Williams trims Canada u20 roster

Head coach Jeff Williams has named 39 players to take part in a final Canada u20 selection camp to take place from January 22 until January 30. The group has been reduced from 57 originally named, with only one player – Vancouver Rowing Club scrumhalf Trevor Caton – added from outside that list.

A final list of 26 will be named after the training camp to prepare for a qualification match against the USA. Originally announced as a two-game series – as in last year – it had now been reduced to a single one-off match to be played in Austin, Texas, on February 13. Should Canada succeed they will qualify for the 2016 World Rugby u20 Trophy competition which kicks off on April 19 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

All nine returning players from the this past season’s team remain in the squad. Props Brendan Blaikie, Cali Martinez, and Matt Tierney; second rows Reegan O’Gorman and Adrian Wadden; no8 Luke Bradley; centre Phil Berna; wing Theo Sauder; and fullback Andrew Coe were all part of the team that traveled to Portugal in May, while prop Justin Aylward was a non-traveling reserve.

Five players currently play their rugby outside of Canada: Tierney is on an academy contract with French Top 14 club club Pau; O’Gorman plays for Marist Albion in Christchurch, New Zealand; flyhalf Robbie Povey is part of the Northampton Saints academy in the UK; centre George Barton has also joined a Top 14 academy at Clermont Auvergne; and centre Will Manhire comes from Greene King IPA Championship club London Scottish.

Williams is in his second year as head coach of the side, having previously represented Canada as a player in both 7s and XVs. Assistant coach Ken Goodland won a single senior cap in 2005 and currently doubles as National Player Development Coordinator. Team manager Jack Hanratty was formerly a development officer in Leinster, Ireland, and is also the senior provincial coach for Nova Scotia.

FORWARDS
Justin Aylward (Baymen), Brendan Blaikie (Markham Irish / Queen’s Golden Gaels), Curtis Delmonico (UBCOB Ravens), Cali Martinez (Bayside / UBC Thunderbirds), Callum Passingham (Campbell River / UBC Thunderbirds), Matt Tierney (Mississauga Blues / Pau, FR), Foster DeWitt (Campbell River / UBC Thunderbirds), AJ Quattrin (Aurora Barbarians / Laurier Golden Hawks), Connor Sampson (Burnaby Lake), Matt Beukeboom (Lindsay / Queen’s Golden Gaels), Trevor Helgason (UBCOB Ravens / Queen’s Golden Gaels), Conor Keys (Barrhaven Scottish / UVic Vikes), Reegan O’Gorman (Vancouver Rowing Club / Marist Albion, NZ), Adrian Wadden (Oakville Crusaders / McMaster Marauders), Jason Hignell (Abbotsford), Peter Milazzo (Toronto Saracens / Western Mustangs), Nakai Penny (UBC Thunderbirds), Marcello Wainwright (Toronto Saracens / Guelph Gryphons), Luke Bradley (Port Alberni / UVic Vikes)

BACKS
Trevor Caton (Vancouver Rowing Club), Matt Gallagher (Bayside / UVic Vikes), Cole Keffer (Capilano / UBC Thunderbirds), Aria Keshoofy (Ottawa Gee-Gees), Keaton Porter (Aurora Barbarians), Gavin Rowell (Abbotsford / UVic Vikes), Cooper Coates (Halifax Tars), Robbie Povey (Northampton Saints, UK), Mitch Richardson (Stoney Creek / McMaster Marauders), George Barton (Cowichan / Clermont Auvergne, FR), Phil Berna (UBCOB Ravens / UBC Thunderbirds), Trent Cooper (Oshawa Vikings / James Bay), Kyle Lagasca (Toronto Saracens / Guelph Gryphons), Will Manhire (London Scottish, UK), Aaron Evison (James Bay), Cathal Long (UVic Vikes), Brandon McLeod (Cobourg Saxons / Guelph Gryphons), Theo Sauder (Vancouver Rowing Club / UBC Thunderbirds), Andrew Coe (Markham Irish / UBC Thunderbirds), Liam O’Hallahan (Grande Prairie Centaurs)