Edmonton teacher becomes first Canadian to referee Major League Rugby final

Rugby Canada says local Grade 9 teacher Robin Kaluzniak is the first Canadian ever appointed to referee the Major League Rugby final.

An Edmonton elementary school teacher with an intense side gig has become the first Canadian to coach a United States-based professional rugby league’s final.

Robin Kaluzniak took a brief break from his day job at A. Blair McPherson school last week to travel to Chicago. He was tapped to referee the Major League Rugby Final on Sunday.

Kaluzniak, who’s been refereeing rugby a year longer than the nine the league has been around, says his appointment was a “massive honour.”

“I felt really, really privileged to have the opportunity to do it. People don’t realize that refereeing is a lot like playing, in that there is competition,” Kaluzniak told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

“We’re trying to get the biggest games that we can, and they’re reviewing every single performance, and you’re trying to do a good job and make sure that the teams go well, and then you get those opportunities.”

He says Canada, despite not having a team in Major League Rugby anymore, does in-depth post-game reviews of a coach’s performance, including minute-by-minute reviews of the game and their calls.

While Canada isn’t the “biggest hotbed” for rugby, he says players from Edmonton and Sherwood Park have made names for themselves in professional leagues – and he’s happy to be part of that representation.

Kaluzniak’s students are happy for him, too.

“Obviously we have a job to do in here, so we’re not spending the entire time talking about rugby, but I’ve definitely shared it with students and they’re amazing about being really supportive and cheering it on,” he said.

Kaluzniak’s summer break will be spent assistant refereeing the occasional U.S. test match.

The Chicago Hounds solidified their undefeated season at the final he refereed, beating the California Legion 35-17.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Brandon Lynch