Jeff Harrison started his rugby career in grade 12 at St John’s High School, and at the age of 17 played for the Manitoba Rugby Senior Men's team in 1976. He certainly would be one of the youngest players to be selected to play for the Manitoba Senior Men's team in the Western Canadian championships.
Better known as Beaver, Jeff continued playing senior men's club and provincial team rugby, building a career spanning some eighteen years. Jeff had been an excellent hockey player and after finishing his commitment to Junior hockey devoted his time to the sport of rugby while studying to be a school teacher.
Jeff was part of the Saracen RFC team that toured New Zealand in 1980 during which he played in all six games at standoff. Along the way he caught the attention of two clubs that attempted to persuade him to remain in New Zealand and play for their senior teams. Returning from New Zealand, Jeff was instrumental, that same year, in engineering Manitoba's upset defeat of Alberta in the Western Canadian Championships.
Jeff represented Manitoba provincial rugby in several sequential Western Canada Senior Men's Championships and on the strength of his ability and play was invited to Western Canadian All-Star camps in 1981, 1982 and 1983. During this era, however, it was a requirement of Rugby Canada that players east of the Rockies relocate and play in British Columbia if they were to have any aspirations of expanding and developing their careers with an ambition of playing for Canada. For Jeff this requirement was neither viable nor attractive as he was starting out on what would become a successful career in teaching and, like his commitment to Junior Hockey, he had developed an even stronger commitment to Manitoba and Saracens rugby.
This was all to Manitoba rugby's gain as Jeff continued playing for the province until 1993 and Premier 1st division club rugby until 1996. Jeff was the only Saracen to appear in all eleven of the Premier 1st Division Championship final victories the Saracens enjoyed between 1979 and 1992.
Jeff was a player of exceptional natural ability and this was certainly recognized by friend and foe alike. He was quick, agile, had excellent vision and possessed an extraordinary ability to beat a player one-on-one in a variety of ways. There was always a spontaneity about his game. Whether it was executing the perfect feigned kick, a dummy pass or just a lateral step at pace, he was able to leave his opponent clutching at thin air. There was an element of innovation about his game too and, for example, his basketball pass when the circumstances called for, came naturally to him, even though it did the so-called purist somewhat disturbed.
In summary, Jeff's spontaneity, innovations, quickness, pace and his deft eye for the 'opportunity' made him one of the best attacking players the Province of Manitoba has ever produced.
Better known as Beaver, Jeff continued playing senior men's club and provincial team rugby, building a career spanning some eighteen years. Jeff had been an excellent hockey player and after finishing his commitment to Junior hockey devoted his time to the sport of rugby while studying to be a school teacher.
Jeff was part of the Saracen RFC team that toured New Zealand in 1980 during which he played in all six games at standoff. Along the way he caught the attention of two clubs that attempted to persuade him to remain in New Zealand and play for their senior teams. Returning from New Zealand, Jeff was instrumental, that same year, in engineering Manitoba's upset defeat of Alberta in the Western Canadian Championships.
Jeff represented Manitoba provincial rugby in several sequential Western Canada Senior Men's Championships and on the strength of his ability and play was invited to Western Canadian All-Star camps in 1981, 1982 and 1983. During this era, however, it was a requirement of Rugby Canada that players east of the Rockies relocate and play in British Columbia if they were to have any aspirations of expanding and developing their careers with an ambition of playing for Canada. For Jeff this requirement was neither viable nor attractive as he was starting out on what would become a successful career in teaching and, like his commitment to Junior Hockey, he had developed an even stronger commitment to Manitoba and Saracens rugby.
This was all to Manitoba rugby's gain as Jeff continued playing for the province until 1993 and Premier 1st division club rugby until 1996. Jeff was the only Saracen to appear in all eleven of the Premier 1st Division Championship final victories the Saracens enjoyed between 1979 and 1992.
Jeff was a player of exceptional natural ability and this was certainly recognized by friend and foe alike. He was quick, agile, had excellent vision and possessed an extraordinary ability to beat a player one-on-one in a variety of ways. There was always a spontaneity about his game. Whether it was executing the perfect feigned kick, a dummy pass or just a lateral step at pace, he was able to leave his opponent clutching at thin air. There was an element of innovation about his game too and, for example, his basketball pass when the circumstances called for, came naturally to him, even though it did the so-called purist somewhat disturbed.
In summary, Jeff's spontaneity, innovations, quickness, pace and his deft eye for the 'opportunity' made him one of the best attacking players the Province of Manitoba has ever produced.