Thirty-two players have been named to Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team by Head Coach Kingsley Jones for the program’s upcoming tour to Bucharest, Romania.
Canada will play Chile on November 9 and Romania on November 16 for the team’s final international test matches of 2024, as the squad continues to build towards next year’s Rugby World Cup qualification.
This tour to Romania comes on the heels of the reimagined Pacific Nations Cup, which saw Canada take on Japan, the United States and Tonga. Canada most recently played Romania earlier this year, in one of two test matches on home soil in Ottawa in July, beating Romania 35-22. The last time Canada played Chile was in two Rugby World Cup qualification matches in 2021, with each team taking one win in the two-match series.
“We have an opportunity this fall to continue to test ourselves and build as a group, facing two quality opponents,” said Kingsley Jones. “As with our squads that competed in Ottawa and at the Pacific Nations Cup, our aim is to develop our depth and have consistency going in 2025. In addition to the experienced leadership on our squad, there are a number of young promising players who will gain more valuable exposure to an international training and competition environment.”
Captained by Lucas Rumball, 25 players return from Canada’s Pacific Nations Cup roster, including Kaden Duguid and Tyler Matchem, who earned their first caps for Canada against Japan and Tonga respectively.
Four players will be looking to earn their first caps for Canada in Romania: current Pacific Pride Development Academy players Jesse Kilgour, Noah Flesch and Rhys James, and Pacific Pride graduate Sam Miller, all of whom were part of Canada’s pre-tournament Pacific Nations Cup training environment.
RFC LA’s Matt Heaton returns to Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team for the first time since 2021, bringing Rugby World Cup experience.
Mitch Richardson is back after missing the Pacific Nations Cup due to injury, with Josh Thiel returning to the squad for the first time since Canada’s 2023 fall tour to Spain.
A number of players are unavailable for the tour due to university commitments, including Matthew Klimchuk (Meiji University – Japan) and Talon and Takoda McMullin (University of British Columbia). The Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship will take place while Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team is in Romania, with the top Canadian university men’s rugby teams competing in Ottawa over November 13 to 17.
Canada’s Men’s Rugby team schedule
- Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs Chile
- November 9, 2024
- 3:00am PT / 6:00am ET / 1:00pm local time
- Bucharest, Romania
- Tickets can be purchased here
- Broadcast details to be announced
- Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs Romania
- November 16, 2024
- 8:00am PT / 11:00am ET / 6:00pm local time
- Bucharest, Romania
- Tickets can be purchased here
- Broadcast details to be announced
Canada’s Men’s Rugby team Romania tour 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
- Ethan Fryer (Seattle, USA) – New England Free Jacks
- Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Capilano RFC
- 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
- Matt Heaton (Godmanchester, QC) – RFC LA
- Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
- Sam Miller (Mount Denson, NS) – Valley Rugby Union / Pacific Pride
- Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC
- 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
- Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Tars
- Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Chicago Hounds
- Jesse Kilgour (Barrie, ON) – Barrie RFC / Pacific Pride
- Josh Thiel (Victoria, BC) – James Bay AA / Abbotsford RFC
- Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Toronto Saracens
- Mark Balaski (Castlebar, IRE) – Castlebar RFC / Pacific Pride
- Mitch Richardson (Stoney Creek, ON) – McMaster University
- Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Unaffiliated
- Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Pacific Pride
- Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC
- Rhys James (Kelowna, BC) – UBC Okanagan Heat / Pacific Pride
About Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada is the national governing body of the sport of Rugby Union in Canada. They administer and operate Men’s and Women’s Senior and Junior National programs in both rugby 15s and 7s, as well as govern the Club and community game for more than 40,000 registered participants from coast to coast in conjunction with ten Provincial Union members. Rugby Canada is headquartered at the Al Charron National Training Centre in Langford, BC, with staff also working from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa. Rugby Canada business operations, programs and events are delivered nationwide, including the internationally recognized HSBC Vancouver Sevens annual tournaments.
Media contact:
Liz Montory
Manager, Communications
Lmontroy@rugby.ca