A West Vancouver police officer who spent more than a decade playing rugby at the international level is being honoured for his contributions to the sport.

Det. Stephen Gray is heading to Mississauga at the end of this month where he will join five other individuals and one team as new inductees into the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame.

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Gray started playing when he was a high school student in Ottawa. He was recruited by his school’s rugby coach, who had caught wind of Gray’s achievements on the football field. At the time, Gray was also an elite hockey player and had his sights set on going pro.

“Like most Canadian boys, I was dreaming of the NHL,” he says. But as his chances of getting drafted were diminishing, he decided to turn his athletic focus to rugby. He never looked back.

“I was just drawn to it, and once I started playing it, I just couldn’t get enough.”

He joined his high school team and, in 1982, got the chance to represent Canada on the Under-19 team, kickstarting a distinguished professional career. Highlights include 47 international caps, representing Canada in three World Cups (’87, ’91 and ’95) and one Rugby Sevens World Cup in ’93. He also captained both the Canadian 15s and sevens teams on numerous occasions.

There are too many fond memories to list, but Gray recounts a few, like making it to the ’91 World Cup quarter finals and succumbing to the New Zealand All Blacks.

“Still, we did quite well in the tournament and it’s one of those memories that you just never forget.”

Favourite victories include beating England at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, beating France in Gray’s hometown of Ottawa in front of his cheering friends and family, and beating Wales on their home turf in Cardiff.

“That was a huge accomplishment at that time, especially since we didn’t have our best group of players playing,” he recalls.

Gray enjoyed a 13-year international career that took him around the world. He feels fortunate to have played both 15s and sevens during a golden age for men’s rugby in Canada.

“I consider myself very lucky to have played in an era when Canada was certainly the most competitive we’ve ever been. We were ranked in the top 10 in the world at that time,” he says. The Canadian men’s team is currently ranked 24th.

Gray has lived in B.C. since 1988. He joined the West Vancouver Police in 2004 and has served in the Patrol Division and as a member of the Joint Intelligence Group of the 2010 Olympics Integrated Security Unit. He’s currently a detective in the Criminal Investigation Section.

Gray doesn’t play rugby anymore; he can’t risk sustaining an injury that might take him out of action on the force. But he follows the national team closely and was set to meet up with some of his former teammates to watch Canada take on the Maori All Blacks Nov. 3 at BC Place.

Today, he speaks fondly of the sport that took him so far.

“It requires a little bit of everything. I love the speed, I love the contact, the physicality of the game. It’s running, kicking, catching, just everything,” he says. He also appreciates how it takes the efforts of every player on the field to score a try.

“It’s the ultimate team game and I think that’s the thing that appealed to me most.”

The Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner takes place Nov. 25.

