OAKVILLE, Ont. - The Sheridan Bruins men's rugby team announced today changes to their coaching staff with Carlos Moniz stepping down as head coach and handing the reigns to Rick Bria.

"It has been an honour and a pleasure to have been the founding coach of the Bruins men's varsity rugby team," said Moniz. "We have had a great group of guys every single year and we have been working hard to grow and develop the program, following the Sheridan way."

"I've loved being a part of this program since it began and I'm excited to be taking over as the head coach," added Bria. "We should have a great group of returning guys and I'm looking forward to the challenge of taking this program to the next level and competing for championships."

Bria - who has been an assistant to Moniz since the inception of men's rugby at Sheridan - is no stranger to the world of rugby, having been a major contributor to the sport in the Greater Toronto Area and on the national scene.

He began his playing career at Weston Collegiate, where he was chosen to represent Ontario as a U-18 player. After his High school career, Bria joined the Vaughan Yeomen as both a player and coach.

Over the years, he has been an assistant coach at Weston Collegiate, forwards coach for the Yeomen women's teams, the head coach of the Junior Yeomen team for 10 years and is currently the head coach of the senior team.

He also was instrumental in starting boys rugby at St. Jean de Brebeuf in Woodbridge, which has become at perennial power at the OFSAA level.

In his role for Rugby Canada, Bria has acted as a team liaison for Scotland, Japan, the New Zealand Maori All Blacks and most recently Samoa at the Canada Rugby 7's Vancouver Series earlier this month.

Although Moniz is stepping down from the day-to-day operations of the team, he will remain involved with a program as a consultant.