![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978852.1722008165!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Cheers to all the blood, sweat and tears': Players say goodbye to Ellerslie rugby park
After years of financial deficits, the Ellerslie rugby park is winding down for its last season as ownership prepares to sell. But, for some of the park’s loyal members, it’s a bittersweet goodbye.
The park was created in the 1970s as a regional rugby hub, with space to host large meets - something Graeme Dawes says made it a destination for international teams looking to play in the city.
Dawes has been a board member of the park for 20 years, and he said it’s been amazing to see the sport gain popularity over the years, even as the growth in members led to new clubhouses being built around Edmonton, essentially putting the park out of business.
“I really do think the growth of the sport is due to the fact that we had such a great facility,” Dawes said, adding the sport itself has only benefitted from growing outward into new spaces in the city.
“The game is now out in the communities and more people are going to see the sport, but the detriment is that we’re losing the home base that we all played on for many years.”
A 2020 report shows the rugby park only turned a profit one year since 2010, and loses around $40,000 a year on average. Dawes said it’s been difficult to try and create new revenue streams without the money to invest into maintaining and repairing the aging facilities.
“We only get four or five good months for outdoor sports, then how do you bring in that revenue stream that keeps paying the bills over the winter months as well.”
Park ownership sold four acres of land in 2011 to help renovate. Now they have decided to sell the rest and they’re asking for at least $6.5 million, all of which will go back into the game and supporting the sport’s next growth spurt.
“As we get older and the sport grows, we’ve got to grow and accommodate that growth within the communities of the game,” Dawes said.
“Personally, I think it’s a great step for the sport. The finances from the sale are all going to be put into trust and into the clubs. And that’s going to help the sport long since we’re six-foot under.”
The money from the sale will go to funding rugby in the city for clubs and schools, said Dawes, and help set the founding clubs up for three or four generations of players to enjoy.
For those wanting to go play a last game, or even just come say goodbye to the park and players, Dawes said there will be a last-hurrah weekend of rugby in the park in the first week of October. Everyone is welcome, he added, and the celebrations aren’t just for members.
“It’s just a fun weekend of rugby to say goodbye to the park. You know, we can all go out there and have a drink at centre field and cheers to all the blood, sweat and tears that we’ve left on that field.”
With files from Jeremy Thompson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978861.1722008569!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Sask. appeal court says anti-trans group cannot join constitutional dispute over pronoun law
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has denied a political group that opposes so-called “gender ideology” intervener status in a legal dispute over the province’s controversial pronoun law.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Powerful cartel leader 'El Mayo' Zambada was lured onto airplane before arrest in U.S., AP source says
A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who eluded authorities for decades was duped into flying into the U.S., where he was arrested alongside a son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter.
Elon Musk's estranged daughter calls out his 'entirely fake' claims about her childhood
Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, publicly refuted several recent anti-trans statements her Tesla CEO and X owner father has made about her.
What we know about 'malicious' attack on French train network ahead of Olympics opening
French transport was thrust into chaos Friday just hours ahead of the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony after a series of co-ordinated 'malicious acts' upended high-speed train lines.Here's what happened and what we know so far.
When Barbie learned what a gynecologist was, so did many other people, according to new study
A new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Network Open has found that the ending in the 2023 blockbuster film 'Barbie' had an influence on online search interest in terms around gynecology, the branch of medicine that deals with women’s reproductive health.