Last night in Toronto the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad was announced at the team’s send off Gala event.
There are very few shocks in the 31-man roster announced for the much anticipated World Cup which begins next month in England. The one massive disappointment is the injury sustained on Saturday in the 78th minute by Barrie’s own Taylor Paris in Canada’s loss to the USA Eagles on Saturday in Ottawa.
He will miss the entire campaign with what appears to be an ACL injury to his left knee. In the press scrum after the game, Coach Kieran Crowley displayed obvious emotion when he stated that he “felt very badly” for Paris, who he was concerned would be out for some time to come. He admitted with some upset that he should have pulled him in the 75th minute.
The other names left out of the squad are Tom Dolezel with a broken arm sustained in the PNC, and Jon Phelan and Tyler Hotson. Hotson is a surprise but a victim of too many players in the second row, ironic since we have holes in other areas. He admitted having a rough couple of days but is looking forward to being back with the Donacaster Knights in the UK and cheering the Canada boys on.
It is going to be a great campaign, a good mix of some World Cup experience with new blood. Young D’Justice Sears-Duru of Oakville has made a difference when he comes on and will continue to do do. Phil Mack as well. Both are getting their debuts September 19 against Ireland. Despite being 33, Phil has yet to play in a World Cup campaign as his missed 2011 with injury. Likewise for Ray Barkwill, Canada’s best shot at hooker. He is 35 now and is a debutante as well. Another example of age not being as much a factor as it once was before the age of stricter training routines and overall higher fitness.
John Moonlight’s inclusion is an absolute given since he’s the one player named to every game day squad this year. His work rate is immense, as is his drive. Consider that he barely had time coming off the 7s tour as Captain, and on the heels of that the PanAm games in Toronto where our 7s got the gold medal. He’s a force to be reckoned with and Canada should be immensely proud. Aaron Carpenter and Nick Blevins have also proven their inclusion, scoring tries on a fairly regular basis throughout this summer’s PNC. People have been praising Blevins all summer, so he pretty much had to get the call up.
Players with multiple World Cup experience are going to provide an important element to the campaign. In the front pack, Jamie Cudmore, Aaron Carpenter, Jason Marshall and Jebb Sinclair are all key inclusions, as is Hubert Buydens. These are known players and Cudmore and Sinclair’s size is needed. Cudmore will suit up for his fourth World Cup, becoming only the fifth player in Canadian history to play at four World Cups, joining Gareth Rees, Rod Snow, Mike James and Al Charron. (Carpenter and Van Der Merwe will be playing in their third World Cup, while brothers Phil and Jamie Mackenzie are attending their second).
“They bring a wealth of experience,” Crowley said.” Jamie’s been around a long time and Jebb Sinclair and Jason Marshall were both in the last World Cup. You can’t beat experience and it will add a lot to the group.
It’s a relief to know that Tyler Ardron will captain the side since he was hurt during the PNC. There was some concern he might not be ready. We are yet to have confirmation that he will play any of the matches on the road to World Cup but at least he’s been named to the roster and as Captain. That is good news.
Fast boots teammates over recent years, Van Der Merwe, Mackenzie, Hassler, Jones and Evans will keep the back fires lit. One iconic picture from World Cup 2011 that springs to mind is the celebratory try hand gesture between Van Der Merwe and Mackenzie. With luck their pairing will make that kind of difference for us again, and ignite the passion both within the team and supporters alike.
Compared to their Pool D opponents, the team is relatively young with 18 players making their World Cup debuts. There are only 650 test caps between all 31 players selected to the World Cup squad. Crowley said: “For all of the players selected, the World Cup represents rugby’s greatest stage and we have an opportunity to uphold Canada’s history dating back to 1987.”
It’ll be an intense discussion leading up to and during the World Cup. Crowley is aware the boys have work yet to do before they can be successful and with three games left to play in the lead-up before facing Ireland on September 19.
Already there are Canadian supporters calling for change and reform as Canada has yet to win a match in 2015; and some attribute the resignation of CEO Graham Brown yesterday to the start of that reform.
Brown, who has brought a lot of attention to rugby in Canada during his 13 years here by way of new tournaments, media and venue deals, as well as key sponsorships, announced that he will end his tenure at the conclusion of World Cup.
Canada will have a fight on their hands in World Cup, being the lowest ranked team of the five in their pool at 18th in the world. It is conceivable, with some more cohesion and a calming of nerves it is possible for them to end the preliminary pool matches with a win or two. Now that the squad has been named, that anticipation is over with, so the 31 men can get down to the business of finding some success at World Cup.
Tyler Ardron – Captain (Ospreys) Lakefield, ON
Ray Barkwill – (Castaway Wanderers/Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON
Brett Beukeboom – (Cornish Pirates) Lindsay, ON
Nick Blevins – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
Connor Braid – (Unattached/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
Hubert Buydens – (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
Aaron Carpenter – (Cornish Pirates/Ontario Blues) Brantford, ON
Jamie Cudmore – (Clermont Auvergne) Squamish, BC
Nanyak Dala – (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
Matt Evans – (Cornish Pirates) Maple Bay, BC
Kyle Gilmour – (Rotherham Titans/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB
Jeff Hassler – (Ospreys) Okotoks, ON
Ciaran Hearn – (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay, NL
Nathan Hirayama – (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
Harry Jones – (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) North Vancouver, BC
Phil Mack – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
Jamie Mackenzie – (UBCOB Ravens/Ontario Blues) Oakville, ON
Phil Mackenzie – (Sale Sharks/Ontario Blues), Oakville, ON
Jason Marshall – (Agen/BC Bears) North Vancouver, BC
Gordon McRorie – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
John Moonlight – (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON
Evan Olmstead – (Parramatta Two Blues/Prairie Wolf Pack) Vancouver, BC
Benoit Piffero – (Unattached/Atlantic Rock) Montreal, QC
Djustice Sears-Duru – (Oakville Crusaders/Ontario Blues) Oakville, ON
Jebb Sinclair – (London Irish/Atlantic Rock) Fredericton, NB
Richard Thorpe – (London Welsh) Beckenham, England
Andrew Tiedemann – (Unattached/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB
Conor Trainor – (UBCOB Ravens/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
Liam Underwood – (Balmy Beach RFC/Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON
DTH van der Merwe – (Scarlets) Victoria, BC
Doug Wooldridge – (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues) Lindsay, ON
Road to the Rugby World Cup:
August 29 – Canada vs. Glasgow Warriors (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax)
September 2 – Canada vs. Georgia (Esher, England)
September 6 – Canada vs. Fiji (The Stoop, England)
Rugby World Cup Pool Matches:
September 19 – Canada vs. Ireland (Cardiff, Wales)
September 26 – Canada vs. Italy (Leeds, England)
October 1 – Canada vs. France (Milton Keynes, England)
October 6 – Canada vs. Romania (Leicester, England)
