Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team (French: Équipe du Canada de rugby à XV) represents Canada in men's international rugby union competitions and is governed by Rugby Canada. Canada is classified by World Rugby as a tier two rugby nation and has competed in competitions such as the Americas Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup. Canada traditionally plays in red and white.
| Nickname(s) | Canucks Les Rouges (The Reds) |
|---|---|
| Emblem | Maple leaf |
| Union | Rugby Canada |
| Head coach | Kingsley Jones |
| Captain | Lucas Rumball |
| Most caps | Aaron Carpenter (80) |
| Top scorer | James Pritchard (607) |
| Top try scorer | D. T. H. van der Merwe (38) |
| Home stadium | Various |
| World Rugby ranking | |
| Current | 23 (as of 16 January 2023) |
| Highest | 11 (2011) |
| Lowest | 24 (2017) |
| First international | |
| Japan 9–8 Canada (Osaka, Japan; 31 January 1932) | |
| Biggest win | |
| Barbados 3–69 Canada (Bridgetown, Barbados; 24 June 2006) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
| England 70–0 Canada (London, England; 13 November 2004) | |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 8 (First in 1987) |
| Best result | Quarterfinals (1991) |
| Website | rugby.ca/en |
Canada has been playing international rugby since their 1932 debut against Japan. Canada competed at every World Cup from the inagurual tournament in 1987 until its elimination at the hands of Chile during the 2023 qualifying process,[1] breaking the 3 decades long record of uninterrupted attendance.
Canada achieved their best result at the World Cup in 1991, where they reached the quarterfinals. Canada was once the dominant power of North American rugby and was the second-best team in the Americas. Before the professionalization of rugby, Canada were known to upset stronger teams, having defeated France, Scotland, Wales, and an uncapped England side prior to 2002.
History
Early years
In 1874 the first North American international game took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts between McGill and Harvard universities. Later that same year a second game was played, but this time Harvard were the hosts, and the game was played with early "American Football" rules. Today, in carrying on the oldest annual sporting competition in North America, McGill University and Harvard University continue the tradition of competing for the Covo Cup, at alternating venues each November, using the original rules of rugby football. McGill University can therefore lay claim to being the oldest rugby club in Canada, but due to rugby's popularity among students and the McGill University Rugby Football Club's affiliation with the university, the claim as the oldest independent rugby club goes to the still active Westmount Rugby Football Club. To this day, the McGill University Rugby Football Club is one of the premier university sides in Canada. Since 1989 the team has won 15 RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) Titles, including 8 straight from 2006 - 2013. In 2019, the side represented Quebec at the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship, finishing 6th in the nation. McGill Rugby alumni have gone on to represent Canada on the world stage and join the ranks of professional rugby.
A Canadian Rugby Football Union was established in 1884, although this organisation went on to become the Canadian Football League, as rugby football in Canada evolved into Canadian football. In 1902–1903 the first Canadian team toured Britain. In 1909, Earl Grey, then Governor General of Canada, donated a trophy to the CRU to be awarded for the Rugby Football Championship of Canada. This trophy became known as the Grey Cup. However, the rules used in Canada were vastly different from the rules used in countries that were part of the IRB. In the years that followed, the CRU would legalise forward passing and make other changes that would make Canadian football a totally different sport, similar to American football.
Post-World War I
During World War I and II rugby union was suspended but in the inter-war period there was something of a renaissance. In 1919 a Canadian Services team played overseas against representatives from England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. The formation of the Rugby Union of Canada took place in 1929 and this was followed by a tour of Japan by a Canadian representative side in 1932 to help foster trade between the two countries. About half the team were Canadian born (mostly British Columbia players) and the rest were originally from Britain. They lost 9–8 and 38–5 in the two test matches.
The original Canadian Rugby Union disbanded just before World War I. Canada's team to the United Kingdom in 1962 was dominated by British Columbia players. The Rugby Union of Canada was re-formed in 1965 as the Canadian Rugby Union. The 1966 British Lions played a non-cap match in Toronto on their way back from Australia and New Zealand, a match they won 19–8. Canada established themselves as the strongest team in North America, though they struggled to compete with the major test-playing nations in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere.
Modern era
Canada were one of the 16 nations that were invited by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to compete at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand. Canada were grouped with Wales, Ireland and Tonga in Pool 2. In their first ever World Cup match they defeated Tonga 37–4. However they lost their subsequent matches 46–19 to Ireland and 40–9 to Wales, and finished third in the pool (not advancing to the finals).
