Frank Baulcomb was born in Suva, Fiji on December 7th, 1962, when his father was stationed there as an employee of Air New Zealand. When Frank was a young boy his father’s job took the family back to New Zealand where Frank enrolled in a Catholic school that, like all schools in that rugby­mad country, had a strong rugby program and Frank took to it like a duck to water.

Frank continued played all through his schooling and at 18 he followed his parents to Canada where he joined the Richmond Rugby Club. His no compromise playing style and physique quickly earned him a spot on the club’s First Fifteen.

In Richmond, Frank met his wife Christine and on their wedding night, they attended the Annual Awards Banquet before flying off for their honeymoon.

As time passed Frank and Christine had two daughters, Celina and Jackie, and both of them spent their childhood around the rugby club. It was like a second home to them and they would come home dirty and happy every Saturday from the club.

Frank became a leader at Richmond Rugby and his brutal but honest play and words still resonate with his teammates even today. They respected him for he, as their player/coach, pushed them to be better players and when it became time to retire from playing Frank became the club’s head coach.

In 2001, Frank and family moved to Nanaimo, where, missing rugby, Frank went down to the Nanaimo Hornets and watched a few games, but reluctant to join the club, he spent most of his weekends at home, feeling depressed. On Thursday evenings when he should have been at rugby training, Frank’s daughters began to ask: “Daddy why aren’t you at rugby?” In an attempt to force him to return to rugby, his wife Christine made one of Frank’s least favorite meals, home­made macaroni and cheese, and when he protested, she urged him to “Go back to rugby!’

Within a short time of joining the Hornets, Frank was back coaching and for the next few years continued there until him and Christine moved north to the Comox Valley, where he was employed with Canada Post as a letter carrier.

Once established in the Valley, Frank quickly joined the Comox Valley Kickers RFC, where the senior men badly needed a coach as the Kickers Men’s team had gone through some hard times without decisive leadership. Over the course of five years, Frank saw the men go up and down from a very competitive Third’s team to struggling First Division side and back again, but throughout this topsy turvey time, Frank never once gave up and stayed committed despite it all.
Around the Comox Valley Kickers club, Frank was more than a coach, he was a mentor and a friend. He worked quietly to build the characters of his players and continually demanded more than what they thought they were capable of.

After his family, rugby was Frank’s life and he made an impact in everyone with whom he came in contact. 

A celebration of life will be held March 6th, with a memorial rugby game at Cumberland Village Park @ 2pm, with a celebration of Frank’s life to follow at the Kicker’s Fallen Alders facility @4:30pm.