Dear Readers of the Rugby Canada website,

As we approach our one year anniversary next month we have been looking at how quickly our various news items cycle through from our front page, then down to news headlines section, before it is archived in our general news and sub-categories, such as the various team sites (Senior Men, Senior Women, Men's Sevens, Women's Sevens, U20 Men, U20 Women and U17 Men) .

While we like to bring you a wide variety of items, most that we produce, and others from a variety of rugby news organizations and general media around the world, we thought on thing we could do was encapsulate some of the lighter, less time sensitive news into a weekly round-up with links to the stories where they appear on the web. Thus - we have created Odds and Ends.

Each week we will post this with the date that week - so you can find these easier in the archives. If you have notifications for dinners, online auctions, fund raisers or other news about your club - just click on this link to submit the item. We ask you to fill out the form as it saves a number of steps. It will force you to provide the W5 - who, what, where, when, why etc - and it also provides a central repository to find the items.  A permanent link to News Submission will be in the Media and Fan Forum sections, but you can access the news submission page by clicking here.  To submit a story click on ---->http://www.rugbycanada.ca/leagues/custom_page.cfm?clientid=3817&leagueid=0&pageid=7461

Also we would like you to do a quick survey about the site - it is designed to help us re-prioritize some of the features on how we deliver both content and administrative aspects of Rugby Canada.

It will only take less than five minutes and it would also be appreciated if you sent links to this story to your social networking groups so we can get as much feedback as possible. To take part in the survey click here  http://www.rugbycanada.ca/leagues/custom_page.cfm?clientid=3817&leagueid=0&pageid=7460

All that being said - here is Odds and Ends for January 25th, 2010

Kieran Crowley and Geraint John on New Zealand World Cup site visit
Canadian team Head Coach Kieran Crowley and High Performance Director Geraint John are on a tour of New Zealand to approve all the facilities Canada will be using in the 2011 World Cup. Visiting a variety of hotels, training gyms, and stadiums, the duo will approve and begin the intense planning stages of the tournament, that takes place September 9th to October 23rd in the Shakey Isles.

Hong Kong Sevens Canadian Supporters Party
There are limited tickets left for the Canadian Rugby Foundation fund raiser - that is part of the annual Hong Kong Sevens tournament. Also  there is a supporters package supported by Cathay Pacific and the CRF - You can find out all the relevant information by going to - http://canadianrugbyfoundation.ca/content/2010-hong-kong-sevens-tickets-updated

Eddie Evans spreads the Gospel of Rugby for kids in Thailand
Former Canadian team prop Eddie Evans has made the Far East home for over ten years. Following a successful test career with 50 appearances, the affable Vancouver, BC native has been using rugby to help reach at risk children in his home base of Thailand.

To see the full story,  click on: http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201001210495.html

Help a Rugby Canada Intern become an Axe Summer Male Consultant
You may have noticed a new voice on the videos from our Victoria office. Bryan Kelly is a Camosun college broadcast student who has made the short list for the Axe Summer Male Consultant job, but he needs the help of the rugby community.

He will be working through the spring bringing you interesting videos and written stories on our carded athletes, the U20 Men's team and premier league rugby.

Here is the link to his fan page - and you can follow it from there to get him in as an intern. If he wins he moves to Toronto for the summer where we will put him to work part time during our busy summer month schedule! - Good luck Bryan ! 

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/group.php?gid=296986829387

Canadian discovers 7s and becomes a fan in Fiji
A freelance journalist tasked with covering the Suva Sevens in Fiji was reluctant at first, but Canadian writer Dale Carruthers became a fan as he watched the Maple Leafs in action.

http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=3&fijidailynews=25730

Fijian in line to play for Canadian Sevens Team
Canadian team coach Morgan Williams hinted that a spot for Fijian forward Savenaca Sivo could be available as he has met residency requirements through his time in British Columbia playing rugby there.

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=138266

Vikes take first leg of the Boot Series with 50-15 win over T-Birds
The UVic Vikes men’s rugby team came from behind and scored 47 unanswered points on Saturday afternoon to secure the first leg of the 2010 Wightman Boot series by a final score of 50-15.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/sports/82554127.html