Algonquin College Suspends Varsity Rugby Teams

0:00It's April 5th. You're listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. Algonquin College just dropped a bomb on its varsity rugby teams, suspending them for the fall season over financial woes. The student association cited budget shortfalls as the main reason, catching players totally off guard with no prior heads up. They got the news in a sudden Google Meet call on March 31st, after a vague email the day before on March 30th. This follows the college slashing 30 programs back in early March, mostly in arts and environment fields, sparking big backlash from students, alumni, and even the city of Ottawa, players like those on the women's team feel blindsided, especially since rugby is the only sport getting axed right now. The squad's no slouch. They've hit top three in Ontario Colleges, Athletics Association, rugby 7's champs multiple times, even grabbing gold in 20. 19 Now the teams are fighting back hard, launching a petition that's already topped 2,500 signatures

1:03with backing from rugby Ontario, and other OCAA squads. They've offered to fundraise themselves, but the association hasn't budged yet. Coaches and athletes are brainstorming every angle to save the program, vowing not to go down without a fight as these deficits keep squeezing the school tighter.