Canadian Exiles Update – Season Preview

It’s getting harder and harder to keep track of Canadians and Canadian-eligible players overseas with more than 50 abroad over this season and last and more possibly headed in the coming months. The below list is not exhaustive but should account for the majority of those who have represented Canada at age-grade level or better, and a few eligibiles who could join the cause in the future.

 

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP

…and then there was one. Evan Olmstead will be Canada’s only representative in the top division of English rugby this season. After spending the second half of last year playing blindside flank for London Scottish, the big lock signed a two-year deal with Newcastle Falcons. The good news is that Olmstead has received rave reviews from the Newcastle camp for his pre-season form, such that he is now tipped to make his Premiership debut when Falcons host Sale at Kingston Park on Friday.

 

GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP

The English second division has long been a second home for Canadians and will continue to do so this season. Leading the way are London Irish duo Jebb Sinclair and Ciaran Hearn. Both played significant roles for the team last season and can hold their heads high despite their club’s relegation from the Premiership. A new coaching setup should help them out and if they perform to their potential they should find an immediate return to the top flight next season. Sinclair skipped out on the June tests to rest a battered body but is back to fitness and scored a try in pre-season action on Friday.

Aaron Carpenter has moved on from Cornish Pirates after a fine season with the club that saw him captain on numerous occasions. He has now moved to London Welsh, effectively replacing Richard Thorpe in the back row. Thorpe had originally planned to hang up the boots but has now accepted a player-coach role with Chinnor in National 2.

Pirates still have two Canucks on the payroll in second row Brett Beukeboom and fullback Matt Evans. Beukeboom was in good form before a serious knee injury ended his season prematurely, but he is now back ahead of schedule and took part the pre-season schedule. Evans remains vice-captain and one of the premier attacking players in the division.

Bedford Blues have one Canadian left after the departure of James Pritchard and Sam Blanchet. Blindside flank Justin Blanchet impressed last season and should continue to be first choice on the blindside this year. Brother Sam headed for Australia for a stint with Manly but is currently without a club. Pritchard is now a player-coach with Coventry in National 1 after a decade in the South Midlands.

Earning promotion from National 1 last season was Richmond, who return to the professional divisions for the first time since financial problems cast them from the Premiership in 1999. They have taken a ground-up approach since and will be the only entirely semi-pro outfit in the Championship this season, a tall order indeed. Former Doncaster lock Tyler Hotson will split his time between rugby and business consultancy, and Canadian-eligible hooker Richard Townsend gets another crack at the division after a spell with Ealing Trailfinders.

Also leaving Doncaster is Jon Phelan, who enjoyed a very good year with the Knights but has now returned to Canadian soil. He was recently on display with the Atlantic Rock in the Canadian Rugby Championship. Kyle Gilmour and Aaron Flagg are also back home. Gilmour never quite settled at Rotherham and ended his contract with the club shortly after breaking a cheek while on Canada duty in February. Flagg was enjoying an excellent season with Moseley but suffered a serious neck injury in March and his rugby career is now in jeopardy.

 

GUINNESS PRO 12

Four Canadian internationals will take part in Celtic-Italian competition this season. After some discussion that DTH van der Merwe was not enjoying his stay at new club Scarlets, he will stick around for a second go and should find the situation improved with a number of new signings improving the club’s outlook. DTH had shoulder surgery in April and is now set for an imminent return.

Ospreys will be hoping their Canadian stars can get through the season injury-free after both Tyler Ardron and Jeff Hassler spent significant chunks of last year on the sidelines. Ardron managed only two games with knee problems but is now back on the pitch and ready for duty. Hassler is also playing again after opting to have surgery on a wonky shoulder in April.

After a brief stay at Leicester Tigers following the World Cup, Djustice Sears-Duru joined Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season as a medical joker but is now on his first full-time contract at the club, ironically playing against them on Monday while on Canada ‘A’ duty. Connor Braid split his time between Warriors and London Scottish last season but a head injury suffered against Italy in the World Cup has made him reconsider his priorities. He returned to play for James Bay  this season but as of yet has not made himself available for international or professional rugby consideration.

