Wednesday's Ruck & Maul

February 19, 2025 Posted in CW Rugby / Giving Back / Rugby Club / Victoria BC / News / Community

UNSUNG HERO - OFF THE FIELD

Today’s Unsung Hero recognition is long overdue. Chris ‘Old Spice’ Spicer has served with CW and prior to that with the Castaways RFC. Chris was introduced to rugby at University School under the coaching eyes of first, Reg Wenman followed by Mike Walsh. His love for the game continued as he played for some years at UVic and thence on to Castaways RFC. Chris has given and continues to give so much that we cannot chronicle in a single blog all that he has done. Spice is a ‘giver’ and ‘doer’ who will be remembered in the club’s history. Given this preamble, we will choose some questions that will produce highlight reel answers.

CW: Chris, your family, past and present, have been long-standing Victorians. Can you share a snippet of the Spicer genealogical story?

CS: My father and mother immigrated to Canada after W W2, my father having had a taste of BC working on a farm in the Kootenays after his Oxford graduation. Their first taste of Canada was working in hospital service in Labrador at St. Antony and with the Grenfell Mission. They made their way across Canada and settled in Victoria in 1950. Dad set up a medical practice in Cadboro Bay and quickly he and mom became engaged in their community - a practice they maintained their entire lives.

CW: Alex and you have raised three sons, all of whom donned the Tricolor jersey. What are the boys doing? We know you are very proud of your grandchildren; just how many are in the fold?

CS: My wonderful wife and I have been blessed with three sons, now all married to exceptional women and each couple has two children. Tye is the eldest and lives in Victoria with Steph and their two daughters. Tye leads the team at Rebalance M.D. in Uptown and now, also in Vancouver. Michael is in a senior staff role with Wasserman, an international marketing and sport management company. He and Lindsay [a former national sport athlete] live in Toronto with their two children. David is an Internal Medicine doctor living with Robin and their two children in Coldstream. The boys, their wives and children all, no surprise, lead active lives and stay very connected with each other and with their parents.

CW: One of your sons has represented Canada. Could you give our readers a thumbnail sketch of David’s rugby days?

CS: David would be the first to mention that being the youngest of three boys gave him ample opportunity to develop grit, determination and skill early on - just to keep up with older brothers. David played rugby from Elementary School through his grade 8-12 at SMUS. He played Canada Age Grade starting as at Under 18. He played in his first game with the National Senior side as an 18-year-old substitute vs England at Twickenham in 2003 when England had just won the RWC. He captained the Canada U-19 team at the U-19 world cup in France; captained the U-21 Canada Team that toured in South Africa and defeated Italy at that tournament.

A big moment for David was his selection to the Canada team at the 2007 RWC where he had abundant playing time. Prior to this RWC, Canada played the All Blacks in NZ as a warmup for RWC - David played opposite Aaron Maugher who was impressed enough by the young Canuck, that he gave him his socks, jersey and shorts after the match. Post RWC, David played for Auch in France which for that year, played in the Top 14 in France.

Then it was home to complete a BSc and captaining the UVic Vikes to a BC Championship vs Meralomas and was named BCRU Player of the Year for 2009. David retired from top rugby in 2010 after winning twenty senior caps for his country.

CW: Let’s get to “Chris the man”. When did you start playing rugby? What teams have you played for? What positions have you played and what was your favorite? Who was your greatest rugby influence?

CS: I started playing as a soft puddly boy in grade six at University School - a boys only school at the time and all boys played rugby. I played flanker, #8 and second row. My grade 12 year we had a very good team, and several of the lads went on to play at university - in fact, we made up a good number of the UVic Jutes in our first year with a 20 - 1 record. Mike Walsh was our senior team school coach and an outstanding person, player, coach and developer of confidence and talent. He led us on my first rugby tour which had a vicious schedule of 6 games in just over two weeks playing some fine rugby schools. I played five years at UVic. I loved those years - in fact, rugby was my mainstay as I had no idea what I wanted to do academically. Left to get a degree at UBC, came home and played some more with Castaways then halted my playing early to focus on family and two jobs.

CW: Your life has seen you occupy many professional positions. What was your most rewarding (and presumably), the most interesting?

CS: I have had, I think, seven different jobs in my working life - and I can honestly say I loved them all. I did not go out into the work world thinking advancement-fundraising but that became my path for over thirty years working with independent schools and high-performance sport. I held a second job as a Keg waiter for twenty years along with my primary jobs at the Y, the BC Games, SMUS and more. For sure, I was the “old goat” waiter and enjoyed this role. My last full time working role was with Brentwood College, building an advancement program and team. There were lots of great aspects to this work, not the least being the opportunity to, on occasion, kayak to work from Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay - yes, I got caught in some stormy weather on some return journeys. Through all of this, my most important “job” was husband and father.

CW: Chris, you are a man of boundless positive energy, at the same time you are not afraid to “call” an issue if you see problems with it. What is your thumbnail philosophy about life?

CS: “Fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run”, so goes a quote from IF by Rudyard Kipling. Armed with this core thought, and with the grounding I received as a young person, I see an opportunity in every day. I have been a “cup half full” person most of my life though I will say that finding the silver lining is more work today than it has been. Recently I have come to think of three imperatives guiding the rest of my life: Be well; Be supportive of family near and far; Be a positive influence on community. This is my focus as I can have a measure of control over these - I try to stay informed about our world but not bury myself in troubling news.

CW: You have organized and been involved with several CW initiatives, on and off the pitch. What roles have you performed with our club, and what has been your most rewarding?

CS: I was CWRFC President for five years

I have been our lead on club sponsorships for some years

I work with others to do home day field setup and breakdown

I have recently been involved in a possible real estate transaction which would have given us a home right next to Windsor Park

I started our CWRFC Twenty Club in 2007 and have steered it from a $40 startup with two of us giving $20/month to now a fund of $380,000 and over sixty individuals participating. This has been my most rewarding club initiative as it speaks to an increasingly financially strong CWRFC.

CW: Spice, you are symbolic of all of what our club, and rugby’s culture stands for, and your contributions and leadership are both respected and admired. Thank you for taking time to share your story with us. In your “retirement years”, may you experience good health and joy, spending time with those you love.