Canada had to qualify for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Canada took part in the Americas tournaments, and finished first in the Americas qualifying standings. At the 1991 Rugby World Cup, Canada was placed into Pool D, alongside France, Romania and Fiji. Canada beat Fiji and Romania but lost their fixture against France 19–13 to finish second in the pool, advancing to the quarter-finals. They were then knocked out in the quarter-final by the All Blacks, 29–13. The 1991 tournament stands as Canada's best ever finish in a Rugby World Cup.
Canada beat Wales 26–24 on November 10, 1993, at Cardiff Arms Park; beat France 18–16 on June 4, 1994, at Twin Elms Rugby Park in Nepean, Ontario; battled to a 27–27 draw against Ireland on 27 June 2000 at Markham, Ontario; and chalked up a 26–23 win against Scotland in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 15, 2002. The win over Scotland was the start of a streak of seven victories before losing to Wales in Cardiff.
Canada has never beaten England in six games, but has played their national XV, B team, and Under 23 teams eleven times (for which Canada awarded its players international caps.) The most notable result was a 15–12 victory over a strong England XV on 29 May 1993 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Unfortunately for the Canadians, on the eve of the match England's management chose not to award international caps (due to fact that some players were touring with the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand at the time.) Additionally, before defeating Scotland proper in 2002, Canada beat Scotland XV 24–19 on May 25, 1991, at Saint John, New Brunswick.
As they were quarter finalists in 1991, they automatically qualified for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. They were in Pool A with the hosts South Africa, defending champions Australia, and Romania. Canada finished third in the pool, winning their match against Romania but losing 27–11 to Australia and 20–0 to the Springboks.
Canada won the now defunct Pacific Rim tournament three years in succession in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Canada finished second in Round 4 of the Americas 1999 Rugby World Cup qualifying, losing only to Argentina, and qualified for the World Cup. Canada finished third in their pool (with France, Fiji and Namibia), winning their match against Namibia but losing their other two fixtures. The victory against Namibia was uncharacteristic for Canada, as they ran the score up to 72–11, one of their most lopsided victories, as there was a very slight statistical chance that they could have advanced on points scored. This thrashing was the one bright light in an otherwise gloomy and disappointing 1999 World Cup performance.
Like all second- and third-tier nations, the Canadians have had problems having these players available for important games. As a consequence Canada has slipped out of the top 10 rugby union nations, but has nevertheless provided top class players such as Dan Baugh, Rod Snow, Mike James, Colin Yukes, Dave Lougheed and Jamie Cudmore to teams in England, Wales and France. The Canadians qualified for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Canada qualified as Americas 1, finishing at the top of Round 4 Americas tournaments, winning five of their six fixtures to enter the 2003 World Cup in Australia, their fifth world cup in a row. Canada's sole win was a 24–7 result against Tonga as they lost their games against Italy, Wales and the All Blacks.
Since 2003 Canada has played host to the Churchill Cup, making the final in 2010 but losing to the England Saxons 38–18. In 2004 and 2005 they replaced China in the Super Powers Cup. For the 2004 Superpowers Cup, Canada was substituted for China. In 2005 the competition was renamed the Super Cup. Canada beat Japan 15–10 in the final.
In 2006 Canada completed the qualification process for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They were in a three-team group also containing Barbados and the United States. Each played the other once. On 24 June 2006, Canada defeated Barbados 71–3, in Bridgetown, their largest ever win.[2] Canada achieved a record win over the US in the match in Newfoundland on August 12, 2006, defeating the USA 56–7 in front of a capacity crowd, when player James Pritchard scored a national record 36 points with three tries, six conversions and three penalties in the match, beating the record of 29 he had set against Barbados in their previous match.[3] The win assured Canada of a place in the 2007 World Cup as Americas 2 in Pool B.[4] Also that year, a Canadian team won the NA4 and the national team beat the US earlier in the Churchill Cup.
2007 World Cup
Going into the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, Canada were ranked as severe outsiders, and given odds of 5000/1 to win the tournament.[5] Pool B also contained Australia, Fiji, Japan and Wales. In their opening match on 9 September the Canadians lost 42–17 to Wales.[6] They followed this with a 29–16 loss to Fiji, whom they had needed to beat to have realistic hopes of progressing to the quarterfinals.[7] They drew 12–12 with Japan, conceding an injury-time try by Koji Taira.[8] In their final game they lost 37–6 to an Australian side consisting mostly of second-string players.[9] Canada finished bottom of Pool B, and returned home from a World Cup without winning a single game for the first time ever.
