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Canada will have at least four players in the inaugural season of PRO Rugby. Prairie Wolf Pack duo Hubert Buydens and Nick Blevins will join the new organization shortly, with Buydens set to join Phil Mackenzie at San Diego and Blevins earmarked for San Francisco.
The pair will join Americas Rugby Championship teammates Mackenzie and Ray Barkwill in the American league, with further Canadian signings possible but hitting a snag with visa delays. While Mackenzie has been officially confirmed, the other three are not expected to be announced until their visa applications are complete, likely within the next two weeks.
Buydens, 34, captained his country during the ARC and appeared in all five matches to bring his cap total to 43 since his debut in 2006. The specialist loosehead prop from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has been attached to the Castaway Wanderers club on Canadian soil in recent years, and enjoyed a two-season stint with Manawatu in the New Zealand provincial competition in 2013 and 2014. He has participated in two World Cups and gained notoriety as part of the ‘Beardos’ at the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.
Blevins, a hard-running centre, started all five ARC games in the no12 shirt for Canada. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, he now has 32 caps to his name since debuting against Japan in 2009, and attended his first World Cup this past September. The 27-year-old has played for James Bay and the Calgary Hornets when not involved with international or regional commitments.
