CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM NAMES MATCH DAY ROSTER FOR PACIFIC NATIONS CUP CONTEST AGAINST JAPAN

CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM NAMES MATCH DAY ROSTER FOR PACIFIC NATIONS CUP CONTEST AGAINST JAPAN

The match day roster for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s upcoming Pacific Nations Cup match against Japan has been named by Head Coach Stephen Meehan.

Canada kicks off against Japan on Saturday August 30 at 1:00am PT / 4:00am ET / 5:00pm Local at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai. As Canada’s second and final pool play match, the result will help determine who Canada will play in the play-offs in Denver on September 14.

Canada met the United States in their opening Pacific Nations Cup match on Friday in Calgary, defeating the Americans 34-20 in front of 11,587 fans at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium and coming away with an important bonus point thanks to Tyler Ardron’s record-tying four tries and Peter Nelson’s 14 points.

Shane O’Leary moves into the starting 15 at fullback, his first appearance for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team since the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Siôn Parry gets his start in the number 6 jersey with Mason Flesch slotting in at 5 and Matthew Oworu shifting to 8.

Callum Botchar, who plays in the MLR with New Orlean’s NOLA Gold joins the match day 23 after being called in to the Pacific Nations Cup Tournament Team. In the midfield, Spencer Jones slots in at 12, LeSage shifting to 13 and Flesch coming off the bench in the number 22 jersey. Nic Benn, who came off the bench versus the Americans will start at left wing (11) with Josiah Morra moving to the right (14).

Making his return to the match day squad for the first time since the 2024 Cernavoda Cup in Romania is Conor Young, who plays in the MLR for Rugby FC Los Angeles. Fellow RFC LA teammate Matt Heaton joins the bench and Brenden Black who made his debut for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs Belgium earlier this year will look to earn his second cap for Canada in the number 23 jersey.

“The players delivered just about everything we asked of them against the United States, and we were proud to secure a significant win on home soil,” said Head Coach Stephen Meehan. “Japan is a quality side, and we look forward to that challenge. The team has shown real effort and commitment in training in a competitive environment—a clear sign of the depth we're building. Now it's about execution against another higher-ranked opponent.”

This match will mark the first time Canada has played in Sendai since 2009, and the first time the team will be back within the Tōhoku region since the 2019 Rugby World Cup when Canada’s match vs Namibia was canceled due to typhoon Hagibis. Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team looks forward to welcoming fans that may have hoped to be at their match back in 2019. Canada’s players, after the cancellation, stayed in Kamaishi and helped residents clean up debris and mud from the storm. This act of solidarity was widely praised and remembered as one of the most touching stories of the 2019 World Cup.

The match will be streamed live on TSN4 and TSN+. Tickets can be found here.

More information about the Pacific Nations Cup can be found here.

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

1.  Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) -  Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC 
2.  Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves 
3.  Cole Keith (Sussex, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks 
4.  Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) - New England Free Jacks 
5.  Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds 
6.  Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC 
7.  Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds 
8.  Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride / Chicago Hounds 
9.  Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution / Chicago Hounds  
10.  Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC    
11.  Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Utah Warriors
12.  Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) - Hamilton Old Boys / Utah Warriors 
13.  Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks  
14.  Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) - New England Free Jacks / Toronto Saracens  
15.  Shane O’Leary (Cork, IRE) - Ballina Killaloe RFC / Miami Sharks
 
FINISHERS

16. Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZ) – Bayside RFC / Seattle Seawolves 
17. Emerson Prior (Brockville, ON) - Brockville Privateers / Westshore RFC / Utah Warriors 
18. Conor Young (Yamba, AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA 
19. Callum Botchar (Vancouver, BC) – James Bay AA / NOLA Gold
20. Matt Heaton (Godmanchester, QC) -  Ormstown Saracens / RFC LA 
21. Stephen Webb (Toronto, ON) - Balmy Beach RFC / University of British Columbia   
22. Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds  
23. Brenden Black (Oakville, ON) - Oakville Crusaders / University of Guelph