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A new semi-professional outfit based in British Columbia will play its first matches this coming Friday. The Vancouver Highlanders will kick off their Rugby Players Challenge Summer Series against the Canada Selects, with a reserve group playing against Barbados in the second match of a double-header at Burnaby Lake Rugby Club that begins at 4:30pm local time.
Financial backing for the club comes from local businessman Ralph McRae, who enlisted former UBC Thunderbirds Head Coach Curry Hitchborn to put together a staff, roster, and fixture list. The end result is five matches against international competition and a 25-man senior squad largely populated by domestic talent with Canada rep experience ranging from u18 to test level.
Tom Larisch has been handed Head Coach duties, a former BC provincial player and coach, with Bill Chamberlain providing defensive expertise. The latter was an assistant coach alongside Hitchborn with the Canada u18 side that traveled to Amsterdam last year.
Among the notables on the roster are four players with Major League Rugby experience – ex-Seawolves scrumhalf Reid Watkins, former Legion center Josh Thiel, flanker Ollie Nott and winger D’Shawn Bowen. Nott and Bowen were formerly with the Toronto Arrows. Sam Mace captained that team’s senior academy side before playing professionally in England. Second row Karl Hunger was signed by the Dallas Jackals earlier this year but departed before making a match day appearance.
Three players have already received call-ups to the senior Canada squad for their upcoming tests against Scotland and Romania. Back row Matt Klimchuk has one cap on his resume while twin midfielders Talon and Takoda McMullin have suited up for Canada ‘A’. Former Canada 7s skipper Jake Thiel joins brother Josh to make it two pairs of twins wearing Highlanders red.
Adding true international flavor to the squad is ex-Georgia flanker Saba Shubitidze and Super Rugby veteran Melani Nanai, both of whom are now Vancouver residents. On the reserve list is Barbados prop Simeon John, Kenyan lock or flanker Brian Ndirangu, and Ireland u19 hooker Conall Henchy.
What becomes of the program in the future remains to be seen. The club’s stated goal is to help develop individuals through sport, and providing high level opportunities to players without sacrificing professional goals outside of rugby. To date they have been adamant that engaging in a fully professional competition – MLR for example – is not in their vision. In the meantime Canadian rugby fans will cast a curious eye towards Burnaby Lake this weekend.
A detailed squad list can be seen here.
FIXTURES
06/28 – vs Canada Selects (Burnaby Lake Rugby Club)
06/28 – vs Barbados (Burnaby Lake Rugby Club)
07/20 – vs Germany (Burnaby Lake Rugby Club)
08/03 – vs Brazil XV (Burnaby Lake Rugby Club)
08/17 – vs Canada XV (venue tba)
SENIOR ROSTER
Conor O’Flaherty (PR, Meralomas)
Griffin Phillipson (PR, Pacific Pride)
Payton Teneycke (PR, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada u20
Jacob Bossi (HO, Castaway Wanderers) Canada u20
Sam Mace (HO, Pacific Pride)
Thomas Davidson (LO, Castaway Wanderers) Canada u20
Karl Hunger (LO, Beaconsfield)
Caden Wilson (LO, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada u20
Joe Locke (FL, UBCOB Ravens)
Ollie Nott (FL, Castaway Wanderers) Canada (2 caps)
Saba Shubitidze (FL, Batumi, GE) Georgia (12 caps)
Matt Klimchuk (FL/N8, Regina Rogues) Canada (1 cap)
Jake Thiel (FL/N8, James Bay) Canada 7s
Relmu Wilson-Valdes (N8, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada u20
Reid Watkins (SH, Burnaby Lake) Canada (1 cap)
James Biss (FH, Castaway Wanderers) Canada u20
Josh Thiel (FH/CE, James Bay) Canada (3 caps)
Talon McMullin (CE, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada ‘A’
Takoda McMullin (CE, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada ‘A’
Hayden Mulgrew (CE, Burnaby Lake)
Nico Leonard (CE/WI, UBCOB Ravens)
Lenny Bonduau (WI, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada u18
D’Shawn Bowen (WI, James Bay) Canada ‘A’
Alastair Marshall (WI, Regina Rogues) Canada u20
Melani Nanai (FB/CE, Capilano) Samoa u20
RESERVE ROSTER
Theo Espagnol (PR, Pacific Pride)
Simeon John (PR, Westshore) Barbados
Cole Kelly (PR, Trinity College, IR) Canada u20
Finlay Kennedy (PR, Bournemouth, UK) Canada u20
Ed Wallin (PR, Capilano)
Conall Henchy (HO, Trinity College, IR) Ireland u19
Josh Olver (HO, Birmingham Moseley, UK)
Asfand Saeed (LO, James Bay)
Brian Ndirangu (LO/FL, Westshore) Kenya
Callum Brown (FL, UBC Thunderbirds)
Taine Clague (FL, Westshore) Canada u20
Tom Richardson (FL, James Bay)
Charlie Huntingford (FL/N8, Capilano)
Liam Kinghorn (N8, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada u18
Andrew Sherlock (SH, Galwegians, IR)
Keegan Neary (SH/FH, James Bay)
Jacob Bourne (SH/FB, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada u18
George Wallin (FH, Capilano)
Mike Moloney (FH/FB, Capilano)
Sion Griffiths (CE, Castaway Wanderers) Canada 7s
Nick Blain (CE/FB, UBCOB Ravens)
Niko Andrianos (WI, UBC Thunderbirds) Canada RL
Keith Graham (WI, Meralomas)
Nathan Holm (WI, Capilano) Canada u18 7s
Demetri Patterson (WI, UBC Thunderbirds)
Ben Beauchamp (FB, UBC Thunderbirds)
