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ABOUT US

Vancouver Highlanders represent the rich tradition of rugby
in Vancouver and the people who play it.

The Rugby Players Challenge Summer Series in Vancouver from May 1 to August 31 showcases rugby amid a festival ambiance with live music, DJs, and food. Enjoy local fare pitch side while experiencing bone-crunching hits and immersive fan experiences at the Highland House, home of the Vancouver Highlanders.

The Highlanders celebrate Scottish heritage with their tartan jerseys and Scotts Gaelic Player names. Committed to growing rugby nationally, they engage in grassroots initiatives and community outreach, fostering inclusivity and sportsmanship. Through community engagement, and a festival-like experience, the Highlanders invite all to join in building a stronger rugby community at the RPC Summer Series.

We believe that

  • Professional sports leagues all too often benefit the few at the expense of the many.
  • Most players inevitably forego or delay long-term professional development opportunities to pursue unrealistic dreams in professional sport.
  • After Rugby Union abandoned its amateur roots in the mid-1990s, much of the club support network and the professional advancement opportunities that came with it were lost.
  • Since then, professional rugby leagues have, with few exceptions, floundered and professional teams have, for the most part, struggled financially.
  • The regimented schedules, drafts, restrictions on player movement, salary caps, eligibility requirements and excessive overheads of structured leagues are substantial barriers to success for owners and players alike.
  • This has, in turn, negatively impacted player welfare and hindered players’ ability to earn a good living from the sport.
  • Moreover, upon completing their formal education, student-athletes are faced with a stark choice of either playing for money or abandoning competitive rugby altogether to pursue off-field careers.
  • The result is that many excellent players abandon competitive rugby before their primes, both robbing the sport of talent and the players of their desire to continue competing at the highest levels.
  • There is a better way; one that allows athletes to continue playing the sport they love while at the same time developing their careers and lives away from rugby.