Garry Nicholson first played rugby in 1971 as a member of the Winnipeg Wasps RFC, playing as a #8 and Flanker. In 1973 he started coaching high school rugby and over the last four decades has coached at the school, club, provincial, national, and international levels. Teams coached by Garry have competed at the Canadian Rugby Union Junior Championships, the Western Canada Summer Games, the Canada Games, and in the Rugby Canada Super League.
Garry began his rugby career playing with the Wasps in 1971 and caught the coaching bug early when he became Coach for Kelvin High School in 1973. What followed was a decade’s long dedication to coaching at multiple levels with a variety of teams, often coaching several teams in a single year. At the high school level, Garry coached the teams of Kelvin High School and of Vincent Massey Collegiate, both of which he lead to City Championships. Garry continued playing for the Wasps into the 1980s until a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the field and focus on his coaching career.
At the provincial level, Garry got his start coaching the 1980 Manitoba Under-18 team in Thunder Bay. By 1990 he was Manager for the Manitoba Senior Men’s Team. He moved on to coach the Under-19 Men’s teams in 1992 and 1993 before returning to the Senior Men’s level as Coach for four seasons from 1994 to 1997. The Senior Men’s team won the Tier II Championships for the first time in 1997, moving the team up to Tier I. When Rugby Canada created the Super League, Garry became Coach of the Manitoba Buffalo, where he again served four consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2001. In total, Garry spent twelve years managing and coaching provincial rugby in Manitoba. Nationally, Garry served as a mentor with the Rugby Canada Prairie XVs versus the New Zealand All Blacks Development Side in 1990, and for the Rugby Canada Wales Tour in 1999.
For the Wasps, Garry acted as Coach and Head Coach many times over the years, first in the mid-80s and as recently as 2009. Garry’s favourite memories of club rugby will always be of the trips to Edmonton’s Rugbyfest in the early days of his career, as well as the four overseas rugby tours with the Wasps. During his time as both a player and a coach, Garry feels that his blessing was to have met and worked with so many great players, teams, and other individuals over the years that have all enriched the tough, demanding sport of Rugby.
Garry has been a Level 3 coach and instructor since 1990, where he was involved with the original N.C.C.P. coaching development program. More recently, he has acted as a Learning Facilitator and Instructor with the Rugby Canada Competency-Based Education and Training Program. For his excellence and dedication to coaching, Garry has twice been selected as Manitoba’s Top Coach and honoured with Rugby Manitoba’s Ray Skett award, first in 1992 and again in 1997.
Garry began his rugby career playing with the Wasps in 1971 and caught the coaching bug early when he became Coach for Kelvin High School in 1973. What followed was a decade’s long dedication to coaching at multiple levels with a variety of teams, often coaching several teams in a single year. At the high school level, Garry coached the teams of Kelvin High School and of Vincent Massey Collegiate, both of which he lead to City Championships. Garry continued playing for the Wasps into the 1980s until a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the field and focus on his coaching career.
At the provincial level, Garry got his start coaching the 1980 Manitoba Under-18 team in Thunder Bay. By 1990 he was Manager for the Manitoba Senior Men’s Team. He moved on to coach the Under-19 Men’s teams in 1992 and 1993 before returning to the Senior Men’s level as Coach for four seasons from 1994 to 1997. The Senior Men’s team won the Tier II Championships for the first time in 1997, moving the team up to Tier I. When Rugby Canada created the Super League, Garry became Coach of the Manitoba Buffalo, where he again served four consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2001. In total, Garry spent twelve years managing and coaching provincial rugby in Manitoba. Nationally, Garry served as a mentor with the Rugby Canada Prairie XVs versus the New Zealand All Blacks Development Side in 1990, and for the Rugby Canada Wales Tour in 1999.
For the Wasps, Garry acted as Coach and Head Coach many times over the years, first in the mid-80s and as recently as 2009. Garry’s favourite memories of club rugby will always be of the trips to Edmonton’s Rugbyfest in the early days of his career, as well as the four overseas rugby tours with the Wasps. During his time as both a player and a coach, Garry feels that his blessing was to have met and worked with so many great players, teams, and other individuals over the years that have all enriched the tough, demanding sport of Rugby.
Garry has been a Level 3 coach and instructor since 1990, where he was involved with the original N.C.C.P. coaching development program. More recently, he has acted as a Learning Facilitator and Instructor with the Rugby Canada Competency-Based Education and Training Program. For his excellence and dedication to coaching, Garry has twice been selected as Manitoba’s Top Coach and honoured with Rugby Manitoba’s Ray Skett award, first in 1992 and again in 1997.