Canada names World Cup training squad

Kieran Crowley has named his 35-man preliminary training squad for the World Cup. Included are a handful of players absent from the recent Pacific Nations Cup due to injury who will hope to make the tournament in England. Ospreys forward Tyler Ardron will continue as captain.

Tom Dolezel, Jason Marshall, Jamie Cudmore, Jebb Sinclair, and Taylor Paris have all been added to the group and are expected to play a part in the warm-up matches either in Ottawa on August 22 or Halifax on August 29.

Four players who took part in the PNC did not make the cut. Jake Ilnicki, Callum Morrison, Thyssen de Goede, and James Pritchard have been left out. Pritchard is the most notable omission, having surpassed both the 60-cap and 600 points milestones in recent days. The 36-year-old fullback had previously appeared in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 World Cups.

The squad will be trimmed following the match against Glasgow Warriors in Halifax, with a final list of 31 players to be submitted to World Rugby on August 31.

Further warm-up matches will take place on September 2 against Georgia, and September 6 against Fiji, both in England. Canada play their first World Cup game in Cardiff on September 19 against Ireland.

FORWARDS
Hubert Buydens (Castaway Wanderers), Tom Dolezel (London St. George’s), Jason Marshall (Agen) Djustice Sears-Duru (Oakville Crusaders), Andrew Tiedemann (Plymouth Albion), Doug Wooldridge (Lindsay), Ray Barkwill (Castaway Wanderers), Aaron Carpenter (Cornish Pirates), Benoît Pifféro (Blagnac), Brett Beukeboom (Plymouth Albion), Jamie Cudmore (Clermont), Tyler Hotson (Doncaster), Evan Olmstead (Parramatta), Jon Phelan (Doncaster), Jebb Sinclair (London Irish), Tyler Ardron (capt., Ospreys), Nanyak Dala (Castaway Wanderers), Kyle Gilmour (St. Albert), John Moonlight (James Bay), Richard Thorpe (London Welsh)

BACKS
Phil Mack (James Bay), Jamie Mackenzie (UVic Vikes), Gordon McRorie (Calgary Hornets), Nathan Hirayama (UVic Vikes), Liam Underwood (Balmy Beach), Nick Blevins (Calgary Hornets), Connor Braid (Glasgow Warriors), Ciaran Hearn (Castaway Wanderers), Conor Trainor (UBCOB Ravens), Jeff Hassler (Ospreys), Phil Mackenzie (Sale Sharks), Taylor Paris (Agen), DTH van der Merwe (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Evans (Cornish Pirates), Harry Jones (Capilano)