Canada Names 34-Man Squad For Upcoming Summer Series Test Matches
Canada Names 34-Man Squad For Upcoming Summer Series Test Matches
Rugby Canada has named its 34-man squad for the upcoming test-series matches against Scotland and Romania in Ottowa, with Welshman Kingsley Jones as coach.
Canada's men's rugby team has announced a 34-player roster for the upcoming summer fixtures in Ottawa, featuring matches against Scotland and Romania.
The team will face Scotland on Saturday, July 6 at 5 p.m. Eastern and Romania on Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. EDT. Both matches will be held at TD Place.
The squad boasts 18 Major League Rugby players who will join the national team following the conclusion of the MLR regular season. Among them are six players from the Eastern Conference-leading New England Free Jacks and five athletes who reached significant MLR cap milestones this season. Ben LeSage, Kyle Baillie, Conor Keys and Mitch Richardson each achieved 50 caps, while Andrew Quattrin hit 75.
Conor Keys, hailing from Stittsville, will make a notable return, having been inspired to pursue rugby after watching Canada play Scotland A at Twin Elm Rugby Park in 2006.
Additionally, nine players from the current Canada Selects roster, preparing for a match against the Vancouver Highlanders at Burnaby Lake Rugby Club, are included in the squad. The McMullin brothers, Matthew Klimchuk and Highlanders teammates will join them in Ottawa.
Matthew Oworu, Cooper Coats and Josiah Morra from Canada's Men's sevens team also are part of the roster.
Thirteen players have the potential to earn their first caps for Canada, including Dewald Kotze, who ranks third in MLR scoring with 10 tries, and Coast to Coast Cup finalists Jamin Hodgkins and James Stockwood.
Pacific Pride's Jesse Kilgour, along with Rhys James, Jesse Mackail and Mark Balaski, will be seeking their first international caps, alongside MLR players Ethan Fryer, Nic Benn, Brock Gallagher and Cali Martinez.
One of these debutants could become the 500th player to represent Canada's men's rugby team, with the current tally at 497.
“This is the start of our pathway to Rugby World Cup qualification,” said head coach Kingsley Jones. “We have a balance of experienced players and new faces who have earned their call-ups. Our depth has grown, making selection challenging, but promising. We look forward to starting this journey in Ottawa.”
Jones will be supported by assistant coaches Phil Mack, Dave Butcher and John MacFarland.
Tickets for the matches are available at rugby.ca/en/tickets. Broadcast details will be announced soon.
Forwards
- Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / New England Free Jacks
- Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) - Old Glory DC
- Cole Keith (Apohaqui, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
- Conor Keys (Stittsville, ON) – New England Free Jacks
- Conor Young (Yamba, AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA
- Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
- Djustice Sears-Duru (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / San Diego Legion
- Ethan Fryer (Seattle, USA) – New England Free Jacks
- James Stockwood (Bowmanville, ON) – Vikings RFC / Pacific Pride
- Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZL) - UBCOB Ravens / Pacific Pride
- Kyle Baillie (Summerside, PEI) – Halifax Tars / New England Free Jacks
- Liam Murray (Langley, BC) – Dallas Jackals
- Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
- Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons RFC / Chicago Hounds
- Matthew Klimchuk (Regina, SK ) – Regina Rogues / Pacific Pride / Vancouver Highlanders
- Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
- Siaki Vikilani (Vancouver, BC) – Burnaby Lake RFC / The American Raptors
- Siôn Parry (Cardiff, Wales) – Rhiwbina RFC / Pontypridd RFC
Backs
- Andrew Coe (Markham, ON) - LA RFC
- Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
- Brock Gallagher (Edmonton, AB) - Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
- Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) - Halifax Tars
- Jamin Hodgkins (Bermuda) - Bridgend Ravens
- Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) - Chicago Hounds
- Jesse Kilgour (Barrie, ON) - Barrie RFC / Pacific Pride
- Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) - Castaway Wanderers / Toronto Saracens
- Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, ON) ) – Queen's University / Associates Rugby Club
- Mark Balaski (Castlebar, IRE) – Castlebar RFC / Pacific Pride
- Mitch Richardson (Stoney Creek, ON) – McMaster University / Dallas Jackals
- Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Dallas Jackals
- Peter Nelson (Dungannon , UK) – Dungannon RFC
- Rhys James (Kelowna, BC) - UBC Okanagan Heat / Pacific Pride
- Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) - University of British Columbia / Vancouver Highlanders
- Talon McMullin (White Rock, BC) - University of British Columbia / Vancouver Highlanders
Standby
- Callum Botchar
- Crosby Stewart
- Emerson Prior
- Foster DeWitt
- Gabe Casey
- Gradyn Boyd
- Isaac Olson
- Izzak Kelly
- Jack Shaw
- Jake Thiel
- Josh Larsen
- Josh Thiel
- Kyle Steeves
- Matt Heaton
- Piers Von Dadelszen
- Robert Povey
- Seth Purdey
- Tyler Rowland
- Zephyr Melnyk
How To Watch International Rugby In USA
FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from July to September.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In the United States On FloRugby
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