Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
During the final weeks of waiting for Rugby World Cup 2019 to arrive Americas Rugby News will be taking a look back at some moments from past RWCs involving competitors from the Americas. In week two the feature team is Canada.
In day three of the series the feature is Gareth Rees’s phenomenal goal-kicking display against Namibia at RWC 1995. In what was his final test match the Canadian fly half kicked a perfect 12 from 12, landing three penalties and converting nine tries.
In the match Rees would score 27 points, a record for Canada which would last until 2006 when it was overtaken by James Prichard.
Against Namibia Canada would score a staggering 72 points. Rees’ goal-kicking saw him demonstrating his class as he landed strikes from all angles, doing so with his trademark nonchalant style which included little arm movement and even doing so while still wearing headgear.
Some of Canada’s all-time great players were involved in the match. One of the memorable tries was scored by Rod Snow with the prop fooling the defense to dart over.
At RWC 1999 Canada was pooled with France, Fiji, and Namibia. Despite it being Wales 1999 the North Americans would play no matches in Wales and none even in the UK. Their matches were all in France with the game against Namibia being in Toulouse.
