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Markham and the Irish Canadians

(8 posts)

  1. Ad Bot

    Posted 6 months ago

  2. winger14
    Moderator

    Heard they are merging. Any truth to that?

    Winger14

    Posted 6 months ago #

  3. Harry Craig
    Member

    Looks like it might happen. Markham voted as a club on Thursday night to go ahead. The Irish also had a meeting scheduled but I haven't heard what they decided. From what I hear the Irish approached Markham initially so it sounds like it will probably happen. I think it will make a strong club, but with fewer overall involved in rugby as a result. Nothing is official yet but I believe it will happen. Last year Markham ran 2 mens and a womens team and the Irish ran 3 mens and 2 womens teams. The plan as I heard it is to run 4 mens teams and 2 womens teams so that is one less mens and one less womens and who knows about junior and mini programs.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  4. Ad Bot

    Posted 6 months ago

  5. Harry Craig
    Member

    Go to torontorugby.ca for an announcement of the merger.

    Posted 6 months ago #

  6. Toothlesstiger
    Moderator

    Tragic as this may be, it points out clearly two fundamental flaws and it also high lights another essential part of the puzzle of developing a club.

    Firstly, the Markham club has a very good bordering on excellent junior,youth & mini flag development program. That bodes well for the continuity of the Markham legacy.

    The fact that clubs come apart is that they hang onto the old guard as their core of volunteers and administrators who eventually tire of all the struggle of trying to hold the Club together where they have shown no interest of developing a sustainable kids program.

    The sad issue is that R.O. continues with one less club through amalgamation and a hell bent desire to establish a Awards of Excellence as the cornerstone of it's Strategic Plan.

    The plan is fundamentally flawed as it does not deal with substantially changing market demographics with regards to growing the game.

    It is designed to replicate the old U.K. club with all of there idiosyncrasies, which, while have worked in the past are now well out of step with the need to establish a truly community association based programs, whether run completely outside the present clubs or at best, at arms length as has been the method applicable to the high school recruiting program. But, do not lose sight that we are talking about reaching out to the kids who have to have their parents bring them to the games at the weekend.

    However, this whole "thing" will go unnoticed by the Board of Rugby Ontario. They will spout all the clichés that were used when the Barbs and Aurora merged. Yes that was a success but again like Markham, Aurora had a junior plan.

    We cannot lose sight of the observation that it is also come about through the geography and location. The Irish Canadians were an inner city club and since moving to Fletchers Fields in Markham they the Irish have had no recruiting system or relationship with their original "community" base.

    Just a postscript: Aurora came about as a number of Toronto Scots were living now in Aurora and with their organisational skills the took over the local club then located in the TRU third & second divs. and operated out of Newmarket the "York .......".

    And, yes finally Harry let it be understood that the R.O. strategic plan was developed by Pat Daniels of the Cru at that time and now the R.O. Board has three CRU affiliated members with one being the V.P. and President designated.

    The model/ template of that club as the basis of a strategic plan cannot be dropped into rural and outlying GTA communities and succeed as it has in Oakville.

    Both in Ontario and B.C. there is no significant growth in the participation levels of the game while at the same time the amalgamations continue and out stripped the number of new sustainable clubs being registerred in either province.

    I should know what I am talking about as I delivered my own baby, the Timberwolves and for many of the same errors as I have mentioned here the Club is in it's death role after 17 years.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  7. Bulldogs2
    Member

    So what division will the Markham Irish Canadians play in. Keenan or Marshall? The Irish were the last place team in the Marshall 2009 season. Since both clubs merged the new club should have to play in the Keenan in the upcoming season.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  8. Harry Craig
    Member

    They will be in the Marshall. There was no relegation from the Marshall last year it is now a ten team league with the promotion of Oshawa from the Kenan and London from the Jones. It looks like Saracens will be joining the Keenan along with the Wanderers.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  9. Ad Bot

    Posted 5 months ago

  10. trentrugby
    Member

    What teams with the name Toronto really draw players from Toronto? I am curious to know which teams still train in Toronto and have junior or minor rugby programs? I was very surprised by the Markham and Irish merger as both clubs seemed to be strong from an outsiders perspective. Were the Irish having organizational trouble? I hope that the merging of clubs is something that we will see less of.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  11. Harry Craig
    Member

    All the teams at Fletcher's draw from Toronto as do the Beach, Toronto Dragons, Buccaneers, Muddy York, And Bay Street and on the women's side the Lions. Since the merger with Aurora the Barbs draw less from Toronto and more from York Region and I expect the same will happen with the Irish now. Clubs in the GTA such as Brampton, Crusaders, Yeomen and Wanderers also have a few member who live in the City of Toronto. Other than the Barbs and Irish the rest of the Toronto teams train in the city.

    Posted 5 months ago #

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