What Is Rugby Called in Canada? The Real Name and How It's Played

Ask someone in Canada what sport they call rugby, and you might get a blank stare-or worse, they’ll say "football." That’s not because they’re wrong. It’s because what most Canadians mean by "rugby" isn’t the same game you see on TV in New Zealand or South Africa. The truth is, rugby in Canada has two faces, and neither of them is called "rugby" in everyday conversation.

Rugby Union Is the Official Name, But Nobody Says It

The version of rugby played at the national level in Canada is officially called rugby union. It’s the same 15-a-side game governed by World Rugby, with the same rules as England, Australia, or Fiji. Canada’s national team, the Canucks, competes in the Rugby Championship and the World Cup under this code. But if you walk into a bar in Toronto or Vancouver and ask for a rugby match, you’re more likely to be handed a hockey puck than a ball.

Why? Because in Canada, "rugby" usually means something else entirely.

What Canadians Actually Call "Rugby" - It’s Not What You Think

In most parts of Canada, when people say "rugby," they’re talking about Canadian football. Yes, that’s right. The game with the three-down system, the single point (rouge), and the end zones that stretch 20 yards deep-that’s what most Canadians picture when they hear "rugby." And they’re not wrong. Canadian football evolved directly from rugby union in the late 1800s. The first games played at the University of Toronto in 1868 were rugby matches. Over time, the rules changed: the field got narrower, the number of players dropped to 12, and the forward pass was introduced. But the roots? Pure rugby.

So when a Canadian says, "I play rugby," they might mean they play for the Toronto Argonauts or the BC Lions. That’s not a typo. That’s how language works when history bends the meaning.

There’s Also a Real Rugby Scene in Canada - It’s Just Small

Beneath the shadow of Canadian football, there’s a quiet but growing rugby union scene. There are over 40,000 registered players in Canada, mostly in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Clubs like the Vancouver Rowing Club and the Montreal Barbarians have been around since the 1950s. High schools in Victoria and Halifax run rugby programs. Universities like UBC and McGill field competitive teams.

The Canadian Rugby Union, now called Rugby Canada, runs national championships and sends teams to the World Rugby Sevens Series. But you won’t see it on mainstream TV. CBC doesn’t broadcast the Canada vs. USA match like it does the Grey Cup. The sport survives on passion, not promotion.

What About Rugby League? Does It Exist in Canada?

Rugby league-the 13-a-side, faster-paced version popular in Australia and England-is barely visible in Canada. There’s a national team, the Canadian Wolverines, but they play mostly in exhibition matches against the U.S. and Jamaica. The Canadian Rugby League was formed in 2010, but funding is minimal. There are maybe 500 active players nationwide, mostly concentrated in Toronto and Vancouver. You’ll find more rugby league players in Sydney than in all of Canada combined.

So if you’re looking for rugby league in Canada, you’re not going to stumble on it by accident. You’ll need to seek it out.

Why Does This Confusion Even Exist?

The confusion comes down to history, language, and dominance. Canadian football became the dominant gridiron sport in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was marketed as "football," and the name stuck. Meanwhile, rugby union was pushed to the sidelines-literally and figuratively. It was seen as a "British" sport, played by private schools and expats. When Canadian football became professionalized with the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1958, rugby union lost its last shot at mainstream attention.

Today, if you Google "rugby Canada," the top results are about the CFL. Not the national rugby union team. That’s not a mistake. That’s the legacy of a sport that got rebranded as something else.

How to Tell the Difference If You’re in Canada

If you’re visiting Canada and hear someone talking about "rugby," here’s how to decode it:

• If they’re talking about 12 players, three downs, and a 110-yard field-they mean Canadian football.
• If they mention 15 players, continuous play, and no forward passes-they mean rugby union.
• If they say "the league" or "the Lions"-they’re talking about the CFL.
• If they mention "the Canucks" or "World Cup"-they mean rugby union.

And if they say, "I play rugby on Saturdays," ask which ball they’re using. The oval one? That’s rugby union. The pointy one with white stripes? That’s Canadian football.

What’s the Future of Rugby in Canada?

Rugby union is slowly gaining ground. Youth participation has grown 22% since 2018, according to Rugby Canada’s annual reports. The women’s team, the Women’s XV, is ranked in the top 10 globally. The 2025 Rugby World Cup will be hosted in Canada, and ticket sales are already outpacing the 2015 event in England.

But the name problem remains. Until Canada stops calling Canadian football "rugby," the sport will struggle to break through. Some clubs are trying to fix it-calling themselves "Rugby Union Toronto" or "Vancouver Rugby Club"-but the cultural inertia is strong.

For now, if you want to play or watch real rugby in Canada, you’ll have to dig a little deeper. It’s not in the headlines. It’s in the school fields of Victoria, the community pitches of Ottawa, and the quiet pride of players who still show up every Saturday, no matter how few people are watching.

What to Do If You Want to Get Involved

If you’re in Canada and want to play rugby union:

1. Visit rugbycanada.ca to find a club near you.
2. Look for local university teams-many offer open practices.
3. Join a sevens tournament. They’re cheaper, faster, and easier to get into than 15s.
4. Don’t assume you’ll find it on TV. Watch matches on YouTube or the Rugby Canada streaming portal.

And if you’re just curious? Go to a local game. You’ll see the same grit, the same tackles, the same teamwork that makes rugby special anywhere in the world. You just might need to ask the right question first.