Richmond Rugby Club has awarded its annual James Thompson Memorial Scholarship to Kyra Bates.
According to the club, Kyra has volunteered countless hours with both her school and club rugby teams and was a four-year starter at McRoberts secondary – captaining the team to a provincial fourth place in 2018.
James Thompson was a long-time volunteer and player for the club, who was tragically killed in a traffic accident.
The club thought Kyra best embodied the spirit and passion for the game that Thompson was known for and her success on the field has included playing for Team BC in 2017, as well as for the Vancouver Wave and Vancouver-Coastal representative teams.
Kyra also started as a 17-year-old at #8 for the club’s women's team during their inaugural season, continuously “leading her teammates with her hard running and great game sense.”
She is headed to UBC in the fall to play with the UBC Women’s Rugby team and, according to her club, “has a promising future in the game.”
The $250 scholarship will go towards Kyra’s education at UBC.
