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Jake Ilnicki has signed with Newcastle Falcons until then end of the 2017-18 season. The Canadian prop joins the Aviva Premiership club from Northampton Saints. Despite spending six months with Saints he is still to make his Premiership debut. He was instead used in their reserve side, the Wanderers, winning an Aviva ‘A’ league title in May. The 25-year-old has previously played with the NSW Country Eagles in Australia, PRO Rugby’s San Diego Breakers, and the Manawatu Turbos of New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup.
A graduate and former captain of Canada’s u20 side, Ilnicki has made steady progress since making his test debut as a 21-year-old against Georgia in November of 2013. He has to date won 21 caps and established himself as Canada’s first choice tighthead prop. Left out of the initial 2015 World Cup squad, an injury to Jason Marshall opened the door for Ilnicki’s inclusion and he has featured in nearly every Canadian squad since, missing only the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship with club commitments.
Newcastle have moved quickly to sign Ilnicki with two-time England World Cup selection David Wilson and England Saxons select David Wilson both set to miss considerable time due to long-term injuries. Scotland prop Jon Welsh is also currently on the books at the tighthead position, and former Australia u20 lock Jack Payne is continuing his conversion to the front row while on loan at Darlington Mowden Park.
Ilnicki’s signing makes it three Canadian internationals on Newcastle’s roster for the season. Second row Evan Olmstead is in the second year of his contract while winger DTH van der Merwe joined from Scarlets in the off-season. Other Americas players at the club include US Eagles lock Nick Civetta and a trio of Argentines – brothers Santiago and Juan Pablo Socino, and utility back Belisario Agulla.
