Paul Harland is one of those special individuals who could have easily been inducted into the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame as either a Player or an Official. Paul started his rugby journey in Grade 7 at River Heights Junior High before moving on to Kelvin High School and the Winnipeg Wasps Rugby Football Club. In 1980, Paul started playing provincial level junior rugby at centre and was on the Manitoba provincial team that would play in the Bronze medal game at the 1981 Canada Games in Thunder Bay, Ontario; losing by one point. 1984 would be the first year Paul played on the Manitoba Sr. Men’s Provincial team; now playing flanker it would also be the first time he would be recognized as the team’s Most Valuable Player and the first time named to the short list of players for the Canadian Men’s National team. Until the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Paul would remain on a short list or long list of players for Canada and be named to several Rugby Canada sides. A highlight during this time was the opportunity in 1991 to play against touring New Zealand All Blacks side in Winnipeg, with one of his mentors, Garry Nicholson on the coaching staff. Paul would become one of the first four Manitobans to wear Canada’s national team jersey.
In 1998, Paul was named the Manitoba Rugby Union’s first Youth coordinator. In this capacity he set the High School League up with Manitoba Rugby Union Referees, helped organize the first ever High Schools rugby festival (which featured over 200 players from 14 schools located in Winnipeg, Steinbach and Red Lake, Manitoba), negotiated an agreed upon date for High School finals competition, and helped bring the league under the umbrella of the Manitoba led Paul to the other side of the whistle as a referee, easily his most terrifying experience on the rugby pitch.
Paul has been involved in coaching rugby at all levels of competition; youth, high school, club and provincial involving boys, girls, men and women for over 39 years. First certified in 1988 at Level 1, Paul obtained certifications a Level 3 Rugby Coach in 1994. Paul’s first provincial coaching foray occurred in 1987 taking a junior Men’s team to Newfoundland. He would later go back to the Canada Summer Games in 1993, this time as a co-coach with Garry Nicholson, and would continue his coaching endeavours guiding several provincial junior women’s teams with his brother Scott. His coaching involvement and successes at the junior levels were to reinforce the view that junior Manitoba rugby teams could be competitive at the national level when given strong preparation. Paul would go on to win city championships with several high schools, most recently at John Taylor Collegiate; and teamed with his mentor Guy McKim, was to help coach a Wasp Rugby Football Club 1st Division Men’s Championship and Prairie Championship team in 1991.Paul would continue his success coaching Sturgeon Creek and Saracen Rugby Football Clubs women’s teams to 1stDivision provincial titles.
Identified by Coaching Manitoba as Coach of the Month in September of 2007 and recognized by them in 2015 for his Years of Service, perhaps Coaching Manitoba said it best:“Paul is a great advocate for the sport of rugby. Through his dedication to rugby, Paul has helped to develop the sport in Manitoba. As an inspirational and motivated coach he has stressed to his players that if they want something bad enough and they work hard, they will get it.” Paul’s rugby journey enters its fortieth year with his induction as an Honoured Member to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame as an Official.
In 1998, Paul was named the Manitoba Rugby Union’s first Youth coordinator. In this capacity he set the High School League up with Manitoba Rugby Union Referees, helped organize the first ever High Schools rugby festival (which featured over 200 players from 14 schools located in Winnipeg, Steinbach and Red Lake, Manitoba), negotiated an agreed upon date for High School finals competition, and helped bring the league under the umbrella of the Manitoba led Paul to the other side of the whistle as a referee, easily his most terrifying experience on the rugby pitch.
Paul has been involved in coaching rugby at all levels of competition; youth, high school, club and provincial involving boys, girls, men and women for over 39 years. First certified in 1988 at Level 1, Paul obtained certifications a Level 3 Rugby Coach in 1994. Paul’s first provincial coaching foray occurred in 1987 taking a junior Men’s team to Newfoundland. He would later go back to the Canada Summer Games in 1993, this time as a co-coach with Garry Nicholson, and would continue his coaching endeavours guiding several provincial junior women’s teams with his brother Scott. His coaching involvement and successes at the junior levels were to reinforce the view that junior Manitoba rugby teams could be competitive at the national level when given strong preparation. Paul would go on to win city championships with several high schools, most recently at John Taylor Collegiate; and teamed with his mentor Guy McKim, was to help coach a Wasp Rugby Football Club 1st Division Men’s Championship and Prairie Championship team in 1991.Paul would continue his success coaching Sturgeon Creek and Saracen Rugby Football Clubs women’s teams to 1stDivision provincial titles.
Identified by Coaching Manitoba as Coach of the Month in September of 2007 and recognized by them in 2015 for his Years of Service, perhaps Coaching Manitoba said it best:“Paul is a great advocate for the sport of rugby. Through his dedication to rugby, Paul has helped to develop the sport in Manitoba. As an inspirational and motivated coach he has stressed to his players that if they want something bad enough and they work hard, they will get it.” Paul’s rugby journey enters its fortieth year with his induction as an Honoured Member to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame as an Official.