Wednesday October 25, 2023 (Langford, BC) – Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s roster for La Vila International Rugby Cup has been named by Head Coach Kingsley Jones. The 32-player squad will travel to Villajoyosa, Spain this November for the new four-team tournament featuring Canada, Spain, the United States and Brazil.
Kyle Baillie, Tyler Rowland and Andrew Coe are all set to return to international competition, having been unavailable for the summer’s Fiji and Tonga tour. Baillie, who was named to the 2023 All-MLR Second Team following a strong season with Old Glory DC, will bring experience to Canada’s young forward pack. Recently re-signed with the Toronto Arrows, Rowland is one of the youngest yet most seasoned props in the MLR, and Coe, a fullback with Rugby World Cup and Olympic experience, was named to the 2023 All-MLR Honourable Mention Team following his second season with Rugby New York.
Five players could earn their first cap for Canada in Spain. Pacific Pride Academy graduates Ciaran Breen and Zephyr Melnyk were named to their first senior men’s tour earlier this year, travelling with the team to Fiji and Tonga. Dewald Kotze, another former Pacific Pride player who has represented Canada at the U20 level, is coming off his first full season with the Dallas Jackals, with the Seattle Seawolves’ Reid Watkins also on the hunt for his first cap. A standout player this summer with the Atlantic Selects, Jamin Hodgkins played with Canada’s U20 Men’s Rugby Team in 2022 and spent 2023 studying and playing in Wales.
Joining the roster from Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team are Matthew Oworu, Josiah Morra and Josh Thiel. Both Oworu and Morra earned their first caps for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team in 2022 ahead of the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series, going on to play a significant role in Canada’s crucial Series Play-off victory earlier this year. Thiel, who debuted with Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team in 2018, returned to Canada’s men’s sevens program in January following three seasons with San Diego Legion.
“I am greatly looking forward to working with this group in Spain and building upon our learnings from our summer tour,” said Head Coach Kingsley Jones. “We have 23 players on the roster who travelled with us to Fiji and Tonga, building continuity and cohesion. This is an exciting roster with players of varied backgrounds and experiences, along with many who have spent time with the Pacific Pride and our age grade teams. A common quality in each of these players regardless of experience is their work ethic and wholehearted dedication to the team. I know that they are all eager to come together as a group and get to work in Spain.”
Broadcast information will be announced shortly. Tickets are on sale here.
MATCH INFORMATION
November 11 vs Spain
11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET / 8:00pm local time
November 18 Third Place Play-off
7:00am PT / 10:00am ET / 4:00pm local time
November 18 Final
11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET / 8:00pm local time
CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM SPAIN TOUR SQUAD
FORWARDS
Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / New England Free Jacks
Cole Keith (Apohaqui, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
Conor Keys (Stittsville, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Ottawa Ospreys / New England Free Jacks
Conor Young (Yamba, Australia) – Greater Sydney Rams / New England Free Jacks
Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
Djustice Sears-Duru (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / San Diego Legion
Foster Dewitt (Courtney, BC) – Westshore RFC / New England Free Jacks
Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Spotswood United RFC
Kyle Baillie (Summerside, PEI) – Halifax Tars / Old Glory DC
Liam Murray (Langley, BC) – Dallas Jackals
Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Toronto Arrows
Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Pacific Pride / Toronto Arrows
Matthew Klimchuk (Regina, SK) – Regina Rogues / Pacific Pride
Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) – Oxford University
Siaki Vikilani (Vancouver, BC) – Burnaby Lake RFC / The American Raptors
Tyler Rowland (Mississauga, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Pacific Pride / Toronto Arrows
Zephyr Melnyk (Gabriola Island, BC) – Nanaimo Hornets / Pacific Pride
BACKS
Andrew Coe (Markham, ON) – Rugby New York
Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
Ciaran Breen (Victoria, BC) – Cowichan RFC / Toronto Arrows
Gabe Casey (Ottawa, ON) – University of Victoria
Isaac Olson (Vernon, BC) – New England Free Jacks
Jamin Hodgkins (Bermuda) – Cardiff Met University
Jason Higgins (Cork, Ireland) – San Diego Legion
Josh Thiel (Victoria, BC) – James Bay AA
Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Toronto Saracens
Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, ON) – Queen’s University / Houston SaberCats
Mitch Richardson (Stoney Creek, ON) – McMaster University / Toronto Arrows
Peter Nelson (Dungannon, UK) – Dungannon RFC / Toronto Arrows
Reid Watkins (Okotoks, AB) – Seattle Seawolves
Robbie Povey (Northampton, UK) – Long Bukby RFC / Houston SaberCats
NON-TRAVELLING RESERVES
Callum Botchar
David Richard
D’Shawn Bowen
Emerson Prior
Jack Shaw
Jacob Bourne
Jake Thiel
Kyle Steeves
Liam Bowman
Noah Bain
Reid Davis
Tyler Wong
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 30,000 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, Toronto and Ottawa. Rugby Canada business operations, programs and events are delivered nationwide, including the internationally recognized HSBC Canada Sevens annual tournaments.