Rainbow Griffins Rugby Football Club develops the sport of rugby for Torontonians regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, or any other obstacles they may face, by providing mixed-ability rugby programs and serving diversity, inclusion, and equity programs to the broader rugby community to reduce barriers and create a safer, inclusive sport for all.
To transform the sport of rugby in Canada to be fully inclusive, barrier-free, and safe for all Torontonians, especially for 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC and mixed ability players.
Bingham Cup is the largest and only 2SLGBTQ+ international rugby tournament in the world. At the cup:
Bingham Cup is the largest and only 2SLGBTQ+ international rugby tournament in the world. At the cup:
Marianick Pichon (they/them) is the Rainbow Griffins Vice-President. They have loved rugby for the last two decades, probably spent too much time watching games and resumed playing after a 10-vear hiatus in 2022, thanks to the Griffins! Curious, resourceful and tenacious, they will commit to making the Griffins grow and last.
Ian Royer is a marketing and public relations specialist, with over 13 years of experience in the field. He also has over 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector and has worked in creating policy as a youth advisor to UNAIDS, a mentor to the Queen’s Young Leadership Awards for the Commonwealth, and more. He is also a tv/film executive and does considerable work in the Toronto Village in the drag scene.
While relatively new to rugby, Ian is the former President of Toronto Muddy York, and the Director at Large at Toronto Rugby, and in the last year has been an active voice to protect Trans Players in Canada, and to expand access for the LGBTQ+ community in Toronto Rugby.
Steven Lewis is a lawyer and accessibility specialist with a background in employment and litigation. He has received local and international awards for his work advocating on behalf of persons with disabilities and the LGBT+ community. As a former rower and track athlete, coming to Rugby as an adult, Steven is passionate about the value of sport in building community and individuals. In addition to the Rainbow Griffins, Steven is an active volunteer with many boards and organizations around the world.
Claire is the Treasurer of the Rainbow Griffins. She is an outgoing and optimistic individual with a passion for leadership. She always strives to bring out the best in herself and others. She started playing rugby in March 2022 with the goal and making new friends and becoming more active, and she hasn't looked back! She is eager to help the team make and manage their money! Go Griffins!
Jamie Lourenco is a financial planning professional, musician and rugby enthusiast who developed a passion for the sport in 2021.
He is committed to the advancement of the sport for 2SLGBTQ community and other minorities and to having fun on the pitch.
Marc (he/him) identifies as an immigrant, BIPOC, queer innovator with 10+ years of experience in global project management, strategic planning, creative design, and environmental engineering. As a holistic innovator and strategist, he is well-known for bringing concept-to-commercialization and connecting solutions and people to pain points. His roles include being the CEO of Renovo Creative, an environmental consulting and creative agency and Scrapless Exchange, a Vancouver-based food app. He is also the Innovation and Business Development Manager for Flash Forest, a drone reforestation company.
He has worked extensively in Canada, USA, Australia, Malaysia, and Chile for projects ranging from $10k to $10M including managing a global innovation incubator for 20+ cities, a strategic planning consultant for the University of British Columbia, Hemmera, Engineers Without Borders, collaborating with the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland and the International Research of Excellence in Santiago, Chile.