The impact of Abbotsford’s John Cannon on the local rugby community will continue.
On behalf of Peter and Jane Cannon, in conjunction with the Canada Rugby Foundation, the Abbotsford Rugby Football Club announced earlier this week the creation of the John Cannon Memorial Fund. The fund will help respective players from Abbotsford, male or female, to pursue their representative ambitions.
Cannon was a 2011 Abbotsford Sports Hall of Fame inductee who, at the time of his passing on March 19, 2016, was coaching the ARFC senior men’s first and second division teams.
He had returned to ARFC in 2013 after a long professional and international career, and was looking to give back to the club he started with in 1996.
He earned 31 caps for Canada while playing professionally in England for six seasons.
The creation of the John Cannon Memorial Fund has been made possible by a generous donation from the Cannon family.
The fund has been set up to help aspiring representative players from Abbotsford offset the financial cost to achieve their goals and dreams of representing their province or country.
Through consultation with the Cannon family, a player or players from Abbotsford area schools will be awarded financial assistance from the fund.
The fund has been set up through the Canadian Rugby Foundation, a registered charity through which the fund will be managed and overseen.
An official announcement will be made during half time at the Canada vs Japan international rugby game at BC Place on June 11.