Rugby Canada Announce Hosting for Three Summer Tests for Men’s XVs Team: Two in Ottawa and One in Vancouver
The Canada men’s team currently ranked #21 will host Scotland #6 on Saturday, July 6th in Ottawa. The following Friday, July 12th, they’ll host Romania #20 in Ottawa. On Sunday August 25th, they’ll host Japan #12 at BC Place in Vancouver.
Ottawa has become the favourite hosting destination since the new CEO, Nathan Bombrys, has made it his home base. Last summer Ottawa hosted the women’s Pacific Four Series which included USA, NZ and Australia. BC Place hosts the Vancouver 7s and draws reasonably good crowds for a rugby event in Canada, it will be interesting to see what crowd Japan draws on a Sunday in August. In November 2017 they attracted a crowd of close to 30,000 for the NZ Maori match at BC Place. In July 2023 the Canada v NZ women’s match at TD Place drew a crowd of 10,000 which was billed as the “largest crowd in program history”. The CFL team Ottawa Redblacks had an average attendance of 19,000 in 2023.
The men’s team also had away matches announced as part of the Pacific Nations Cup, against the USA on August 31st and the finals in Japan starting the week of September 13th.
There is some concern on the overlap with the MLR season which ends June 29th and then begins the post season in July. There will be some difficulty in getting a full preparation camp for the July 6th fixture against Scotland.
from Rugby Canada
Rugby returns to Ottawa’s TD Place and Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium this summer, with Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team hosting Scotland and Romania in July before welcoming Japan for their first match of the reimagined Pacific Nations Cup in August.
Rugby returns to Ottawa’s TD Place and Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium this summer, with Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team hosting Scotland and Romania in July before welcoming Japan for their first match of the reimagined Pacific Nations Cup in August.
Canada will kick-off against the number six ranked Scotland on July 6 to contest for the Douglas Horn Cup, as TD Place plays host to international rugby for the third year in a row. Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team and Scotland last met in 2018 in Edmonton, and have competed for the perpetual Douglas Horn Cup, named after the father of Alan Horn, since 2008.
The following week, on July 12, Canada will return to TD Place to play Romania. Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team previously played at TD Place in 2022, facing Spain. Last summer, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team played New Zealand and Australia in Canada’s capital for the Pacific Four Series, drawing in record crowds.
On August 25, Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team will open the Pacific Nations Cup against Japan at BC Place in Vancouver. This will mark the fifth time that BC Place has hosted an international test match, and the first time Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team has played in Vancouver since 2019.
“Rugby Canada is excited to be returning to Ottawa and Vancouver this summer with our Canadian Men’s Rugby Team,” said Nathan Bombrys, Rugby Canada CEO. “Over the last two summers, Ottawa has proved to be a world-class host city. We are also coming off yet another fantastic Vancouver Sevens weekend at BC Place. Both Ottawa and Vancouver have been great supporters of rugby in Canada, and we are looking forward to seeing our men’s team play three valuable international test matches in front of home crowds.”
Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team will play a minimum of five matches between July and September. In addition to the three fixtures hosted in Canada, are the remaining Pacific Nations Cup matches. With Canada, Japan and the United States in Pool B, following the match in Vancouver, Canada will travel to Los Angeles to play the United States on August 31. All teams, including the Pool A nations of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, then go to Japan for the play-offs. Tokyo will host the semi-finals and fifth place play-off over September 14 and 15, while Osaka will host the final and third place play-off over September 21 to 22.
Information on kick-off times, broadcasting and tickets for all of Canada’s summer fixtures in Ottawa and Vancouver will be announced shortly.
Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team 2024 Summer Fixtures
July 6 vs Scotland
TD Place
Ottawa, Ontario
July 12 vs Romania
TD Place
Ottawa, Ontario
August 25 vs Japan
BC Place
Vancouver, BC