Neil D. Stephenson: McGill rugby award celebrates enduring tale of Canada-U.S. friendship

National Post

13-05-2025

As a Canadian with an education in political science and a former executive of a major American news organization, I am dismayed by the ongoing economic tensions between Canada and the United States. This conflict — which Canada neither instigated nor desired — has been manufactured by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Despite political rhetoric on both sides of the border assuring us that Canadians love Americans, and vice versa, it is essential for ordinary citizens to take tangible steps to maintain and demonstrate this friendship — and to remind ourselves of the many thousands of past instances in our lives where that friendship has manifested itself without us consciously thinking about it.
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In that spirit, and given the recent federal election, I wanted to share two stories: first, of a new varsity sports award; and second, of a historic, 151-year-old cross-border sports rivalry.
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The first story begins with its two inspirations, a woman named Marie Evelyn Moreton (better known as Lady Byng, wife of Canada's 12th governor general, Lord Julian Byng) and Winston Churchill. The former was a hockey fanatic who wanted to encourage gentlemanly conduct and good sportsmanship, and the latter famously quipped that, 'Rugby is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen.'
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The other lead characters in the story include a rugby team founded in 1872, an American rugby player from McGill's 1955 squad and a newly endowed sports award.
Throughout its storied history, the McGill University Rugby Football Club (MURFC, which is known today as the McGill Redbirds) has emphasized the importance of how its players conduct themselves on and off the field.
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In keeping with the dicta expressed by Churchill and Byng, MURFC has officially announced the Dr. Joseph Hanaway McGill Rugby Gentleman's Award. This award annually recognizes a McGill rugby player who consistently exemplifies gentlemanly conduct on and off the field for a minimum of two playing seasons.
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The idea for a non-endowed award was first proposed to McGill Athletics in late 2020 to formally recognize the qualities of integrity, sportsmanship and respectfulness that are integral to rugby culture worldwide. After just five months of fundraising, we surpassed the $80,000 threshold required for an endowment and the newly endowed award was formally announced to the team at a ceremony on April 10.
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As of today, McGill has received $107,000 in contributions, with additional pledges still coming. Beginning in December, the award will confer a $3,500 cash prize to the named recipient.