Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team roster named for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series stop in Dubai

Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team roster named for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series stop in Dubai

November 24, 2022 (Langford, BC) – Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team roster has been named by Assistant Coach Sean White for the second stop of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 in Dubai.

An HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series mainstay event, the Emirates Dubai Sevens will take place December 1-3, and is the first of four consecutive men’s and women’s combined events. The men’s tournament will see 16 teams competing in four pools, with Canada in Pool D.

Twelve players return from the squad that finished 10th in Hong Kong in early November, with Cooper Coats re-joining the team after missing Hong Kong. Coats, Josiah Morra, David Richard, and Brock Webster join the team in Dubai following two test matches with the Men’s National Team in Amsterdam, including a win over the Netherlands and a narrow loss to Namibia.

Coming off a standout performance in Hong Kong is Thomas Isherwood. The Okotoks, Alberta native, playing in just his second season with the Men’s Sevens program, made a name for himself with an impressive offload play to David Richard in Canada’s match against Kenya, as just one example of his exceptional play. The Hong Kong tournament was monumental for Kal Sager as well, as it marked his international debut; Dubai will be his second tour with the Men’s Sevens program.

“Our team is looking forward to utilizing our learnings from Hong Kong and finding a more consistent performance over the next two legs,” said White, who will lead Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team following the departure of Head Coach Henry Paul. “It is an honour to be given the opportunity to lead and develop this team in our back-to-back stops in Dubai and Cape Town. The approach is to continue to prepare the players for the challenges they face and grow as a group each time we come together, on or off the pitch.”

Canada will play the United States, Samoa and Japan during pool play, starting with the United States on Thursday December 1 at 10:06 p.m. PT / Friday December 2 at 1:06 a.m. ET.

SCHEDULE / COVERAGE

For the most up to date information on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and live coverage, visit the official website world.rugby/sevens-series. There you will find details regarding the event format, schedule, and the latest news.

WHERE TO WATCH

Broadcast coverage of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will be available in Canada via CBC. All events are available to live stream via cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app, and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS ROSTER

1. Anton Ngongo (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers
2. Jake Thiel (Victoria, BC) – James Bay AA
3. D’Shawn Bowen (Toronto, ON) – Pacific Pride
4. Phil Berna (Vancouver, BC) – Vancouver Rowing Club
5. Alex Russell (Chichester, ENG) – McGill University
6. Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Toronto Saracens
7. Brock Webster (Uxbridge, ON) – Oshawa Vikings RFC
8.  Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Tars
12. David Richard (Milton, ON) – Mississauga Blues RFC
19. Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
23. Thomas Isherwood (Okotoks, AB) – Foothills Lions RFC
33. Kal Sager (Peterborough, ON) – Peterborough Pagans / Trent University
44. Lockie Kratz (Victoria, BC) – Castaways Wanderers / NOLA Gold