N. B. (Barry) Giffen (1987 – 1991) and (2000 – 2001)
Barry Giffen was born and raised in Edmonton, making him the first Albertan to be accorded the honor of serving the National Union in the capacity of President.
Barry started playing Rugby, for the Edmonton Druids R.F.C., in 1971 and he played representative Rugby, for Edmonton and Alberta, through the seasons of 1974 to 1977. His playing career concluded in 1981.
He became involved in administration in 1973, being appointed as the Co-chair of the Fundraising Sub-committee of the Ellerslie Development Committee. His pure enjoyment in serving as a volunteer, brought him to being elected as the President of his Club for the period 1976 to 1977, and again in 1980. He, ultimately, was rewarded for his service to the Druids by being made a Life member of the Club.
Barry branched out into provincial ‘politics’ and, in 1984 he was elected as the President of the Board of the Alberta Rugby Union. He served in this capacity for two terms. While in this position, amongst his other activities, Barry championed the cause of Women’s Rugby, to the extent of being largely the reason for the creation of the Alberta Women’s Rugby section, which provided for substantial development in this area.
Giffen continued to move upward and, after his terms as president of the provincial union, he became involved as Alberta’s representative at the National Union level. He was elected, in 1987, as the President of the Canadian Rugby Union and he served, in this capacity, until 1991.
Barry continued to champion the cause of Women’s Rugby, this time at the national level, and he was instrumental in the creation of the position of Vice-President – Women’s Rugby. Women’s Rugby had been developing, at the Canadian level, through provincial representatives’ meetings, over the four previous years but the 1987/88 period saw the formalization of this development and the election of Liz Ferguson as the inaugural Vice-President.
During the 1991 year, there were many innovative events at the Canadian level, not the least of which was the staging of an International Test match, in May, between Canada and Scotland, with Saint John, New Brunswick being the host venue, and the match being won by the host nation, 24 – 19, a significant achievement.
During the period between his formal involvement with the National Union, Barry continued to work to develop the Game at the National level, sharing the responsibility for staging the 1993 Asian and Pacific Congress (with Fred Kazakoff) hosted by Rugby Alberta in Calgary.
Barry was, uniquely, elected for a second term providing leadership for the Canadian Rugby Union in 2000. While the latter stages of this second term was marked by debate and disharmony, Barry worked hard to avoid a lot of the angst in order to accomplish some of the Union’s goals. In the end much success was achieved, or, at least the groundwork undertaken, in the areas of player registration and Sport Canada funding, the latter improving substantially.
Barry Giffen, through the philanthropy of his company, Landlink Consulting, continues to this day to make a substantial contribution to the development of Rugby in this country.
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Suite 110
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4B 1J2 Canada
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