Ian Williams arrived in Winnipeg in 1964 to find only one active club – the Winnipeg RFC. Ian co‐founded the Winnipeg Wasps Rugby Football Club (1965), took the first Winnipeg side to Edmonton Rugby Fest (1967) – nearly upsetting the highly ranked Vancouver Meralomas, played for Manitoba in their first inter‐provincial match against Alberta (1968) and coached Manitoba’s provincial side in their first match against the University of British Columbia (1968). Ian (and wife Carolyn) helped Manitoba rugby to prosper and grow.
Ian Williams came to Canada from Scotland in 1957 and first played for the Toronto Scottish (and as scrum half helped to win the Quebec 7’s in 1958). After relocating to Montreal in 1961, Ian played for the Town of Mount Royal. Ian moved to Winnipeg in the winter of 1964, where Ian found that a thriving rugby community in the late 1950's (mainly Commonwealth Forces teams based in Shilo), had only one club remaining in Winnipeg – the Winnipeg RFC (now the Wanderers). Stalwarts such as Derry Newton and John Walton had kept rugby alive in Winnipeg by holding regular training and playing the odd away game with clubs in Regina and Wisconsin.
With the encouragement of Derry Newton to form another club and sensing the potential for a renewal of rugby in Winnipeg, Ian put ads in the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Tribune looking for "anyone interested in playing rugby". The response was incredible and included the six “Ian's” – such as Ian Wallace (formerly of the Melrose & Scotland Under 16's) and Iain McDougall (ultimately Ph.D., Dean of Classics at the University of Winnipeg) who, in turn through his connections at the then United College, recruited Gary Filmon (future Premier of Manitoba); leading to the formation of the Winnipeg Wasps in 1965. Soon, the Winnipeg Wasps (with Ian as Captain) and the Winnipeg RFC were "running" together on the south banks of the Red River by Churchill Drive, once the snow melted. Eventually the Wasps relocated to the grounds near the CNR locomotive in Assiniboine Park for their games. Lieutenant Bob Kompf of the Princess Patricia’s then joined the Wasps, leading to Lipsett Hall (at the former Canadian Forces Base) as a home for local rugby. Winnipeg Blue Bombers players such as Paul Robson also started turning up for early season outdoor training.
Ian took the first representative team from Winnipeg to the Edmonton Rugby Fest in 1967where they pushed the high ranking Vancouver Meralomas to a very close decision (over 30 years later, the Wasps still take part in the Edmonton Rugby Fest). In 1972 Ian purchased (and rented to other club members, mainly teachers at River Heights School) a house on Alexander Street which quickly became known as the “Hive” and became the headquarters for the club.
Members of the Wasps went on to not only form the Manitoba Schools Rugby Union (1973), but also several clubs ‐ the Assassins (1967), the University of Manitoba (1973), St. Vital Buccaneers (1974), Portage Wolves (1979), Sturgeon Creek Rowdies (1980), and the Brandon Barbarians (1981) – and were also one of seven clubs who came together to create Maple Grove Rugby Park (1985), the primary home of rugby in Winnipeg.
Ian Williams came to Canada from Scotland in 1957 and first played for the Toronto Scottish (and as scrum half helped to win the Quebec 7’s in 1958). After relocating to Montreal in 1961, Ian played for the Town of Mount Royal. Ian moved to Winnipeg in the winter of 1964, where Ian found that a thriving rugby community in the late 1950's (mainly Commonwealth Forces teams based in Shilo), had only one club remaining in Winnipeg – the Winnipeg RFC (now the Wanderers). Stalwarts such as Derry Newton and John Walton had kept rugby alive in Winnipeg by holding regular training and playing the odd away game with clubs in Regina and Wisconsin.
With the encouragement of Derry Newton to form another club and sensing the potential for a renewal of rugby in Winnipeg, Ian put ads in the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Tribune looking for "anyone interested in playing rugby". The response was incredible and included the six “Ian's” – such as Ian Wallace (formerly of the Melrose & Scotland Under 16's) and Iain McDougall (ultimately Ph.D., Dean of Classics at the University of Winnipeg) who, in turn through his connections at the then United College, recruited Gary Filmon (future Premier of Manitoba); leading to the formation of the Winnipeg Wasps in 1965. Soon, the Winnipeg Wasps (with Ian as Captain) and the Winnipeg RFC were "running" together on the south banks of the Red River by Churchill Drive, once the snow melted. Eventually the Wasps relocated to the grounds near the CNR locomotive in Assiniboine Park for their games. Lieutenant Bob Kompf of the Princess Patricia’s then joined the Wasps, leading to Lipsett Hall (at the former Canadian Forces Base) as a home for local rugby. Winnipeg Blue Bombers players such as Paul Robson also started turning up for early season outdoor training.
Ian took the first representative team from Winnipeg to the Edmonton Rugby Fest in 1967where they pushed the high ranking Vancouver Meralomas to a very close decision (over 30 years later, the Wasps still take part in the Edmonton Rugby Fest). In 1972 Ian purchased (and rented to other club members, mainly teachers at River Heights School) a house on Alexander Street which quickly became known as the “Hive” and became the headquarters for the club.
Members of the Wasps went on to not only form the Manitoba Schools Rugby Union (1973), but also several clubs ‐ the Assassins (1967), the University of Manitoba (1973), St. Vital Buccaneers (1974), Portage Wolves (1979), Sturgeon Creek Rowdies (1980), and the Brandon Barbarians (1981) – and were also one of seven clubs who came together to create Maple Grove Rugby Park (1985), the primary home of rugby in Winnipeg.