By Canadian Press

Captain Tyler Ardron to lead Canada’s 31-man squad at Rugby World Cup in Japan

Sep 3, 2019 | 11:28 AM

Tyler Ardron captains a Canadian side with few surprises for the Rugby World Cup kicking off next month in Japan.

Ardron, a powerful back-rower who plays his club rugby in New Zealand for the Chiefs, also captained Canada at the 2015 tournament but only saw action in two matches due to injury. Star winger DTH van der Merwe, who plays professionally for Glasgow Warriors in the Pro 14 league, will be attending his fourth World Cup.

Coach Kingsley Jones’ 31-man roster features 14 players from North America’s Major League Rugby including seven from the Toronto Arrows. Six players are with clubs in Europe with six more currently unattached. Four are with Canadian amateur sides.

There are 17 forwards and 14 backs. Fullback Theo Sauder, winger Kainoa Lloyd and prop Rob Brouwer are among those who did not make the cut. Sauder had been dealing with an injury.

Irish-born back Peter Nelson, added to the squad prior to the Pacific Nations Cup this summer thanks to his Toronto-born grandmother, makes the squad.

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“It’s been a really tough selection but that’s what we wanted,” Jones said in a statement Tuesday. “The players made it difficult for us due to their commitment and efforts over the last 18 months. I’d like to sincerely thank them all.”

The Canadian men, ranked 21st in the world, have been drawn in a tough Pool B alongside No. 1 New Zealand, No. 5 South Africa, No. 11 Italy and No. 23 Namibia. Canada opens Sept. 26 against Italy in Fukuoka City.

The Canadians were the last team to qualify for the 20-country tournament, winning a repechage event in France last November with victories over No. 24 Hong Kong, No. 28 Germany and No. 34 Kenya. Canada had previously lost qualifying series against the 14th-ranked Americans and No. 19 Uruguay. 

The Canadians play their final warmup match Friday against the U.S. at Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium.

Canada is 2-8-0 in 2019 with losses to the U.S. (twice) No. 10 Fiji, No. 15 Tonga, No. 19 Uruguay and No. 26 Brazil as well as an Argentina XV and Irish club side Leinster. The lone wins were 56-0 over No. 29 Chile on Feb. 22 and 45-13 over the B.C. all-stars last Friday.

The Canadian men lost all four matches at the 2105 World Cup, outscored 131-58 in losses to Ireland, France, Italy and Romania.

Canada’s overall record at the World Cup is 6-21-2 with wins over Fiji, Namibia, Romania and Tonga (three times). It has only advanced out of the pool stage once, losing 29-13 to New Zealand in the quarterfinals of the 1991 tournament.

Canada Roster

Tyler Ardron (capt.), Chiefs, Lakefield, Ont.; Kyle Baillie, New Orleans Gold (MLR), Summerside, P.E.I.; Justin Blanchet, unattached, Montreal; Nick Blevins, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Hubert Buydens, unattached (MLR), Saskatoon; Luke Campbell, Toronto Arrows (MLR), Victoria; Andrew Coe, Markham Irish, Markham, Ont.; Jeff Hassler, Seattle Seawolves (MLR), Okotoks, Alta.; Ciaran Hearn, unattached, Conception Bay South, N.L.; Matt Heaton, Rugby ATL (MLR), Godmanchester, Que.; Eric Howard, New Orleans Gold, Ottawa; Jake Ilnicki, Seattle Seawolves (MLR), Williams Lake, B.C.; Cole Keith, Toronto Arrows (MLR), Sussex, N.B.; Conor Keys, unattached, Stittsville, Ont.; Ben LeSage, Calgary Canucks, Calgary; Phil Mack, Seattle Seawolves (MLR), Victoria; Jamie Mackenzie, Toronto Arrows (MLR), Oakville, Ont.; Gordon McRorie, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Peter Nelson, unattached, Dungannon, Northern Ireland; Shane O’Leary, Nottingham Rugby (England), Cambellton, N.B.; Evan Olmstead, unattached, Vancouver; Patrick Parfrey, Toronto Arrows (MLR), St. John’s, N.L.; Taylor Paris, Castres Olympique (France), Barrie, Ont.; Benoit Piffero, Blagnac SCR (France), Issoire, France; Andrew Quattrin, Toronto Arrows (MLR), Holland Landing, Ont.; Lucas Rumball, Toronto Arrows (MLR), Toronto; Djustice Sears-Duru, Seattle Seawolves (MLR), Oakville, Ont.; Mike Sheppard, Toronto Arrows (MLR), Brampton, Ont.; Matt Tierney, Castres Olympique (France), Oakville, Ont.; Conor Trainor, USON Nevers (France), Vancouver; DTH van der Merwe, Glasgow Warriors (Scotland), Regina.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press