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On this day in 1999 Gareth Rees played his final match for Canada. In what was his 55th appearance the fly half helped his country to a record 72-11 victory over Namibia in Toulouse, France.
The fixture was part of Rugby World Cup 1999. Despite it being Wales 1999 Canada played all three pool matches in France. The North Americas performed well against both France and Fiji but ultimately lost both fixtures.
With Rugby World Cup 1999 having a unique format this made their final match all the more interesting. The playoffs format had quarter-final qualifiers which comprised of the five pool runner-ups and the best third-placed performer.
Canada knew that they had a chance but needed a big win over Namibia. In the end it was not enough as Argentina, Samoa and Wales all won two of their respective matches in Pool D. Canada finished as the second best third-placed side.
The performance against Namibia was nonetheless extraordinary. The North Americans scored nine tries with Rees converting every one of them. Such an impressive match did Rees have that he, in fact, kicked all 12 of his shots at goal. His 27 points was a Canadian record which stood until 2006. James Pritchard’s 36 points against the USA overtook it.
