Coast To Coast Cup kicks off in Halifax on Saturday

The Coast To Coast Cup returns for a second year in Halifax beginning on Saturday. Three regional teams from Canada will be competing with all games streaming live on The Rugby Network. The tournament serves as a stepping stone to representative honors and a shop window for pro scouts.

Last year’s winners Canada West have been replaced by the BC Bears. Led by UBC Head Coach Curry Hitchborn, the team feature newly-capped flanker Matt Klimchuk and former Saracens Academy flyhalf James Biss. Other notables are a pair of Canada u20 caps in second row Reid Davis and midfielder Mostyn Findlay, the latter a former national u18 captain.

The Toronto Arrows will send their Academy side coached by Cory Hector, with senior lock Hank Stevenson set to travel following the conclusion of the Major League Rugby season. Hooker Sam Mace has returned following a stint in England with Leeds Tykes. Front rower David Scollon, back row Tom Artmann, and midfielder Jacob Ince were on the extended training squad with the pro outfit in recent months.

Cardiff Met flyhalf and Canada u20 standout Jamin Hodgkins has joined up with the host side. The Atlantic Selects are coached by David Jackson, formerly an analyst with the Chiefs in New Zealand. They also feature two former Arrows props in Alex Forrest and Marc-Antoine Ouellet, ex-Ordizia scrumhalf Elliott Ryan, and former World Rugby u20 Trophy winger Jack McCarthy.

Saturday’s opener will see the Selects taking on the Bears at 6:15pm local time, 5:15pm Eastern, 2:15pm Pacific. The Bears take on the Arrows Academy on Wednesday, with the Ontario tourists then facing the Atlantic side next Saturday.

 

FIXTURES

Atlantic Selects vs BC Bears
Saturday, June 17, 18:15 local (14:15 Pacific, 17:15 Eastern)
Graves-Oakley Park, Halifax

BC Bears vs Arrows Academy
Wednesday, June 21, 19:00 local (15:00 Pacific, 18:00 Eastern)
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax

Atlantic Selects vs Arrows Academy
Saturday, June 24, 19:00 local (15:00 Pacific, 18:00 Eastern)
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax

 

ATLANTIC SELECTS

PROP
Alex Forrest (Charlottetown)
Eddie Mahar (Moncton Black Tide)
Mike McEachern (Halifax RFC)
Sam Miller (Valley)
Marc-Antoine Ouellet (CRQ)

HOOKER
Sean Doyle (Charlottetown)
Cam Hayward (Fredericton Loyalists)
Ethan McCarthy (Halifax Tars)

LOCK
Nigel Bannister (Halifax Tars)
Karl Hunger (Beaconsfield)
Andrew Montgrand (James Bay)
Ben Newhook (Vandals)

BACK ROW
Austin Comeau (Enfield)
Sheldon Cudmore (Charlottetown)
Nick Davidson (Saint John Trojans)
Evan Logan (Halifax Tars)
Taku Jaravasa (Halifax Tars)
Seif Sanad (Halifax Tars)

SCRUMHALF
Johnny Cullen (Fredericton Loyalists)
Cameron Pope (Halifax Tars)
Elliott Ryan (Halifax Tars)
Brady White (Pictou County)

FLYHALF
Tommy Brothers (Halifax RFC)
Jamin Hodgkins (Cardiff Met, UK)
Lucas Shortall (Swilers)

MIDFIELD
Adam Anshan (Halifax Tars)
Thomas Goetz (TMR)
Sam Newhook (Vandals)

OUTSIDE BACKS
Jimmy Clarke (Swilers)
Keith Graham (Halifax Tars)
Jack McCarthy (Vandals)
Brandon Power (ShoreDogs)
Jean-Christophe Vinette (TMR)

STAFF
Head Coach – David Jackson
Attack Coach – Mike Hamson
Defense Coach – Curtis Lauzon
Scrum Coach – Frank Walsh
Physiotherapist – Nick Russell
General Manager – Dr. John Gillis
Senior Advisor – Dr. Brendan Parfrey
Senior Advisor – Morgan Lovell
Director of Operations – Dylan Aleck
Manager – Elliot Kayser
Manager – Sarah O’Connor
Manager – Keegan O’Shea

 

BC BEARS

PROP
Lalit Bharadwaj (Burnaby Lake)
Cass Kocevar (Kelowna Crows)
Beaudry Leman (UBC Thunderbirds)
Nicolas Willey (Kamloops)

HOOKER
Theo Espagnol (Meraloma)
Jesse Mackail (UBCOB Ravens)

LOCK
Reid Davis (Pacific Pride)
Josh Halladay (Trinity Western Spartans)
Asfand Saeed (James Bay)
Teigan White (James Bay)

BACK ROW
Jalan Faris (Meralomas)
Mike Finnemore (Castaway Wanderers)
Sandon Gupta (UBC Thunderbirds)
Matt Klimchuk (Pacific Pride)
Zephyr Melnyk (Pacific Pride)

SCRUMHALF
Fynn Murphy (Trinity Western Spartans)
Charlie Kinloch (Kamloops)
Paddy Kirwan (Meraloma)

FLYHALF
James Biss (UBC Thunderbirds)
Monty Weatherall (Meralomas)

MIDFIELD
Mostyn Findlay (James Bay)
Johnny Franklin (Capilano)
Rhys James (Kelowna Crows)

OUTSIDE BACKS
Lenny Bonduau (UBC Thunderbirds)
Mike Moloney (Capilano)
Demetri Patterson (UBC Thunderbirds)

STAFF
Head Coach – Curry Hitchborn
Assistant Coach – Christian Esterhuizen
Assistant Coach – Jake Ilnicki
Assistant Coach – Robert Bowman
Athletic Therapist – Eric Marriott

 

TORONTO ARROWS ACADEMY

PROP
Greg McDowell (Beaconsfield)
Evan Roy (Ottawa Beavers)
Aidan Vachon (Brantford Harlequins)

HOOKER
Sam Mace (Bytown Blues)
David Scollon (Oakville Crusaders)
Neil Trainor (Stratford Blackswans)

LOCK
Ben James (Guelph Redcoats)
James Stockwood (Oshawa Vikings)
Hank Stevenson (Toronto Nomads)

BACK ROW
Tom Artmann (TMR)
Max Goodwin (Guelph Redcoats)
Grant Meadows (Aurora Barbarians)
Gelel Rezig (TMR)
Zach Zorbas (Oakville Crusaders)

SCRUMHALF
Adam Doyle (Kingston Panthers)
Devon Ollson (London St. George’s)

FLYHALF
Steven Commerford (Peterborough Pagans)
Tiarnan Neville (Balmy Beach)

MIDFIELD
Jacob Ince (Oakville Crusaders)
Thibault Le Coz (TMR)
Thibaut Trapé (CRQ)

OUTSIDE BACKS
Stan Blazkowski (TMR)
AJ Kosempel (Guelph Redcoats)
Alexandre Laurendeau (Beaconsfield)
Ethan Voskamp (Kingston Panthers)

STAFF
Head Coach – Cory Hector
Assistant Coach – Adam Maahs
Assistant Coach – John Lavery
Athletic Therapist – Christina Fogg
Strength & Conditioning – Shane Cahill