NEWS

Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s 28-player Pacific Nations Cup squad named ahead of first match in Vancouver

August 21, 2024 (Langford, BC) – Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s Pacific Nations Cup squad of 28 players has been named ahead of Sunday’s match against Japan at BC Place in Vancouver.

Canada kicks off the Pacific Nations Cup on August 25 at 2:00pm PT / 5:00pm ET, taking on the world number 14th ranked Brave Blossoms on home soil. Tickets are available for purchase at rugby.ca/en/tickets and the match will be available on TSN3 and TSN+.

The naming of Canada’s squad follows a 12-day training camp at Shawnigan Lake School and a Canada XV preparation match against the Vancouver Highlanders.

Twenty-four players return from the squad that represented Canada in Ottawa earlier this summer, including seven players who earned their first caps in the nation’s capital: Jesse Mackail, Mark Balaski, Ethan Fryer, Nic Benn, Brock Gallagher, Dewald Kotze and Calixto Martinez.

Captain Lucas Rumball and vice-captain Ben LeSage are two of 15 players bringing MLR experience to the team, with LeSage being one of four players from the championship winning New England Free Jacks. Three Pacific Pride graduates, Tyler Matchem, Rhys James and Kaden Duguid, who also spent three seasons in France with Peyrehorade and Limoges, could earn their first caps Canada during the Pacific Nations Cup.

There are seven players with strong ties to BC’s Lower Mainland who all played for the University of British Columbia and will be making a return to the region for the first match against Japan, including four who got their start at Earl Marriott Secondary School in White Rock: Martinez, Izzak Kelly, and Takoda and Talon McMullin.

“We have been pleased with the work put in by the players at training camp, continuing what we started in Ottawa,” said Head Coach Kingsley Jones. “It was a difficult selection for the Pacific Nations Cup, which is what you want—it shows you have depth. Players and staff are excited to face some quality competition and continue to build as a group with these matches in Vancouver, LA and Japan.”

It was also recently announced that the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup will serve as a direct qualification pathway for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with the top three teams (minus Fiji and Japan, who have already qualified) earning a berth in the 24-team event. The official World Rugby announcement on the 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification process can be found here.

Tickets for the Pacific Nations Cup in Vancouver are available for purchase at rugby.ca/en/tickets. Questions regarding ticket purchases can be directed to tickets@rugby.ca. For more information on suites, please contact suites@rugby.ca.

Following Sunday’s match in Vancouver against Japan, the team will then travel to Los Angeles to take on the United States on Saturday August 31 at 6:00pm PT / 9:00pm ET. All six Pacific Nations Cup sides (Canada, United States, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) will convene in Japan in September for the play-offs, with the semi-finals and fifth place play-off taking place on September 14 and 15 in Tokyo, and the final and third place play-off taking place on September 21 in Osaka. More information about the Pacific Nations Cup can be found here.

Media accreditation applications are currently being accepted here. Questions regarding media accreditation can be directed to media@rugby.ca

CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM SCHEDULE

Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs Japan
Sunday August 25, 2024
2:00pm PT / 5:00pm ET
BC Place, Vancouver
Buy tickets here
Watch live on TSN3 and TSN+

Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs United States
Saturday August 31, 2024
6:00pm PT / 9:00pm ET
Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles
Buy tickets here
Watch live on TSN+

Remaining Pacific Nations Cup matches to be determined based on the results of Canada’s matches against Japan and the United States.

CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM PACIFIC NATIONS CUP SQUAD

FORWARDS
Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / New England Free Jacks
Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Earl Marriott Secondary / Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Old Glory DC
Callum Botchar (Vancouver, BC) – NOLA Gold
Cole Keith (Apohaqui, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / 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
Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Cottesloe Rugby Club
James Stockwood (Bowmanville, ON) – Vikings RFC / Pacific Pride
Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZL) – UBCOB Ravens / Pacific Pride
Kaden Duguid (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Vancouver Highlanders
Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons RFC / Chicago Hounds
Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
Tyler Matchem (Pictou County, NS) – Pacific Pride / Pictou County RFC

BACKS
Andrew Coe (Markham, ON) – RFC LA
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
Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Chicago Hounds
Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Toronto Saracens
Mark Balaski (Castlebar, IRE) – Castlebar RFC / Pacific Pride
Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Dallas Jackals
Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – 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