Canada call up Welsh flanker for Pacific tour

Uncapped Pontypridd flanker Sion Parry has been called into the Canada squad for the upcoming tour of Fiji and Tonga. The 24-year-old from Cardiff has made over 50 appearances for the Welsh Premiership side. He qualifies for Canada through his Ontario-born mother.

Parry is the only name on the 32-strong traveling group that was not part of the original 41-man longlist. Nine other uncapped players will make the trip, six from Major League Rugby and three attached to amateur clubs. 24 in total come from MLR, and one from Super Rugby Americas.

Canada will spend several days training with the Fijian Drua academy before heading to Nuku’alofa for two tests in a span of five days against Tonga. The Ikale Tahi are preparing for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France. They will first compete in the Pacific Nations Cup with five former All Blacks on their roster and three ex-Wallabies.

 

LH PROP
Foster DeWitt (New England Free Jacks) 1 cap
Liam Murray (Dallas Jackals) 4 caps
Djustice Sears-Duru (San Diego Legion) 64 caps

HOOKER
Andrew Quattrin (New England Free Jacks) 16 caps
Tyler Wong (Toronto Arrows) uncapped

TH PROP
Kyle Steeves (Dallas Jackals) 1 cap
Conor Young (New England Free Jacks) 1 cap

SECOND ROW
Mason Flesch (Toronto Arrows) 2 caps
Izzak Kelly (Spotswood United, NZ) uncapped
Conor Keys (New England Free Jacks) 29 caps

BACK ROW
Callum Botchar (New Plymouth Old Boys, NZ) 1 cap
Matt Klimchuk (Pacific Pride) 1 cap
Travis Larsen (Toronto Arrows) uncapped
Zephyr Melnyk (Pacific Pride) uncapped
Sion Parry (Pontypridd, UK), uncapped
Lucas Rumball (Toronto Arrows) 47 caps
Siaki Vikilani (American Raptors) 9 caps
Piers von Dadelszen (Oxford University, UK) 2 caps

SCRUMHALF
Jason Higgins (San Diego Legion) 9 caps
Ross Braude (Toronto Arrows) 12 caps

FLYHALF
Gradyn Bowd (Old Glory DC) 10 caps
Peter Nelson (Toronto Arrows) 15 caps
Robbie Povey (Houston SaberCats) 13 caps

MIDFIELD
Gabe Casey (Sumner, NZ) uncapped
Ben LeSage (New England Free Jacks) 27 caps
Isaac Olson (New England Free Jacks) 1 cap
Mitch Richardson (Toronto Arrows) uncapped

OUTSIDE BACKS
D’Shawn Bowen (Toronto Arrows) uncapped
Ciaran Breen (Toronto Arrows) uncapped
Spencer Jones (New England Free Jacks) 6 caps
Kainoa Lloyd (Houston SaberCats) 21 caps
Jack Shaw (Rugby ATL) uncapped

 

FIXTURES
Thursday, August 10 – vs Tonga (Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa)
Tuesday, August 15 – vs Tonga (Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku’alofa)