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The best from Eastern Canada have been named to represent the Atlantic Rock in the Canadian Rugby Championship. Head coach Simon Blanks has nominated 26 players to take the trip to Calgary, with another seven on standby. Of the main squad 11 come from Newfoundland, six from Quebec, four from Nova Scotia, two from New Brunswick, and one each from Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Wales.
Providing a major boost to the side is international flanker Chauncey O’Toole, last seen in Canadian colours in March of last year at the Hong Kong 7s. He joins a strong loose forward group with Canada ‘A’ reps Zac Coughlan and Matt Heaton, as well as u20 flanker Matt Murphy and versatile Mike Hamson. Heaton has returned from a two year stint playing in the UK, and was named player of the year for Otley this past season.
The tight five are as expected with 38 year old loosehead Frank Walsh – a member of the 2011 World Cup squad – returning at prop with u20 grads Bob Rogers and Jordon Power on the other side. Alex Forrest is the sole PEI representative in the squad.
Tapiwa Rabwi is a mobile option off the bench. The former Zimbabwe u19 prop moved to Halifax in 2010 and has been used in the back row and even in the midfield with his club side. Rabwi will be familiar to the Blues players, having come off the bench for that side against the Rock in their exhibition match in Halifax last month.
Owen Parfrey is set to lead the team at hooker, and veteran Brad Lester heads up the second row division with Dogs clubmate Chris Browne. Newcomer Evan Dickie, experienced at both lock and flank, is the first Enfield player to make the CRC.
Tony Pomroy is back at scrumhalf, fresh off his trip to Portugal with the u20s, and is joined by SABRFC’s Weston Hill, a u20 triallist last year who has spent time with the UBCOB Ravens in recent months. Patrick Parfrey looks the most likely option at no10, with Montreal’s Rob Law another option. Law made his Rock debut against the Blues in Halifax.
The midfield has another Portugal tourist, Emil Sehic, and a member of last year’s u20 team that went to Hong Kong, Charles DeBove. Balmy Beach utility back Colin Alexander continues as an option at flyhalf or the centres. The former OUA All-Star for Queen’s has been adopted after spending three seasons with the Ironmen while pursuing a law degree at UNB, as well as a short stint with the Halifax Tars.
Quebec flyers Daniel Pelletier and Shaquille Lattimore join the outside backs corps, where goal kicking returnee Paddy McNicholas also resides. Brett Johnson is a lightning fast stepper from 2nd division Truro Saints who has been turning heads with the Nova Scotia Keltics. He also debuted for the Rock in Halifax and looked very dangerous with ball in hand.
The most interesting name on the list is Jimmy Norris. A former Wales u20 winger who spent time in the Newport Gwent Dragons academy, the 26-year-old has Canadian citizenship by virtue of his father and grandfather, who both hail from Newfoundland. Despite this, he does not appear to be immediately eligible to play for Canada, having appeared in a handful of World Sevens Series tournaments for Wales in the 2008/09 season, though the Olympic loophole means he could yet qualify ahead of next year’s tournament.
The Rock face the Blues on June 28 in Calgary, with the winner given a spot in the final on July 1 against either the Wolf Pack or the Bears. Canada’s training squad for the Pacific Nations and World Cup will be named following the two-day tournament.
FORWARDS
Alex Forrest (Mudmen), Tapiwa Rabwi (Tars), Bob Rogers (Dogs), Frank Walsh (Vandals), Owen Parfrey (Swilers), Jordon Power (Dogs), Chris Browne (Dogs), Evan Dickie (Enfield), Brad Lester (Dogs), Zac Coughlan (Swilers), Mike Hamson (Tars), Matt Heaton (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue), Matt Murphy (Dogs), Chauncey O’Toole (Belleisle Rovers)
BACKS
Tony Pomroy (Baymen), Weston Hill (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue), Rob Law (Montreal Irish), Patrick Parfrey (Swilers), Colin Alexander (Balmy Beach), Charles DeBove (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue), Emil Sehic (Loyalists), Brett Johnson (Truro Saints), Daniel Pelletier (Montreal Irish), Jimmy Norris (Old Luctonians), Shaquille Lattimore (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue), Patrick McNicholas (Swilers)
NON-TRAVELING RESERVES
Steve Cutcliffe (Dogs), Jeremy Archibald (Tars), Zach Fitch (Loyalists), Chris Hammond (Dogs), Cyril Bugden (Baymen), Tim Hart (Tars), Walker Blizzard (Trojans)
