Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Canada’s best domestic talent and a handful of overseas players – 45 athletes all told – have been busy preparing for the upcoming Americas 2 World Cup Qualifying series against Uruguay. The centralized group, bolstered by some of the country’s most promising up-and-comers, have spent the past week training at Rugby Canada’s headquarters in Langford, BC, and played an inter-squad match on Monday.
On Friday a select group will fly to England and meet up with the rest of Canada’s European professionals for an intense week of training that includes a session with Aviva Premiership club Harlequins on London. They will then play in a controlled scrimmage against Oxford University on January 17. Experienced wing Dan Moor played for Oxford in the Varsity Match in December and is currently part of the Canadian camp.
The team then returns to Canada, beginning their final week’s build-up in Vancouver on January 21 ahead of the first leg of the series – and the Americas Rugby Championship opener – at BC Place on January 27. They depart for Uruguay the following day to prepare for the second leg at the Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo on February 3.
A team roster announcement is expected imminently with Canada’s top professional players expected to be named. Tyler Ardron has been training with the team already while the likes of Evan Olmstead, Taylor Paris, Jeff Hassler and DTH van der Merwe will be present in England. First choice flyhalf Shane O’Leary will be named in the group as he completes his return from ankle surgery but fullback Matt Evans is set to miss out with a hamstring injury.
