Rugby Canada Cultural Audit and Conference Presentation

Jennifer Walinga was granted a Research and Professional Development funds to aid Rugby Canada’s internal examination though a research analyses of its culture.

Rugby Canada has been facing several challenges over the past several years including player discontent, coach turnover, Safesport claims, funding challenges, and performance decline. In particular, the Safesport case involving the Rugby Sevens Women’s Team and their coach has sparked an internal review of Rugby Canada governance and operations in order to isolate factors contributing to cultural factors contributing to the claims. Based on current literature on human and organizational factors contributing SafeSport violations, human behaviours are fostered by organizational communication, structures, processes, and leadership approaches (Kerr & Stirling, Willson, Makela, Padilla and Thoroughgood). As a community partner, RRU is keen to support Rugby Canada’s organizational review through the application of a research process designed to analyse the cultural landscape, audit and reveal cultural incongruities, and leverage shared values and beliefs to increase the cultural integrity of Rugby Canada.