2011 World Cup cycle
Following the 2007 Rugby World Cup Canada hired Kieran Crowley as head coach, and by April 2008 the former New Zealand All Black took over coaching duties.[10] In Autumn 2008 the Canadians toured Europe, beating Portugal in their opening match, but suffering heavy defeats in their subsequent games in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In 2009 the Canadians hosted a tour by the Welsh and Irish.[11]
Canada beat the United States in a two-legged playoff game in July 2009 to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and enter the tournament as Americas 1.[12]
Canada began its Rugby World Cup preparations by finishing runner-up in the 2011 Churchill Cup for the second year in a row, losing 37–6 in the final to the England Saxons (England's second-string side). This good form carried on in a two-legged home and away series against the USA Eagles. In the home leg Canada secured a 28–22 victory in front a record 10,621 fans. In the away leg Canada won 27–7. Their warm-up schedule continued with a match against the Australian Barbarians which featured several of Australia's World Cup squad, and the Barbarians claimed a comfortable 38–14 victory.
The Canadians began their 2011 Rugby World Cup on September 14 against Tonga, winning 25–20. They followed this up with a 46–19 loss to France on September 18. The team had only a four-day turn-around after their first match, and let the game slip out of their reach within the final 20 minutes. They produced a repeat result of 2007, by playing to a 23–23 draw against Japan. Their Rugby World Cup concluded with a 79–15 loss against the All Blacks. Canada finished fourth in their pool, narrowly missing out on automatic qualification for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
2015 World Cup cycle
Canada secured a spot in the 2015 Rugby World Cup on 23 August 2013, with a 13–11 win over the US, 40–20 on aggregate.
Canada joined Pool D with France, Ireland, Italy and Romania. Canada finished the tournament with zero wins, last in Pool D.
2019 World Cup cycle
At the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship, Canada claimed three wins over Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, and two losses versus Argentina XV and United States. In June 2016, the team defeated Russia and lost to Japan and Italy. In November 2016, Canada was defeated by Ireland, Romania and Samoa.
At the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship, Canada scored a single win versus Chile, and lost the other four matches. In June 2017, the team lost to Georgia and Romania. Later they faced United States for the 2019 World Cup North America play-off, being beaten on aggregate for the first time. In November 2017, Canada lost to the Māori All Blacks, Georgia and Fiji, while defeating Spain.
In 2018, Canada lost both matches versus Uruguay for the 2019 World Cup Americas play-off, therefore the team advanced to the intercontinental repechage which it won, securing the very last spot in the final tournament. The team also lost to United States in the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship.
Canada secured the last spot in the 2019 Rugby World Cup on 23 November 2018, winning all of its three matches of the intercontinental repechage in Marseille, France.
They join 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool B with title holders New Zealand and third-placed team from 2015 South Africa, Italy and the African qualifier, Namibia. They lost their first 3 fixtures by scores of 48–7 to Italy, 63–0 to New Zealand, and 66–7 to South Africa; their last fixture against Namibia was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis.
2023 World Cup Cycle and failure to qualify
Due to the COVID–19 pandemic, the Americas qualifying round was delayed indefinitely before it was abridged and the first fixtures were confirmed for July 2021.
Canada played the United States in a two-game series; Canada won in thumping fashion in St. John's, winning by a score of 34–21; however, they scuttled in the return leg in Glendale, Colorado, losing by a score of 38–16, with the Americans dominating the game from start to finish. Canada lost the aggregate 50–59 and were drawn to play Chile in a two-game series for the second Americas spot. While Canada once again won the first leg, they only did so by a score of 22–21. Canada would lose the second leg in Santiago by a score of 33–24 (their first ever loss to Chile), which eliminated Canada from qualifying, marking the first time ever that Canada failed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.
Stadium and attendance
The national team currently does not have a permanent home stadium and as such play their matches at various locations across Canada. BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario has been proposed as the national team's home stadium, despite not providing a suitable rugby climate year-round.
