Brian Erichsen first became involved with rugby in the late 1980s through the Youth Rugby Program held Saturdays at Maple Grove Rugby Park. Brian was one of the original participants in this program which was run by Wayne Guenther, Ray Hoemsen, Gary MacDonald, and Brian’s father Wilf Erichsen, who himself was inducted by the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013 as an Official.
A lock and loose forward, Brian played his first organized rugby in 1995 with Oak Park High School, winning the high school championship. The same season Brian played Colts and Second Division Senior Men with the Saracens Rugby Football Club and was selected for the Manitoba Under 19 Provincial team. In 1996 he represented Manitoba with both the Under 19s and Senior Men/Buffalo teams whom he continued to play with until 2000. He helped the Manitoba Senior Men to win the 1997 Tier II National Championship. In 1998, Brian was awarded a Rugby Manitoba development scholarship to play rugby in New Zealand where he played both Under 21 and Senior Men with Teachers Eastern Rugby Club in Auckland.
Brian first played in the Rugby Canada Super League (RCSL) in 1999 with the Manitoba Buffalo and was selected to the RCSL All Star Team which toured Fiji. Brian also played for the Prairie Fire and Vancouver Wave teams in the RCSL.
Starting in 2003, Brian joined the Meraloma Rugby Club in Vancouver. He played with and captained them for 11 seasons, including five BC Premier League finals. After his retirement at the end of the 2013 season, he is helping to coach the Meralomas. Brian was selected for numerous BC Senior Men Provincial teams, helping them to win the Canadian Rugby Championship in 2009, and then advancing to the Americas Rugby Championship.
Brian’s international playing career with Rugby Canada began in 1996 with selection to the Canada Under 19 team which toured Wales. In 1999, he was invited to join the Pacific Pride Canada Under 23 team, playing in the BC Premier League for three seasons as well as tours to New Zealand and Germany. Invited to play with Canada Senior Men’s Team on a tour to Japan, he earned his first cap in November 2009 against Russia. Brian played in the 2010 and 2011 Churchill Cups, scoring the winning try against France A to reach the Churchill Cup 2010 Final as well as the 2010 Americas Rugby Championship.
In 2011 Brian became the first born and raised Manitoban to represent Canada in the men’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) and played in both matches against the USA in the run up to the RWC. Brain earned five caps in the course of his playing days for Canada’s Senior Men.
In the words of Ashley Prest (Winnipeg Free Press, August 24, 2011) “Brian Erichsen of Winnipeg is a lock for the annals of Manitoba’s rugby history.”
Brian is very deserving of his induction as a Player in the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame.
A lock and loose forward, Brian played his first organized rugby in 1995 with Oak Park High School, winning the high school championship. The same season Brian played Colts and Second Division Senior Men with the Saracens Rugby Football Club and was selected for the Manitoba Under 19 Provincial team. In 1996 he represented Manitoba with both the Under 19s and Senior Men/Buffalo teams whom he continued to play with until 2000. He helped the Manitoba Senior Men to win the 1997 Tier II National Championship. In 1998, Brian was awarded a Rugby Manitoba development scholarship to play rugby in New Zealand where he played both Under 21 and Senior Men with Teachers Eastern Rugby Club in Auckland.
Brian first played in the Rugby Canada Super League (RCSL) in 1999 with the Manitoba Buffalo and was selected to the RCSL All Star Team which toured Fiji. Brian also played for the Prairie Fire and Vancouver Wave teams in the RCSL.
Starting in 2003, Brian joined the Meraloma Rugby Club in Vancouver. He played with and captained them for 11 seasons, including five BC Premier League finals. After his retirement at the end of the 2013 season, he is helping to coach the Meralomas. Brian was selected for numerous BC Senior Men Provincial teams, helping them to win the Canadian Rugby Championship in 2009, and then advancing to the Americas Rugby Championship.
Brian’s international playing career with Rugby Canada began in 1996 with selection to the Canada Under 19 team which toured Wales. In 1999, he was invited to join the Pacific Pride Canada Under 23 team, playing in the BC Premier League for three seasons as well as tours to New Zealand and Germany. Invited to play with Canada Senior Men’s Team on a tour to Japan, he earned his first cap in November 2009 against Russia. Brian played in the 2010 and 2011 Churchill Cups, scoring the winning try against France A to reach the Churchill Cup 2010 Final as well as the 2010 Americas Rugby Championship.
In 2011 Brian became the first born and raised Manitoban to represent Canada in the men’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) and played in both matches against the USA in the run up to the RWC. Brain earned five caps in the course of his playing days for Canada’s Senior Men.
In the words of Ashley Prest (Winnipeg Free Press, August 24, 2011) “Brian Erichsen of Winnipeg is a lock for the annals of Manitoba’s rugby history.”
Brian is very deserving of his induction as a Player in the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame.