BC is gearing up for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team taking on Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup at BC Place in Vancouver this Sunday!
Following a 12-day training camp at Shawnigan Lake School and a Canada XV preparation match against the Vancouver Highlanders, seven players with strong ties to BC have been named in Canada’s 28-man squad for the Pacific Nations Cup, kicking off against the Brave Blossoms on August 25.
Tickets are still available to purchase here and the match will be available to watch on TSN3 and TSN+, with kick off at 2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET.
BC STARS NAMED IN CANADA’S PACIFIC NATIONS CUP SQUAD
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.
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) – 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
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
CANADA AND JAPAN VISIT BC RUGBY COMMUNITY
It has been a busy week of Rugby activities in BC with both Canada and Japan’s teams enjoying time with the BC Rugby community.
Taking a break from their Shawnigan Lake School Training Camp, Canada’s Men’s team visited nearby Cowichan RFC for a run around with local young athletes! Junior players from Cowichan and nearby Nanaimo Hornets RFC got to spend time with the players, and even got a few autographs and photos!
This week, Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones and Assistant Coach Neal Hatley put the Burnaby Lake RFC Boys and Girls through their paces at a Tuesday training session!
Thank you to both the Canada and Japan teams for helping inspire the next generation of Rugby players!
HOW TO WATCH CANADA VS. JAPAN
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. The match will also be shown on TSN3 and TSN+.
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.
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.
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.
BC Rugby
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BC Rugby gratefully acknowledges that its offices reside on the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