Italian international Robert Barbieri, originally from Toronto, is entering his 9th season with Benetton Treviso, where he is joined by former Canada coach Kieran Crowley this year. Former Canada u20 flyhalf Shane O’Leary struggled with injuries last season and played a supporting role at Connacht, signing another one-year deal with the Irish club in the off-season. Canadian-born Luke McGrath is set to be first choice scrumhalf at Leinster and looks likely to win his first Ireland caps in the coming months.

 

TOP 14

Four Canucks can be found around the top French division this season, three of those on Academy deals. Cameron Pierce is the only player on a full senior contract, entering the last year on this two-year contract with Pau. After a breakthrough season in 2014-15, injury knocked him out of the early part of last year and he managed only seven matches in the senior side. Still the youngest of seven senior locks on Pau’s books but also the most mobile, he could see time as a blindside flanker this season after playing there against Brive in June.

Immensely promising tighthead prop Matt Tierney has extended his Pau Academy deal for a further three years and had a great season last year, anchoring the Espoirs scrum and making three Top 14 appearances. This season he will be joined by Canada u20 teammate Matt Beukeboom, younger brother of Brett, who joins on an Academy deal from Queen’s University.

Another top talent is at Clermont Auvergne once more. Powerful centre George Barton impressed at a trial early last season and was handed an Academy deal for the season. He was a mainstay in the Espoirs midfield and should be again this season. Senior international prop Doug Wooldridge was signed by the club late last year as a medical joker but has since returned to Canada and is currently without a pro deal.

 

PRO D2

Long-time Clermont institution Jamie Cudmore has moved east to Oyonnax, signing a four-year deal with intentions of moving into coaching full-time in two years. He has been named captain for this season and nearing his 38th birthday is one of the highest profile players in the division.

Barrie’s own Taylor Paris had desperately poor luck last year, missing out on the World Cup and the entire Top 14 season with a knee injury but is back and ready to go with Agen. He has also been named vice-captain for the coming season. Prop Andrew Tiedemann joined Bourgoin midway through last season and after a bumpy ride in the summer with threats of possible administrative relegation, will continue in the Pro D2 this year.

Two Canadians are new to France this season. Conor Trainor has at last accepted a pro deal with Vannes after turning down offers in the past to concentrate on the HSBC Sevens Series. He played a big part in the historic win over Montauban on opening weekend and should be a key player this season for the club. Second row Paul Ciulini has joined Perpignan on an Academy deal. The club has a long history of developing French internationals and is expected to be a front-runner in the promotion race to the Top 14 for next season.

Jason Marshall will not join Paris in Agen this year. The afflicted prop’s injury woes continue and after being ruled out of the World Cup with rib problems – among others – he tore his bicep in December and has not played since, with no word yet on a possible return.

 

MITRE 10 CUP

New Zealand’s top domestic competition currently has two Canadians taking part. Jake Ilnicki signed for Manawatu after a knee injury ruled out compatriot Hubert Buydens. Both were first choice players for San Diego in PRO Rugby. Also featuring is former u20 lock Josh Larsen, who has impressed with his energy in two reserve appearances with Northland. This is the first go at professional rugby for the 22-year-old, born in BC but raised in New Zealand.

 

PRO RUGBY

A half-dozen Canadians participated in the inaugural American competition south of the border. All six played leading roles with their clubs. Aforementioned Buydens and Ilnicki shored up the San Diego Breakers front row with Phil Mackenzie club captain and switching between wing and centre. Nick Blevins was a favorite for his big hits in the San Francisco Rush midfield, and Ray Barkwill took no time to earn a following as the first choice hooker for the Sacramento Express.