In August 2011 it was announced that the national team would have a permanent training centre located in Langford, British Columbia.[13]
The highest attended matches in Canada involving the Canadian national team are:
| Rank | Attendance | Opponent | Date | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29,480 | Māori All Blacks | 2017-11-03 | BC Place | Vancouver |
| 2 | 22,566 | Māori All Blacks | 2013-11-03 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 3 | 20,396 | Ireland | 2013-06-15 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 4 | 18,788 | Scotland | 2014-06-14 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 5 | 16,132 | Uruguay | 2018-01-27 | BC Place | Vancouver |
| 6 | 15,000 | United States | 2005-06-26 | Commonwealth Stadium | Edmonton |
| 7 | 13,187 | United States | 2017-06-24 | Tim Hortons Field | Hamilton |
| 8 | 13,125 | Italy | 2016-06-26 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 9 | 12,824 | Scotland | 2018-06-09 | Commonwealth Stadium | Edmonton [14] |
| 10 | 12,220 | Italy | 2012-06-15 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 11 | 11,200 | Samoa | 2015-07-25 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 12 | 10,621 | United States | 2011-08-06 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 13 | 10,250 | Japan | 2016-07-11 | BC Place | Vancouver |
| 14 | 10,207 | United States | 2013-08-24 | BMO Field | Toronto |
| 15 | 10,000 | New Zealand XV | 1980-10-01 | Swangard Stadium | Burnaby |
Record
World Cup
Canada has played in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural 1987 tournament, always qualifying during the first round.[15] However, for 2019, they have failed to qualify during the first two rounds, and can only qualify through the 4-team repechage in November 2018.[15]
| World Cup record | World Cup Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | P | W | D | L | F | A | P | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1987 | Pool Stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 90 | Automatically qualified | ||||||
| 1991 | Quarter Final | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 62 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 38 | |
| 1995 | Pool Stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 45 | 50 | Automatically qualified | ||||||
| 1999 | Pool Stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 114 | 82 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 97 | 83 | |
| 2003 | Pool Stage | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 54 | 135 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 192 | 80 | |
| 2007 | Pool Stage | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 51 | 120 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 10 | |
| 2011 | Pool Stage | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 82 | 168 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 30 | |
| 2015 | Pool Stage | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 58 | 131 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 20 | |
| 2019 | Pool Stage | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 177 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 225 | 89 | |
| 2023 | did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 96 | 113 | |||||||
| 2027 | to be determined | Qualification not started | ||||||||||||
| 2031 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 9/10 | 33 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 541 | 1015 | 30 | 21 | 1 | 8 | 889 | 563 | |
Overall
| Top 30 as of 13 February 2023[16] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
| 1 | Ireland | 91.33 | |
| 2 | France | 89.38 | |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.98 | |
| 4 | South Africa | 88.97 | |
| 5 | Scotland | 83.36 | |
| 6 | England | 82.27 | |
| 7 | Australia | 81.80 | |
| 8 | Argentina | 80.72 | |
| 9 | Wales | 77.73 | |
| 10 | Japan | 77.39 | |
| 11 | Samoa | 76.03 | |
| 12 | Italy | 75.83 | |
| 13 | Georgia | 75.19 | |
| 14 | Fiji | 74.84 | |
| 15 | Tonga | 71.21 | |
| 16 | Spain | 67.17 | |
| 17 | Uruguay | 66.24 | |
| 18 | Portugal | 65.98 | |
| 19 | United States | 65.92 | |
| 20 | Romania | 65.42 | |
| 21 | Namibia | 61.60 | |
| 22 | Chile | 60.89 | |
| 23 | Canada | 60.46 | |
| 24 | Hong Kong | 59.66 | |
| 25 | Russia | 58.06 | |
| 26 | Belgium | 55.35 | |
| 27 | Brazil | 55.23 | |
| 28 | Switzerland | 53.80 | |
| 29 | Netherlands | 53.12 | |
| 30 | Poland | 53.02 | |
| * Change from the previous week | |||
| Canada's historical rankings | |||
See or edit source data. | |||
| Source: World Rugby[16] Graph updated to 13 February 2023 | |||
Below is table of the representative rugby matches played by a Canada national XV at test level up until 22 November 2022.[17]
| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | For | Aga | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33.3% | 159 | 277 | –118 |
| Australia | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% | 60 | 283 | –223 |
| Barbados | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 69 | 3 | +66 |
| Barbarians | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00% | 7 | 32 | –25 |
