VICTORIA - It is with a heavy heart that the University of Victoria Department of Athletics and Recreation mourns the loss of Vikes men's soccer alumnus ('19), Mackenzie Rigg. Rigg passed away on March 11, 2022, 19 months after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was at home with his mom (Barbara), dad (Chris) and sister (Madeline) around him.

Rigg was best known to the community for his dedication to the sport of soccer. A leader on the field, the team captain and two-time all-Canadian was not only talented, but he was a role model.

Off the pitch, Rigg was much more: a terrific student, an academic all-Canadian, a member of the Vikes varsity council, an emcee of the Vikes largest fundraising event, a volunteer, and an outstanding person.

"Mackenzie personified everything it means to be a Vike. He had a wonderfully contagious positive spirit which inspired all in his presence. Mackenzie's talent as a player was exceeded only by his leadership ability—he cared about his teammates and genuinely wanted to help them anyway he could, encouraging them to give back wherever possible," said Senior Director of Athletics and Recreation, Clint Hamilton.    

"True to his character, he inspired and brought together many as he courageously battled forward with the news of his illness. I want to express our deepest condolences to his family, teammates and friends, who, like all in our Vikes family, are mourning his passing. Mackenzie made impact and his spirit and legacy will live on through the many people he touched."

A high school standout, the Okanagan-Mission Secondary School product was named tournament MVP of the B.C. Double-A Provincial Soccer Championships. Presenting Rigg the MVP award that day was UVic head coach Bruce Wilson, who promptly recruited the promising defender.

"I remember watching Mackenzie that weekend and presenting him with the MVP award. We were lucky enough to convince him to come to Victoria. He went on to play five years for us and become our captain," said Wilson.

Wilson credits Rigg for not only his versatility on the pitch, but for being a reliable and intelligent leader who players looked up to.

"It's tragic news. Mackenzie was extremely intelligent and a great student. He was the type of player you could always count on, who never missed a practice and would do anything asked of him. I've been lucky to stay in touch with him over the last couple of years, and this is a big loss," Wilson continued.

Rigg played 59 games in his UVic career, 49 as a starter, and logged 4,444 minutes. He was an academic all-Canadian in the 2016-17 season. The high point was the Canada West silver medal the Vikes won in 2015-16. He was signed by the Victoria Highlanders after graduating but never got to play for the USL League 2 team.

Mackenzie will be remembered by those who knew him best for his dedication to his pursuits in both athletics and academics, his sense of adventure and his big heart that never gave up.

Throughout his battle with cancer, Mackenzie was an example of what it meant to meet challenges with positivity and bravery. So much so, that the Vikes Kick Cancer initiative was created in his honour, raising money for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. Over the past two years, the initiative raised over $120,000 to help work towards finding a cure for brain cancer.

In lieu of flowers, the Rigg family would encourage donations to The Brain Tumour Foundation, braintumour.ca/mackenzie-rigg.