Canadians earn their Blues at Oxford

While I was working for Rugby Canada during their Fall Tour to the UK in November, I had the chance to do some research at Oxford University RFC.

It turned out that there was a strong link between the current Candian squad and the university, with the National Senior Men's Team manager Gareth Rees having gained a 'Blue' for Oxford in the 1990s.

Gareth Rees - An Oxford
Blue in 1993 & 1994
Pic (c) Rugby Canada

Rees of course is a legend in Canadian rugby, having scored a total of 487 points in 55 appearances between 1986 and 1999, a record that stands to this day.

Although Canadians have played for Oxford University through the ages, only a small number have actually earned their ‘Blues’ by representing the university in the annual Varsity Match.

Gareth Rees studied at Oxford from 1993-1995. He earned his Blues in the 1993 and 1994 Varsity fixtures, scoring two penalties, a conversion and a drop goal in the second of these, to add to the try he scored on his first appearance.

Another alumni of the university was Andrew Bibby, who appeared nine times for the Canucks from 1979 to 1985 at centre. He scored a solitary try for Canada, in a test against a New Zealand XV at Burnaby Lake in 1980. He was the first Canadian to earn an Oxford Blue, in the 1980 Varsity game, playing on the wing.

Karl Svoboda gained an Oxford Blue in 1995, after retiring from the international scene that year. A veteran of the first three Rugby World Cups, Svoboda played as hooker in 24 tests, captaining his country twice, including a famous win over an England XV in 1993. Svoboda also gained a Blue after playing in the ice hockey Varsity fixture of 1996.

Stan Mckeen - 2008 Blue
Pic (c) Oxford Mail

Alongside Svoboda in the Oxford front row of 1995 stood Dave Penney. The prop won his first Canadian cap against the USA that year, the first of seven in total. Penney had represented Canada at U21, U23 and B level prior to those full internationals, playing out of Swilers RFC.



More recently, Stan McKeen played in Canada’s back row in 20 test matches from 2004 to 2007, before retiring from the pro game with his club Cornish Pirates, to take a place at Oxford University studying law. He appeared in the 2008 Varsity match in their 33-29 victory over Cambridge.



Kevin Tkatchuk in Varsity action
Pic (c) Oxford University RFC

Winger Sean Fauth, having played 29 times on the wing, including twice at RWC2003, studied for an MBA in 2005/06 after retiring from the game. He also gained a Blue for appearing in the 2005 Varsity match, after playing for Oak Bay Castaways and Pacific Pride.



Former prop Kevin Tkatchuk played in the Oxford Dark Blue in three consecutive Varsity fixtures, from 2001-2003. He recalled the feeling of arriving at Iffley Road for the occasion of a visit from the Australians in 2001: “I will never forget how strange, yet somewhat right, to be cycling to a test match against the current World Champions!”

Tkatchuk is now the Director of Rugby at Wellington College in Berkshire, after a long career at Glasgow Warriors.