| Belgium | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 112 | 12 | +100 |
| Brazil | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% | 130 | 72 | +58 |
| British and Irish Lions | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 8 | 19 | –11 |
| Chile | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 90.0% | 311 | 127 | +184 |
| England | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.0% | 87 | 343 | –256 |
| England XV | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16.7% | 40 | 159 | –119 |
| England U23 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | 22 | 55 | –33 |
| England Saxons | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% | 41 | 132 | –91 |
| Fiji | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 25.0% | 221 | 409 | –188 |
| France | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 11.1% | 119 | 315 | –196 |
| French Barbarians | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 17 | –10 |
| France A | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.3% | 57 | 85 | –28 |
| Georgia | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.9% | 141 | 145 | –4 |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 29 | 10 | +19 |
| Hong Kong | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7% | 209 | 109 | +100 |
| Ireland | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0.0% | 105 | 328 | –223 |
| Ireland XV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 21 | 24 | –3 |
| Italy | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 20.0% | 135 | 294 | –159 |
| Japan | 25 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 32.0% | 581 | 612 | –31 |
| Kenya | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 65 | 19 | +46 |
| Namibia | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | 126 | 67 | +59 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 37 | 25 | +12 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% | 54 | 376 | –322 |
| New Zealand XV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 43 | –33 |
| Māori All Blacks | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | 36 | 95 | –59 |
| Portugal | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% | 155 | 73 | +82 |
| Romania | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.0% | 142 | 138 | +4 |
| Russia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% | 157 | 91 | +66 |
| Samoa | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% | 103 | 169 | –66 |
| Scotland | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.0% | 59 | 153 | –94 |
| Scotland XV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | 24 | 19 | +5 |
| Scotland A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 15 | –5 |
| South Africa | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% | 25 | 137 | –112 |
| Spain | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | 131 | 106 | +25 |
| Tonga | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 55.55% | 216 | 188 | +28 |
| United States | 65 | 39 | 24 | 2 | 60% | 1,498 | 1,198 | +300 |
| Uruguay | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 61.5% | 370 | 232 | +138 |
| Wales | 13 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7.69% | 219 | 528 | –309 |
| Wales XV | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% | 37 | 138 | –101 |
| Wales U23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 8 | –8 |
| Total | 290 | 113 | 171 | 6 | 38.97% | 6,105 | 7,636 | –1,531 |
Wins against Tier 1 nations
The following is a list of Canada's wins against Tier 1 countries:
| 25 June 1983 | Canada | 19–13 | Italy | Sports Complex, Burnaby Lake | |
| Try: Donaldson Pen: MacLean, Wyatt (4) | Report | Try: Ghizzoni Pen: Torresan (2) Drop: Torresan | Referee: I. Nixon (Canada) |
| 30 March 1990 | Canada | 15–6 | Argentina | Sports Complex, Burnaby Lake | |
| Try: Palmer Con: Wyatt Pen: Wyatt (3) | Report | Pen: Vidou (2) | Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia) |
| 16 June 1990 | Argentina | 15–19 | Canada | José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires | |
| Try: Bundaer (2) Garzón Pen: Mesón | Report | Try: Stuart Pen: Rees (4) Drop: Rees | Referee: Dave Bishop (New Zealand) |
| 25 May 1991 | Canada | 24–19 | Scotland XV | Saint John, New Brunswick | |
| 29 May 1993 | Canada | 15–12 | England XV | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC | |
| 10 November 1993 | Wales | 24–26 | Canada | Cardiff Arms Park | |
| Pen: N Jenkins (8) | Report | Try: Charron Stuart Con: Rees (2) Pen: Rees (4) | Attendance: 27,000 Referee: Owen Doyle (Ireland) |
| 4 June 1994 | Canada | 18–16 | France | Twin Elm Rugby Park, Nepean | |
| Pen: Rees (6) | Report | Try: Ntamack Con: Lacroix Pen: Lacroix (3) | Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Ian Rogers (South Africa) |
| 11 November 2000 | Italy | 17–22 | Canada | Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo | |
| Try: M. Dallan Pen: Mazzariol (3) Pez | Report | Try: Wirachowski Con: Barker Pen: Barker (4) Drop: Barker | Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Didier Mene (France) |
Canada also achieved a 27–27 draw against Ireland on 27 June 2000 at Markham, Ontario.
