North Bay Rugby Club has made major moves since their playoff loss in April 2012. Through cultivating relationships with local colleges, the team has added 9 new recruits, 5 of which came from their own U19 programs. With the help of their newly added talent, North Bay completed an undefeated 2012 fall season, going 10-0, with an average point differential of 50. As a result of North Bay’s extremely successful season in the fall, they have committed to move up from division 3 to MARFU’s highly competitive division 2 for Fall 2013 season. North Bay also made changes off the field as well, holding their first annual “Hall of Fame Bull Roast” inducting club founder Marty Maurice, Bill Tarello, a longtime supporter who passed away in 2009, and Ellen Hickey, creator of the North Bay youth leagues, into this new honor.
While on tour in Ireland in April 2010, members of the current North Bay team met legendary Irish Flyhalf Ollie Campbell. Campbell, who happened to be a longtime family friend of Brian and Ellen Hickey, ran a special training session for the team and ended it with a motivating speech about life and rugby. The team was so inspired, they invited Ollie to become the Honorary Club President which Mr. Campbell accepted on March 26, 2013.
North Bay is thrilled to have this rugby legend associated with their team for many reasons, but especially for the depth of rugby knowledge and experience he holds. Mr. Campbell won a total of 22 caps for Ireland from 1976-1984, scoring 217 test points, including an Irish record 60 points on the tour of Australia in 1979. Campbell was also capped seven times for the British and Irish Lions, 3 in 1980 to South Africa and 4 in 1983 to New Zealand, scoring 184 points in total for the Lions. All great achievements, but perhaps Campbell’s greatest achievement in rugby came in the 1984 Five Nations Championship. In the battle against Scotland, Ollie secured all of Ireland’s 21 points on the day, enough to win the game and to win Ireland its first Triple Crown in nearly 30 years.
North Bay Rugby is taking all of the necessary steps to become an even bigger and better club with increased recruitment efforts, and a step up in competition. With the addition of Ollie Campbell as Honorary President, North Bay Rugby Club is excited to see what he has in store for them and is willing to take on the challenges to grow into a powerhouse in the region.