Calling the game

Referee Darryl Boudreau being inducted into P.E.I. Rugby Sport Hall of Fame

The P.E.I. Rugby Union (PEIRU) wants to create a lasting legacy to Island rugby and to that end it’s inducting six members into its new Hall of Fame.

The ceremony is part of the PEIRU’s annual awards which goes Saturday, 5-9 p.m., at the Charlottetown Fire Hall.

The inaugural class includes Shannon Atkins, Darryl Boudreau, Natalie Bulger, Mike Lloyd, Ray Moore and George Woodhead (posthumously).

This is the third of six profiles on the inductees.

Darryl Boudreau

Rugby would be nowhere without referees, and P.E.I. Rugby would be nowhere without the contributions of Darryl Boudreau.

For more than 25 years starting in the early 1990s, Boudreau was at the heart of rugby’s development on P.E.I.

Like many of his contemporaries, he needed to be a jack of all trades. During his tenure he served as a coach at the high school and provincial levels, and as an administrator of the high school league.

He was the long-serving coach of Bluefield High School rugby and many current senior players owe their start in the game to him. But it is his commitment to developing quality officiating that is his unique legacy with Island rugby.

He led by example and spent countless hours on the pitch at all levels of the game. Known for his sportsmanship and integrity, he earned the respect of the players through his consistent application of the laws.

As an administrator, and head of officiating with the P.E.I. Rugby Union, he was counted on as a reliable, hard working, focused contributor, and he poured himself into building the corps of P.E.I. rugby referees.

The pinnacle of his achievement came in 2014, when he was a key organizer of the then Eastern Canadian rugby championships on P.E.I.

On top of all things required to organize and schedule 60 games, 12 referees, accommodation and transportation he also took the time to ensure P.E.I. rugby saw the benefit and brought in the national development manager from Rugby Canada to work with its officials. That year saw 16 new refs get trained.

His legacy is acknowledged in every game on every pitch on P.E.I. today every time a ref blows their whistle.

SUBMITTED Longtime official Darryl Boudreau, centre, refereeing a UPEI Panthers-St. FX X-Women Atlantic University Sport women’s rugby game. Boudreau is going into the P.E.I. Rugby Union Hall of Fame for his work as a referee, organizer and coach.