Players
Current squad
On November 2nd, Kingsley Jones announced a 36-man camp roster in preparation for the Canadian Senior Men's 2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals against the Netherlands and Namibia.[18]
Head coach: Kingsley Jones
- Caps Updated: 3 July 2022
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Dewitt | Hooker | 25 May 1996 | 1 | New England Free Jacks |
| Andrew Quattrin | Hooker | 29 August 1996 | 14 | New England Free Jacks |
| Lindsey Stevens | Hooker | 27 August 1995 | 1 | Eastern Suburbs RUFC |
| Liam Murray | Prop | 17 October 1997 | 2 | Dallas Jackals |
| Tyler Rowland | Prop | 16 October 1999 | 7 | Toronto Arrows |
| Djustice Sears-Duru | Prop | 24 May 1994 | 61 | Unattached |
| Kyle Steeves | Prop | 0 | Pacific Pride | |
| Conor Young | Prop | 15 August 1995 | 0 | New England Free Jacks |
| Kyle Baillie | Lock | 7 April 1991 | 34 | Halifax Tars RFC |
| Callum Botchar | Lock | 3 October 1997 | 0 | Canada 7s |
| Conor Keys | Lock | 9 July 1996 | 27 | New England Free Jacks |
| Josh Larsen | Lock | 4 April 1994 | 19 | New England Free Jacks |
| Luke Campbell | Back row | 2 October 1992 | 14 | Old Glory DC |
| Matthew Klimchuk | Back row | 30 April 2002 | 0 | Pacific Pride |
| Lucas Rumball | Back row | 2 August 1995 | 44 | Toronto Arrows |
| Owain Ruttan | Back row | 25 June 1998 | 0 | UBC Thunderbirds |
| Corey Thomas | Back row | 21 September 1994 | 8 | Unattached |
| Siaki Vikilani | Back row | 7 August 2000 | 7 | Toronto Arrows |
| Piers von Dadelszen | Back row | 25 March 2000 | 1 | Oxford University RFC |
| Ross Braude | Scrum-half | 18 January 2000 | 9 | Toronto Arrows |
| Jason Higgins | Scrum-half | 28 March 1995 | 6 | San Diego Legion |
| Gradyn Bowd | Fly-half | 27 August 1992 | 9 | Old Glory DC |
| Cooper Coats | Fly-half | 6 October 1996 | 6 | Canada 7s |
| Shane O'Leary | Fly-half | 12 March 1993 | 14 | Toronto Arrows |
| Dawson Fatoric | Centre | 18 June 1998 | 1 | Canada 7s |
| Ben LeSage | Centre | 24 November 1995 | 25 | LA Giltinis |
| Josh Thiel | Centre | 2 June 1997 | 1 | Canada 7s |
| D'Shawn Bowen | Wing | 12 September 1996 | 0 | Canada 7s |
| Kainoa Lloyd | Wing | 21 May 1994 | 20 | Unattached |
| Josiah Morra | Wing | 7 February 1998 | 0 | Canada 7s |
| David Richard | Wing | 12 May 2000 | 1 | Canada 7s |
| Alex Russell | Wing | 22 June 1996 | 0 | Canada 7s |
| Brock Webster | Wing | 21 August 2000 | 6 | Canada 7s |
| Andrew Coe | Fullback | 8 April 1996 | 14 | Rugby New York |
| Peter Nelson | Fullback | 5 October 1992 | 14 | Aurillac |
| Robbie Povey | Fullback | 21 September 1996 | 11 | Houston SaberCats |
Player records
Most caps
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Won | Lost | Draw | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Carpenter | Number 8 | 2005–2017 | 80 | 61 | 19 | 28 | 48 | 3 | 38.12 |
| 2 | Al Charron | Flanker | 1990–2003 | 76 | 76 | 0 | 40 | 36 | 0 | 52.63 |
| 3 | Ciaran Hearn | Centre | 2008–2019 | 72 | 61 | 11 | 25 | 46 | 1 | 35.4 |
| 4 | Winston Stanley | Wing | 1994–2003 | 66 | 64 | 2 | 27 | 38 | 1 | 41.66 |
| 5 | Djustice Sears-Duru | Prop | 2013- | 64 | 30 | 34 | 18 | 45 | 1 | 26.72 |
| Scott Stewart | Fullback | 1989–2001 | 64 | 62 | 2 | 29 | 34 | 1 | 46.09 | |
| 7 | Nick Blevins | Centre | 2009–2019 | 63 | 47 | 16 | 22 | 40 | 1 | 35.71 |
| 8 | James Pritchard | Fullback | 2003–2015 | 62 | 58 | 4 | 26 | 34 | 2 | 43.54 |
| Rod Snow | Prop | 1995–2007 | 62 | 59 | 3 | 27 | 33 | 2 | 45.16 | |
| 10 | D. T. H. van der Merwe | Wing | 2006-2019 | 60 | 56 | 4 | 19 | 38 | 3 | 34.16 |
Most tries
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D. T. H. van der Merwe | Wing | 2006–2019 | 60 | 56 | 4 | 190 | 38 |
| 2 | Winston Stanley | Wing | 1994–2003 | 66 | 64 | 2 | 123 | 24 |
| 3 | Taylor Paris | Wing | 2010–2019 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 90 | 18 |
| James Pritchard | Fullback | 2003–2015 | 62 | 58 | 4 | 607 | 18 | |
| 5 | Aaron Carpenter | Number 8 | 2005–2017 | 80 | 61 | 19 | 85 | 17 |
| 6 | Morgan Williams | Scrum-half | 1999–2008 | 56 | 52 | 4 | 68 | 13 |
| 7 | Nick Blevins | Centre | 2009-2019 | 63 | 47 | 16 | 60 | 12 |
| Matt Evans | Fullback | 2008–2018 | 40 | 34 | 6 | 60 | 12 | |
| 9 | Kainoa Lloyd | Wing | 2017–present | 22 | 19 | 3 | 50 | 10 |
| Kyle Nichols | Centre | 1996–2002 | 25 | 22 | 3 | 61 | 10 |
