastern province secured back-to-back Championship triumphs. Led by the Coaching team of Curry Hitchborn, Tom Larisch, Logan Martin-Feek and Ken McGovern, the Bears trailed 25-7 heading into the final 12 minutes of Sunday’s match and almost secured a scintillating comeback with the final play of the game. However, the Ontario defence held firm, and the Bears had to settle for the silver medals for the second successive year.
The Bears Men’s team enjoyed wins against the Atlantic (26-3), Alberta Wolfpack (51-12), and Rugby Quebec (52-5) in the tournament.
The 2025 Canadian Rugby U19 Championships were hosted by Rugby Alberta at Calgary Rugby Club over the past week. The BC Bears took two 26-strong squads that were selected following the conclusion of the 2025 Provincial Regional Championships.
The full results can be seen below:
BC BEARS U19 WOMEN
- July 22: W 19-0 vs Atlantic
- July 24: W 25-5 vs. Alberta Wolfpack
- July 25: W 34-0 vs Rugby Quebec
- July 27: W 17-10 vs Rugby Ontario Blues
BC BEARS U19 MEN
- July 22: W 26-3 vs Atlantic
- July 24: W 51-12 vs Alberta
- July 25: W 52-5 vs Rugby Quebec
- July 27: L 21-25 vs Rugby Ontario
Full squad lists and all match videos can be found here.
More information about BC Rugby
The British Columbia Rugby Union, commonly known as BC Rugby, is the governing body for Rugby in British Columbia and is a Provincial Union of Rugby Canada, the national governing body. Representing over 7,500 individuals registered through around 60 Member Clubs and Associations across the Province, BC Rugby leads and manages the sport with the aim to grow participation and develop excellence in all games of Rugby and in all facets of the sport.
Web: www.bcrugby.com
Social: @bcrugbyunion
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For more information, please contact:
Rob Bartlett
Director of Marketing and Partnerships
BC Rugby
Tel: +1 778-725-7476
rbartlett@bcrugby.com