Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s match day roster named ahead of match against Romania in Ottawa

July 9, 2024 (Ottawa, ON) - The match day roster for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s second match in Ottawa, which see the Canadians take on Romania, has been named by Head Coach Kingsley Jones.

Canada and Romania will kick off at 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT on Friday July 12 at TD Place, the first time these two teams, who are close in the world rankings, have met since 2017 in Edmonton. Both sides played last weekend, with Canada facing Scotland at TD Place in front of a home crowd of 11,447 and Romania edging out the United States in Chicago. Tickets for Friday’s match are available here.

Nic Benn has earned his second start for Canada, with Talon McMullin moving into the starting line-up after subbing into Canada’s match against Scotland on Saturday for his first cap. Ben LeSage moves from inside to outside centre, with the remainder of Canada’s starting line-up staying the same following the match against Scotland.

Four players have an opportunity to earn their first caps for Canada off the bench. This includes Dallas Jackals hooker Dewald Kotze, who finished the MLR regular season fourth overall in tries scored, as well as Old Glory DC’s Calixto Martinez, New England Free Jacks’ Ethan Fryer, and the Pacific Pride Development Academy’s Mark Balaski.

“Important in our selection for this match was cohesion and giving the guys who went on Saturday another opportunity to keep growing. We know the areas we need to improve. We face a physical challenge with Romania, a slightly different one from what we faced against Scotland. Scotland was a test for us to see where we stand and measure ourselves. We’re looking to make improvements in many areas for Friday, while continuing the good work in our set pieces and discipline,” said Head Coach Kingsley Jones.  

“The team felt the support of the hometown crowd on Saturday and are eager to get back on the pitch at TD Place to represent Canada. Our players continue to take on each challenge with grit and tenacity, and have demonstrated this throughout our training here in Ottawa. We are also looking forward to seeing four more players have an opportunity on Friday to earn their first cap, as we continue to build as a program and develop our depth and experience.”

Tickets for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team against Romania on July 12 at 7:00pm ET at TD Place are available for purchase at rugby.ca/en/tickets. Questions regarding ticket purchases can be directed to tickets@rugby.ca. For more information on suites, please contact suites@rugby.ca. 

The match will be broadcast live on TSN4.

Media accreditation applications are currently being accepted here. Questions regarding media accreditation can be directed to media@rugby.ca.   

CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER vs ROMANIA

1. Liam Murray (Langley, BC) – Dallas Jackals
2. Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / New England Free Jacks
3. Conor Young (Yamba, AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA
4. Conor Keys (Stittsville, ON) – New England Free Jacks
5. Kyle Baillie (Summerside, PEI) – Halifax Tars / New England Free Jacks
6. Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons RFC / Chicago Hounds
7. Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
8. Siaki Vikilani (Vancouver, BC) – Burnaby Lake RFC / Clifton Rugby Club
9. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Chicago Hounds
10. Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC
11. Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Dallas Jackals
12. Talon McMullin (White Rock, BC) - University of British Columbia / Vancouver Highlanders
13. Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
14. Andrew Coe (Markham, ON) - RFC LA
15. Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) - Halifax Tars

FINISHERS

16. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
17. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) - Old Glory DC
18. Cole Keith (Apohaqui, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
19. James Stockwood (Bowmanville, ON) – Vikings RFC / Pacific Pride
20. Ethan Fryer (Seattle, USA) – New England Free Jacks
21. Brock Gallagher (Edmonton, AB) - Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
22. Mark Balaski (Castlebar, IRE) – Castlebar RFC / Pacific Pride
23. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) - University of British Columbia / Vancouver Highlanders