Heritage

Brampton Rugby Football club was established in 1962.

The club has had three players, Aaron Abrams, Ryan Smith, and most recently Michael Sheppard (2016) who have played on the National Men's squad. Michael Sheppard is a current active roster member and also mans the current Ontario Blues squad.

Other Senior National caps in the club include current club member Tremaine Garrison (Jamaica, 2014), Claudius Medouze (St. Lucia), Julie McGann, who was capped for the Canadian National Womens' Team, Natascha Wesch, who was recently the National U 19 Women's Coach, Louise Pierce, a former national Womens' Team player, and Keith Wilkinson who was capped in the 1970's for the mens' national team.

The club also boasts a former President of the Canadian Rugby Union (Rugby Canada) in Hedley Benyon and National Team Managers in Chris Leitch, Ken Jones, Jill Zonneveld and Keith Wilkinson. Jill and Keith have both served on the Canada Rugby Union Board, and Keith has coached the National Sevens Team and was an assistant coach to the National Men's team.

The club began with an advertisement in the Georgetown Herald in 1962 placed by a local rugby enthusiast called Len Lewis, enquiring if any men were interested in forming a rugby club. After one month he had received only one call from another interested person Don Llewellyn. Don had been a fighter pilot in World War II, had been shot down on a few occasions but his resolve and determination saw him through the war and he was now bringing his enthusiasm for the game of rugby to the local area. Progress was slow but contact was made with Peter Corris an employee of Northern Electric who claimed to have a list of 20 interested players. A meeting was called by Don Llewellyn, to be held at his home at Shelley Street in Georgetown in December 1962. It was agreed to form a club and commence playing in April 1963. Further meetings were scheduled and the “enthusiastic three” were joined by Ken Hogg, Les Judge and Jerry Cunningham, who was the first Canadian born member of the club and it was Jerry that christened the new club “The Beavers” and the story began.

The first President was Len Lewis, other officers were, Don Llewellyn, Vice President, Peter Corris, Secretary, and the first captain was Ken Hogg a former player with the Toronto Nomads. The first practice was held at the Brampton Fairgrounds in March 1963. Other prominent members in those early days were Sandy Mackenzie and Ken Adamson another ex-pat from England who was a trustee (and past Chairman) of the Duffryn – Peel Catholic District School Board. It was this fine body of men that created and developed the Brampton Beavers RFC. The Beavers became members of the Ontario Rugby Union Intermediate Central “A” Division in 1969. During the period 1971 to 1988 the club was a member of the Niagara Rugby Union before joining the Toronto Rugby Union in 1989. They were promoted to the Ontario Senior “B” Division in 1986, to the Ontario “A” Division in 1988 and more recently to the Marshall division, now known as the Marshall premiership, and now to the Marshall Provincial league.

These fine rugby men were instrumental in forming the Brampton Rugby Club and today’s athletes and administrators owe a great debt to these rugby pioneers in the Peel Region.

Today the club is firmly established as one of the leading rugby clubs in Ontario.