Coaches to lead exciting summer of Provincial Representative Rugby for BC Bears.
March 13, 2025 – Vancouver, BC:BC Rugby is delighted to confirm the 2025 BC Bears Coaches that will lead our U17 and U19 XVs Provincial Representative Programs throughout the year.
With 2025 set to be another busy year for our Provincial Representative XVs Teams, we are delighted to appoint the following BC Bears Coaches that will lead the identification, selection and preparation of U17 and U19 athletes to represent the BC Bears this summer. Programs run at various times from February-September.
Coaches will utilize Club, School and Regional Programming as well as key BC Rugby events like the 2025 VSI 7s and the new-look 2025 Provincial Regional Leagues and Provincial Regional Championships to identify talent for potential selection to the BC Bears teams, in accordance with the BC Bears Age-Grade Selection Policy.
Coaches who will lead the U15 Boys and Girls “Build a Bear” Camps this summer will be announced once confirmed by BC Rugby.
2025 BC BEARS U17 & U19 XVS COACHES
U17 Boys:
Head Coach: Leana Marton (TORA)
Assistant Coaches: Rob Hayes (Langley Rugby Club/FVRU), Jacob Corbett (Meraloma/VRU)
U17 Girls:
Head Coach: Will Ballard (James Bay AA/VIRU Tide)
Assistant Coaches: William Daniel (Castaway Wanderers/VIRU Tide), Adryon Hutton (Langley Rugby Club/FVRU)
U17 Programming
- Top 30 Camp – Boys and Girls (August 3-7, Shawnigan Lake School)
- Tour to Ontario (August 24-31, Ontario)
The Top 30 athletes will be identified through Club, School and the Provincial Regional Series, through to the Provincial Regional Championships weekend on July 5-6, 2025. The Top 30 Boys and Girls will then be invited to a selection camp on August 3-7, 2025, where the athletes will be further developed in a matches against Rugby Alberta and assessed towards final selection for the BC Bears U17 Squads travelling to Ontario to compete in a three-game Series against based at Brampton Rugby Club on August 24-31, 2025. The opening two games will be against two of Ontario’s strongest regions before finishing with a match against the Rugby Ontario’s U17 Provincial Programs.
U19 Men:
Head Coach: Curry Hitchborn (VRU)
Assistant Coaches: Tom Larisch (Capilano RFC), Logan Martin-Feek (VIRU Tide)
U19 Women:
Head Coach: Jake Thiel (UBC Thunderbirds)
Assistant Coaches: Jordan McLeod (UBC Thunderbirds)
U19 Programming
2025 Canadian U19 Rugby Championships (July 19-27, Calgary)
The Top 26 athletes for the U19 Men and U19 Women’s teams will be selected following the Provincial Regional Competitions, with final selections following the Provincial Regional Championships on July 5-6. Teams will then fly to Calgary to compete at the 2025 Canadian Rugby Championships (CRCs) on July 19-27.
2025 BC BEARS U17 & U19 XVS COACH QUOTES
BC Bears U17 Boys Head Coach Leana Marton said: “The new PRL/PRCs format should allow us to see athletes over multiple occasions, alongside Club and High-School games. This year’s campaign is especially vigorous and competitive with games against Alberta and Whitgift (UK) at our top 30 selection camp. Then to compete against the Brampton and Team Ontario sides, we certainly will have a big rugby summer ahead of us.”
BC Bears U17 Girls Head Coach Will Ballard said: “With the recent success of Canada’s Senior Women’s National Program, I am very excited to work with tomorrow’s athletes. I love seeing the strength of our youth and am excited to help them develop the skills and attitudes they need to compete at the highest level.”
BC Bears U19 Men’s Head Coach Curry Hitchborn said: “I am looking forward to watching this team take shape through the highly important regional competitions. Logan and I’s goal is to support the regions as this new pathway takes shape and select the best of the best. It is imperative we use these upcoming regional pathways to create much needed consistency and visibility for all the athletes.”
BC Bears U19 Women’s Head Coach Jake Thiel said: “I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead the BC U19 Women’s team this summer. There is a tremendous amount of talent across our Club, high school and university systems and I’m looking forward to selecting a team that will compete at the national level. The PRL/PRC format provides a great opportunity for our coaches to assess athletes in a high-pressure environment while also maximizing the number of athletes who get a chance to compete.”
HOW TO SUPPORT BC BEARS PROGRAMS
Without your vital support, BC Bears Programs simply cannot happen.
The BC Bears Player Subsidy Program provides financial support to players in need who are selected to represent BC Bears Age-Grade teams, in the form of discounts applied against team fees.
Since its launch in 2017, BC Rugby has provided over $170,000 of support through the BC Bears Player Subsidy Program to help ease the financial cost of playing representative Rugby.
In 2024 alone, $50,000 of financial support was given across 45% of the athletes selected to BC Bears Age-Grade teams.
Donations can be made to the BC Bears Player Subsidy Program here to ensure no athlete misses out on representing BC due to financial barriers.
To inquire about sponsoring a BC Bears Age-Grade Program helping to offset the costs to young athletes, please email ceo@bcrugby.com
You can learn more about our Sponsorship Opportunities 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 8,000 individuals registered through 65 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:
BC Rugby
Rob Bartlett, Director of Marketing and Partnerships
Tel: 778-725-7476
rbartlett@bcrugby.com