John Cannon, who was described as one of the best rugby players to have ever come out of Abbotsford, passed away on March 19th 2016 at the age of 35. John began playing rugby in high school, first playing rugby at WJ Mouat Secondary and then for Abbotsford Senior, where he graduated from in 1998. He first represented Canada on an Under-17 tour to England in 1996 at the age of 15.
John was not only respected on the field for his skill, toughness, and tenacity but also off the field for his caring nature and love of life. Having progressed through the Canadian pathway of rugby development, John was well aware of the financial commitment required to play rugby for British Columbia and Canada. It had long been John’s dream to set up a fund to assist Abbotsford rugby players in pursuing representative rugby. This grant is a lasting reminder of John’s desire to give back to the game that gave him so much.