Most points
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Pritchard | Fullback | 2003–2015 | 62 | 607 | 18 | 104 | 103 | 0 |
| 2 | Gareth Rees | Fly-half | 1986–1999 | 55 | 491 | 7 | 51 | 110 | 9 |
| 3 | Bobby Ross | Fly-half | 1989–2003 | 58 | 419 | 7 | 51 | 84 | 10 |
| 4 | Gordon McRorie | Scrum-half | 2014–2019 | 45 | 283 | 6 | 44 | 54 | 1 |
| 5 | Mark Wyatt | Fullback | 1982–1991 | 29 | 255 | 2 | 23 | 62 | 5 |
| 6 | Jared Barker | Fly-half | 2000–2004 | 18 | 226 | 2 | 24 | 55 | 1 |
| 7 | D. T. H. van der Merwe | Wing | 2006–2019 | 60 | 190 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Winston Stanley | Wing | 1994–2003 | 66 | 123 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Taylor Paris | Wing | 2010–2019 | 28 | 90 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | John Graf | Scrum-half | 1989–1999 | 54 | 89 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
- Note, Gareth Rees points total is in dispute, some sources claim 487 while others including World Rugby claim 491.
Most matches as captain
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | % | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Charron | Flanker | 1996–2003 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 52.00 | 10 | 2 |
| Gareth Rees | Fly-half | 1994–1999 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 40.00 | 285 | 4 | |
| 3 | Pat Riordan | Hooker | 2008–2011 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 54.34 | 15 | 3 |
| 4 | Lucas Rumball | Flanker | 2016– | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 33.00 | 20 | 4 |
| 5 | Tyler Ardron | Number 8 | 2013–2019 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 00.00 | 10 | 2 |
| 6 | John Graf | Scrum-half | 1995–1999 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 60.00 | 58 | 6 |
| Morgan Williams | Scrum-half | 2005–2007 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 36.66 | 25 | 5 | |
| 8 | Aaron Carpenter | Number 8 | 2012–2016 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 50.00 | 15 | 3 |
| 9 | Phil Mack | Scrum-half | 2017–2019 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 54.54 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Mark Wyatt | Fullback | 1990–1991 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 66.66 | 97 | 2 |
Most points in a match
| # | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Pritchard | Wing | 36 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | United States | St John's | 12/08/2006 |
| 2 | James Pritchard | Wing | 29 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Barbados | Bridgetown | 24/06/2006 |
| 3 | Gareth Rees | Fly-half | 27 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | Namibia | Toulouse | 14/10/1999 |
| James Pritchard | Fullback | 27 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | Portugal | Lisbon | 23/11/2013 | |
| 5 | Bobby Ross | Fly-half | 26 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | Japan | Vancouver | 13/07/1996 |
| Gordon McRorie | Scrum-half | 26 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Russia | Calgary | 18/06/2016 | |
| 7 | Mark Wyatt | Fullback | 24 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | Scotland XV | Saint John | 25/05/1991 |
| 8 | Gareth Rees | Fly-half | 23 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | Argentina | Buenos Aires | 22/08/1998 |
| James Pritchard | Fullback | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Tonga | Kingston | 08/06/2013 | |
| 10 | 5 players on 22 points | |||||||||
Most tries in a match
| # | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Nichols | Centre | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Japan | Markham | 15/07/2000 |
| 2 | Steve Gray | Centre | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | United States | Vancouver | 10/05/1987 |
| James Pritchard | Wing | 29 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Barbados | Bridgetown | 24/06/2006 | |
| James Pritchard | Wing | 36 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | United States | St John's | 12/08/2006 | |
| Taylor Paris | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Chile | Langford | 11/02/2017 | |
| D. T. H. van der Merwe | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kenya | Marseille | 11/11/2018 | |
