Canada U20 Holds Camp at St. George’s This Week: 54 Players Named to Long List
The men’s U20 team are holding a training camp this week Thursday to Sunday at St. George’s school. There is no JWRT this year so the Canadian and USA teams are touring, the USA announced a tour to South Africa and Canada announced they’re touring to Fiji in today’s media release.
There are 54 players named to the Canada U20 long list and it’s interesting to break down those numbers.
Here’s the breakdown by province/country of player origin:
23 ON, 14 BC, 5 ENG, 3 AB, 3 RSA, 1 WAL, 1 Barbados, 1 IRE, 1 AUS, 1 QC, 1 NL, 0 SK, 0 MB, 0 NS, 0 NB, 0 PEI = 54
It’s largely an Ontario team, 43% of players are from Ontario, 26 % from BC, combined almost 70% of the squad are from the two provinces. Players from England are the next largest group, then Alberta, South Africa with single players from Wales, Barbados, Ireland and Australia. East of Ontario from Quebec to Newfoundland there are only 2 players, 1 NL and 1 QC. There are none from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick.
Here’s the breakdown by university/club:
38 University/College, 4 Pacific Pride, 3 club BC, 3 club ON, 2 club UK, 1 club France, 1 club Ireland, 1 club Wales, 1 high school Canada
Over 70% of the players are affiliated with a University/College, the Pacific Pride provide 4 players, followed by BC and Ontario clubs who provide 3 each, then UK clubs 2, and single players from clubs in France, Ireland and Wales. There’s one high school player from Shawnigan.
In BC of the 14 players, here’s the region breakdown:
6 Vancouver, 5 Victoria, 1 Langford, 1 Tsawwassen, 1 Esquimalt
The breakdown numbers raise some questions about how effective our talent ID systems are outside of universities and the main rugby corridors of Ontario and BC? Just in BC you look at the Fraser Valley and see how much youth talent they provide, they’re always competitive with youth teams, yet I’m not seeing any representation from there. I remember a couple of years ago being impressed with a big #8 from the Valley U20 team, I mentioned his name to a few people, but never saw him invited to any camp. I imagine it’s a story repeated many times across the country in smaller communities, how many talented youth are getting missed unless they go the university path?
Now that Stephen Aboud has announced he’s leaving, hopefully the next High Performance Director will be Canadian and one of the first things they should do is commission a report on the effectiveness of talent ID across Canada outside of the major rugby hubs. There are many retired, professionals in the rugby community who would love to sink their teeth into a report like that, working on an honorarium for the long term benefit of rugby in Canada.
Congratulations to the players chosen and the support staff. The Fiji tour details will be forthcoming when Rugby Canada deems it appropriate.
CANADA’S U20 MEN’S RUGBY TEAM – 2025 LONG LIST
FORWARDS
Adam Doane (Sutton, ON) – University of Victoria / Aurora Barbarians
Alexander Muir (Victoria, BC) – University College Dublin / UBCOB Ravens
Alistair Yeomans (Mississauga, ON) – University of Guelph / Mississauga Blues
Andrew Neveu (Uxbridge, ON) – Durham College / Oshawa Vikings RFC
Angus Dewar (Vancouver, BC) – Queen’s University / UBCOB Ravens
Austin Allen (Thornbury, ON) – Trent University / Georgian Bay Titans
Ben Davis (Peterborough, ON) – University of Ottawa / Peterborough Pagans
Ben Koolen (Banbury, ENG) – Bloxham School / Gloucester Rugby
Braam Swanepoel (Pretoria, RSA) – York University
Brighton Feldman (Langford, BC) – University of Victoria / Westshore RFC
Chukwudumebi Odum (Mississauga, ON) – Valence Romans Drome Rugby
Coen Quinn (Ottawa, ON) – Queen’s University / Bytown Blues RFC
Cole Harris (Uxbridge, ON) – Pacific Pride / Brock RFC
Daniel Lucic (Oakville, ON) – University of Guelph / Oakville Crusaders
Daragh Doyle (Quebec City, QC) – Clontarf FC
Elijah McQueen (Fergus, ON) – University of British Columbia / Fergus Highland Rugby
Finn Hughes (Peterborough, ON) – Wilfrid Laurier University / Peterborough Pagans
Jacob Blackwood (Tsawwassen, BC) – University of British Columbia / Bayside Sharks
James Noftall (Conception Bay South, NL) – University of British Columbia / Swilers RFC
Kaea Griffiths (Penzance, ENG) – Camborne RFC
Kyle Finan (Barnsley, ENG) – Leeds Beckett University / Red Deer Titans
Liam Kinghorn (Calgary, AB) – University of British Columbia / Calgary Irish
