Canada names squad for Repechage preparations

Canada coach Kingsley Jones has selected 34 players to prepare for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers in Marseille. The squad will be reduced to 30 for the round-robin competition that will see Canada face Kenya, Germany, and Hong Kong in a bid for the final spot at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Ten players in the squad are not currently attached to a European club, Mitre 10 Cup side, or Major League Rugby franchise, three of them forwards. All but one participated in the Canadian Rugby Championship, the exception former Seattle Seawolves hooker Ray Barkwill.

Overseas pros returning to the squad after being rested for the June tests include tighthead prop Matt Tierney, second row Brett Beukeboom, eightman Tyler Ardron, midfielders Ciaran Hearn and Conor Trainor, and outside backs Taylor Paris and Matt Evans. Tierney, Hearn, Trainor, and Evans return from long-term injuries that saw them miss out on the Americas 2 qualifier series against Uruguay.

As expected there are no Canada Sevens core members named following their decision to boycott training due to a disagreement over a revised contract and training structure. Scrumhalf Andrew Ferguson is ruled out with a bicep injury and former Ospreys wing Jeff Hassler continues his sabbatical from the sport.

Also missing out after playing during the summer are prop Ryan Kotlewski, Rotherham lock Conor Keys, back row Dustin Dobravsky, scrumhalf Jorden Sandover-Best, and outside backs Cole Davis and Brock Staller. Other notables left out are World Cup hooker Benoît Pifféro, Northland utility forward Lucas Albornoz, and Yorkshire Carnegie winger Dan Moor.

Two warm-up friendlies in England have been arranged to prepare the team for their series. Canada will play Oxford University on Wednesday, October 31, and RFU Championship club Coventry on Monday, November 5 with their Repechage opener against Kenya on Sunday, November 11.

A detailed squad list can be seen here.

FORWARDS
Noah Barker (James Bay), Hubert Buydens (New Orleans Gold, US), Jake Ilnicki (Yorkshire Carnegie, UK), Cole Keith (Ontario Arrows), Djustice Sears-Duru (Ontario Arrows), Matt Tierney (Pau, FR), Ray Barkwill (Castaway Wanderers), Eric Howard (New Orleans Gold, US), Brett Beukeboom (Cornish Pirates, UK), Paul Ciulini (Ontario Arrows), Josh Larsen (Otago, NZ), Evan Olmstead (Auckland, NZ), Mike Sheppard (Ontario Arrows), Tyler Ardron (Bay of Plenty, NZ), Kyle Baillie (New Orleans Gold, US), Luke Campbell (James Bay), Matt Heaton (Darlington Mowden Park, UK), Lucas Rumball (Ontario Arrows)

BACKS
Phil Mack (capt., Seattle Seawolves, US), Jamie Mackenzie (Balmy Beach), Gordon McRorie (Calgary Hornets), Shane O’Leary (Nottingham, UK), Patrick Parfrey (Ontario Arrows), Nick Blevins (Calgary Hornets), Guiseppe du Toit (UVic Vikes), Doug Fraser (Castaway Wanderers), Ciaran Hearn (London Irish, UK), Ben LeSage (UBC Thunderbirds), Conor Trainor (Nevers, FR), Kainoa Lloyd (Ontario Arrows), Taylor Paris (Castres, FR), DTH van der Merwe (Glasgow Warriors, UK), Matt Evans (Cornish Pirates, UK), Theo Sauder (UBC Thunderbirds)