Kyle Baillie took a spot originally earmarked for Kyle Gilmour at Ohio, which likely turned out best for the Aviators as late withdrawals left them short at lock. Baillie was a standout for the club but has yet to pick up another contract. To date only Ilnicki has found another contract, though the other five look set to be supported by Rugby Canada under the new centralized athlete program, and all should return to PRO for next season either for the same teams or perhaps… watch this space.

 

OTHERS

Former international lock Josh Jackson has finally called it a day at the age of 35 after starting virtually every game for Saint Médard in semi-pro Fédérale 1 last season. World Cup reserve hooker Benoît Pifféro played for Castanet last season and should continue with them this year, though their squad is yet to be confirmed.

New cap Matt Heaton has moved up one level, signing for Darlington Mowden Park in National 1 after two seasons with Otley in National 2. The flanker also trained with Doncaster last season and could find himself with Championship contract sooner than later if he continues to impress.

Travis Larsen, three years senior of brother Josh, has left the Italian Eccellenza where he was a regular at no8 for Petrarca Padova. The former New Zealand Universities representative is now fully committed to the country of his birth and was called into the Canada ‘A’ squad on the UK tour. Larsen will move to the CDI Premier League in BC this season where he will play for Meralomas.

Canadian-eligible prop Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin – a former Australia u20 international – is at UC Vikings in the NRC, and is reserve prop for the Brumbies in Super Rugby. Midfielder Sam Hayward switched from Sydney Uni to Parramatta this season and was called into the Canada ‘A’ tour to the UK.

Former national u20 wing Mark Kohler is with Rosslyn Park in England’s National 1. Wolf Pack flyhalf Robbie Povey will switch from Luton to Bedford Athletic this season in National 3. Centre Will Manhire is a long-time member of the London Scottish Academy though it’s not yet clear whether he will continue there this season.

Their national u20 teammate Reegan O’Gorman has finished his third season locking out the Marist Albion scrum in New Zealand club rugby. Further north in Auckland is 2015 u20 prop Bryce Worden, a product of New Brunswick who has himself wrapped up the season with College Rifles u21, with intentions of moving up to the premier division next year.

Paddy Finlay and new ‘A’ call-up Dan Joyce are at Trinity College in Dublin. Fullback Jack Fitzpatrick has left Trinity and is now studying a masters of law in New York. Charlie McMickan, u20 triallist this year, has played for Connacht at age-grade level and this year switched from Buccaneers to Lansdowne. BC-born fullback Jack Evans will play in the Welsh Principality for Llandovery, and could feature for the national u20 sides of either Wales or Canada in the coming year.

 

TABLE (overseas clubs listed)