| Kainoa Lloyd | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Chile | Langford | 22/02/2019 |
Past coaches
| Years | Coach |
|---|---|
| 1932 | Jack Tyrwhitt |
| 1959 | Max Howell |
| 1962 | 'Buzz' Moore |
| 1966 | Ken Banks |
| 1967 | George Sainas |
| 1970 | Dick Ellis |
| 1971 | Max Howell |
| 1973–1974 | George Carson |
| 1976–1978 | Donn Spence |
| 1979–1982 | Bruce Howe |
| 1983–1984 | Tillman Briggs |
| 1985 | Barry Legh |
| 1985–1989 | Gary Johnston |
| 1989–1996 | Ian Birtwell |
| 1996–1999 | Patrick Parfrey |
| 2000–2001 | David Clark |
| 2001 | Ian Birtwell (Interim) |
| 2001–2003 | David Clark |
| 2004–2007 | Ric Suggitt |
| 2008–2015 | Kieran Crowley |
| 2016 | Francois Ratier (Interim) |
| 2016–2017 | Mark Anscombe |
| 2017–present | Kingsley Jones |
Upcoming fixtures and recent results
Upcoming fixtures
| Date | Tournament | Location | Venue | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None scheduled | ||||
Recent results
| Date | Tournament | Location | Venue | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 November 2022 | End of year tests | Amsterdam, Netherlands | NRCA Stadium | Namibia | Loss | 43-37 |
| 12 November 2022 | End of year tests | Amsterdam, Netherlands | NRCA Stadium | Netherlands | Win | 37-25 |
| 10 July 2022 | Mid-year tests | Ottawa | TD Place Stadium | Spain | Loss | 57-34 |
| 2 July 2022 | Mid-year tests | Halifax | Wanderers Grounds | Belgium | Win | 45-0 |
| 13 November 2021 | End-of-year tests | Brussels, Belgium | Sportscentrum Nelson Mandela | Belgium | Win | 24-0 |
| 6 November 2021 | End-of-year tests | Lisbon, Portugal | Estádio de Rugby Jamor | Portugal | Loss | 20-17 |
| 9 October 2021 | 2023 RWC qualification | Valparaíso, Chile | Estadio Elías Figueroa | Chile | Loss | 33-24 |
| 2 October 2021 | 2023 RWC qualification | Langford, British Columbia | Westhills Stadium | Chile | Win | 22-21 |
| 11 September 2021 | 2023 RWC qualification | Glendale, Colorado | Infinity Park | United States | Loss | 38-16 |
| 4 September 2021 | 2023 RWC qualification | St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador | Swiler's Rugby Club | United States | Win | 34-21 |
See also
References
- ^ "Canada fails to qualify for Rugby World Cup for 1st time ever".
- ^ . Caribbean Net News. June 26, 2006. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
- ^ "Canada book Wales RWC encounter". BBC News. 13 August 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ . therugbyworldcup.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2006.
- ^ . Online-gambling-insider.com. 2011-11-18. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
- ^ "Wales 42–17 Canada". BBC News. 9 September 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ Malin, Ian (17 September 2007). "Fiji send Wales a mixed message". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ Millward, Robert (26 September 2007). "Canada 12 Japan 12: Japan celebrates ending losing streak after draw". The Independent. London. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ Malley, Frank (30 September 2007). "Mitchell double helps subdue brave Canada". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ . rugbyweek.com. 18 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ^ https://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jqGv3y6_ASSah7i_qlySPxmI3zjA[dead link]
- ^ "Canada qualify for 2011 World Cup". BBC Sport. 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Langford+home+turf+Canada+rugby+elite/5231161/story.html[dead link]
- ^ "Canada rocked by Scotland in Summer Series test match | CBC Sports".
- ^ a b Davidson, Neil (2018-03-20). "Canada's rugby men closer to confirming opponent for final Rugby World Cup qualifier". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ a b "Men's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ^ Canada's Men's Rugby Team Gathers for European Camp
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN".
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN".
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN".
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN".
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN".
- ^ "Rugby Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Fixtures, Results, Tables - ESPN".
External links
- Rugby Canada's Home Page