Having achieved national and international recognition for his on-the-field efforts in rugby, Don Burgess could just as easily be installed in the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame as a player. A high school track star before he was introduced to the game, Burgess took to rugby quickly. His combination of speed, finesse and toughness endeared him to his Oak Bay Wanderers teammates as well as their supporters. But it was his kicking prowess that enabled him to reach great heights. A nine-time scoring champion in the Island league, he led the Wanderers to six league and two provincial championships in the late 1950s and early '60s. The fullback was a standout on Island, B.C. and national teams that faced top international competition and was capped 33 times. Upon hanging up his boots in 1971 - he was Wanderers' player-coach the final eight years - he focused his talents on coaching, both with Oak Bay and at Mount Newton junior high. He later coached provincial junior teams and guided the Canadian under-21 side to three North American titles. He was named to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

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