Courtney Walls Memorial Award
Courtenay played rugby with the UVic Vikings from 1983 to 1987 and was originally from Courtenay, BC. He was a wonderful player and beloved by his teammates. He died tragically in Victoria in 1997, an innocent victim of crime. He left behind his wife Michelle and his yet to be born child Taylor.
The award was established by Mike Holmes, a strong advocate and supporter of UVic Athletics and the Men's Rugby program since he attended UVic in the 1980s. He received his BA in Economics, and then entered the Faculty of Law. While at the university, Mike's leadership led to many initiatives that created legacies for the Men's Rugby program. In the 1980s, his fundraising efforts for men's rugby paid for many of the team's tours and his development of the Brian Williams Scholarship has attracted many excellent Student-Athletes to UVic over the past 20 years. He also recently created the Pemberton Holmes Entrance Scholarship in Law to encourage rugby players to enter the field of Law. He continues to be the biggest fundraiser for UVic Rugby and annually uses his business and alumni contacts to create new scholarships and give disadvantaged students the opportunity to come to UVic.
Mike's biggest contribution to UVic is his understanding of the importance of giving back and the development of opportunities for those students who are entering UVic for the first time.