NAME	POS	2015/16 CLUB	DIV	2016/17 CLUB	DIV
Buydens, Hubert	PR	San Diego Breakers	PRO	—	—
Ilnicki, Jake	PR	San Diego Breakers	PRO	Manawatu Turbos	M10
Leulua’iali’i-Makin, Les*	PR	Brumbies	SR	Brumbies	SR
Marshall, Jason	PR	Agen	T14	—	—
Sears-Duru, Djustice	PR	Glasgow Warriors	P12	Glasgow Warriors	P12
Tiedemann, Andrew	PR	Bourgoin	D2	Bourgoin	D2
Tierney, Matt	PR	Pau (Academy)	T14	Pau (Academy)	T14
Wooldridge, Doug	PR	Clermont Auvergne	T14	—	—
Worden, Bryce (u20)	PR	—	—	College Rifles	NZC
Barkwill, Ray	HO	Sacramento Express	PRO	—	—
Finlay, Paddy (u20)	HO	Trinity College	AIL	Trinity College	AIL
Pifféro, Benoît	HO	Castanet	F1	Castanet	F1
Townsend, Richard (u20)	HO	Éparnay	F2	Richmond	RFU
Baillie, Kyle	LO	Ohio Aviators	PRO	—	—
Beukeboom, Brett	LO	Cornish Pirates	RFU	Cornish Pirates	RFU
Beukeboom, Matt (u20)	LO	—	—	Pau (Academy)	T14
Ciulini, Paul	LO	—	—	Perpignan (Academy)	D2
Cudmore, Jamie	LO	Clermont	T14	Oyonnax	D2
Hotson, Tyler	LO	Doncaster Knights	RFU	Richmond	RFU
Jackson, Josh	LO	Saint Médard	F1	—	—
Larsen, Josh (u20)	LO	—	—	Northland	M10
O’Gorman, Reegan (u20)	LO	Marist Albion	NZC	Marist Albion	NZC
Olmstead, Evan	LO	London Scottish	RFU	Newcastle Falcons	AP
Phelan, Jon	LO	Doncaster Knights	RFU	—	—
Pierce, Cameron	LO	Pau	T14	Pau	T14
Blanchet, Justin (u17)	FL	Bedford Blues	RFU	Bedford Blues	RFU
Flagg, Aaron	FL	Moseley	RFU	—	—
Gilmour, Kyle	FL	Rotherham Titans	RFU	—	—
Heaton, Matt	FL	Otley	N2	Darlington Mowden Park	N1
Sinclair, Jebb	FL	London Irish	AP	London Irish	RFU
Ardron, Tyler	N8	Ospreys	P12	Ospreys	P12
Carpenter, Aaron	N8	Cornish Pirates	RFU	London Welsh	RFU
Larsen, Travis (A)	N8	Petrarca Padova	CNE	—	—
Thorpe, Richard	N8	London Welsh	RFU	Chinnor	N2
Joyce, Dan (A)	SH	Trinity College	AIL	Trinity College	AIL
McGrath, Luke*	SH	Leinster	P12	Leinster	P12
McMickan, Charlie*	FH	Buccaneers	AIL	Lansdowne	AIL
O’Leary, Shane (u20)	FH	Connacht	P12	Connacht	P12
Povey, Robbie (A)	FH	Luton	N3	Bedford Athletic	N3
Barton, George (u20)	CE	Clermont (Academy)	T14	Clermont (Academy)	T14
Blevins, Nick	CE	San Francisco Rush	PRO	—	—
Braid, Connor	CE	Glasgow Warriors	P12	—	—
Hayward, Sam (A)	CE	Sydney Uni	SS	Parramatta	SS
Hearn, Ciaran	CE	London Irish	AP	London Irish	RFU
Manhire, Will (u20)	CE	London Scottish (Academy)	RFU	—	—
Trainor, Conor	CE	—	—	Vannes	D2
Blanchet, Sam (u17)	WI	Bedford Blues	RFU	—	—
Hassler, Jeff	WI	Ospreys	P12	Ospreys	P12
Kohler, Mark (u20)	WI	Rosslyn Park	N1	Rosslyn Park	N1
Mackenzie, Phil	WI	San Diego Breakers	PRO	—	—
Paris, Taylor	WI	Agen	T14	Agen	D2
van der Merwe, DTH	WI	Scarlets	P12	Scarlets	P12
Evans, Jack*	FB	Gloucester (Academy)	AP	Llandovery	WP
Evans, Matt	FB	Cornish Pirates	RFU	Cornish Pirates	RFU
Fiztpatrick, Jack (A)	FB	Trinity College	AIL	—	—
Pritchard, James	FB	Bedford Blues	RFU	Coventry	N1

* – Canadian eligible, AIL – All-Ireland League, AP – Aviva Premiership, CNE – Campionato Nazionale Eccellenza, F1 – Fédérale 1, F2 – Fédérale 2, M10 – Mitre 10 Cup, N1 – National 1, N2 – National 2, N3 – National 3, NZC – New Zealand Club, P12 – Guinness Pro 12, PD2 – Pro D2, PRO – PRO Rugby, RFU – Greene King IPA Championship, SR – Super Rugby, SS – Shute Shield, T14 – Top 14, WP – Welsh Principality Premiership

Have we missed anyone? Got an update? Let us know!