Matthew Carroll (Oakville, ON) – Queen’s University / Oakville Crusaders
Noah Kynaston (Esquimalt, BC) – Pacific Pride / Castaway Wanderers
Quinn Foley (Oakville, ON) – University of Guelph / Oakville Crusaders
Reid Yurkowski (Leduc, AB) – Capilano RFC
Simroy John (Clapham Heights Christ Church, BRB) – Shawnigan Lake School
Tate Hartley (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia
BACKS
Ashton Chapman (Swansea, WAL) – Gorseinon
Benjamin Crowley (County Limerick, IRE) – Blackrock College
Briar Barron (Holland Landing, ON) – Queen’s University / Aurora Barbarians
Charlie Huntingford (North Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC
Daniel Muzaliwa (Cape Town, RSA) – University of Waterloo / Waterloo County
Devonne Henry (Whitby, ON) – Wilfrid Laurier University / Oshawa Vikings
Emmett Rahiri (Peterborough, ON) – University of Ottawa / Peterborough Pagans
Evan Davies (Toronto, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC
Evan Palmer (Vancouver, BC) – Queen’s University
Jacques Henning (Okotoks, AB) – University of Alberta / Foothills Lions RFC
Jimmy Leach (London, UK) – Brunel University
Joe Kaufmann (Kingston, ON) – Kingston Panthers / La Salle School
Jonty Nicholas (Wiltshire, UK) – University of British Columbia
Joshua McIndoe (Victoria, BC) – University of Victoria / Greerton Marist Rugby Club
Kohl Kletke (Oakville, ON) – Western University / Oakville Crusaders
Liam James (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia / UBCOB Ravens
Liam Turnbull (Vancouver, BC) – UBCOB Ravens
Matthew Bennett (Durban, RSA) – University of Victoria / Westshore RFC
Max McGavern (Newcastle, AUS) – University of British Columbia / St Joseph’s
Mitchell Buie (Victoria, BC) – Pacific Pride / Westshore RFC
Morgan Di Nardo (Toronto, ON) – University of Victoria
Reece Thompson (Minesing, ON) – University of Victoria / Barrie Rugby
Rowan Closs (Uxbridge, ON) – Brock Rugby Club
Spencer Cotie (Victoria, BC) – University of Victoria / Castaway Wanderers
Stephen Webb (Toronto, ON) – University of British Columbia / Balmy Beach Rugby Club
Ty Driscoll (Victoria, BC) – Pacific Pride
from Rugby Canada
Christiaan Esterhuizen, Head Coach of Canada’s U20 Men’s Rugby Team, has announced a long list of players for Rugby Canada’s 2025 U20 squad.
This group will convene in Vancouver, BC for a training and alignment camp from February 20 to 23. Held alongside HSBC SVNS Vancouver, the team will train at Vancouver’s St. George’s School and play an intersquad match on February 23.
This camp comes as Canada’s U20 men’s program prepares for a 2025 tour to Fiji, with further information to be announced when possible.
Players were identified and selected for the long list via their participation in university and club competition and tournaments like the U19 Canadian Rugby Championship, past performance with Canada’s age grade programs, and recommendations from provincial coaches. Players on the long list have been engaged in regular preparation and alignment calls, with staff closely monitoring players’ strength and conditioning progress as they train in their respective environments.
“We are excited to gather our players and staff in Vancouver and get the year started with our U20 programming,” said Esterhuizen. “Our staff have been impressed with the dedication and eagerness of our players already. I have seen them in action over the last few months in a variety of competitions, stretching from the Canadian Rugby Championships in Nova Scotia all the way to Vancouver Island. While some of our players based abroad will not be able to attend this short camp, we are also delighted to have players competing in strong competitions in countries like Ireland, Scotland, England, and Australia and furthering their rugby development before joining us later in the year.”
Head Coach Christiaan Esterhuizen will be joined in Vancouver by Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team Defence Coach John McFarland, Cory Hector (University of Guelph), Paddy Watson (Balmy Beach RFC), Conor Turner (Strength and Conditioning Coach), and Erin Schatkowsky (Athletic Therapist).
Additional coaching support for Sunday’s intersquad scrimmage will include Didier Banse (University of British Columbia), Bruce Rainer (University of British Columbia), Andy Evans (Trinity Western University), Aaron Takel (Collingwood School), Bill Chamberlain (St. George’s School) and Graeme Moffatt (University of Lethbridge).