Canada Name Match 23 for Hong Kong Test on Saturday: Kickoff 7am PT
Canada ranked #21 will take on Hong Kong ranked #24 on Saturday. Hong Kong were just narrowly defeated by USA last weekend, they were very opportunistic against USA and Canada will have to reduce their errors if they hope to come away with the win on Saturday. Hong Kong led the match at half time, 17-14, and both of their tries would fall into the opportunistic category, a blocked clearance kick and a pickup from the ruck with defenders napping. It became a penalty kicking battle in the second half with Hong Kong having the upper hand, USA scored the go ahead try with three minutes left for a 28-26 win.
Canada are missing Lucas Rumball but have Evan Olmstead, Matt Oworu, Andrew Quattrin, Cole Keith back in the roster, there’s still no sign of Mason Flesch. Retaining their starting spots from the Georgia loss are Cali Martinez, Kyle Steeves, Daragh Doyle, Matt Beukeboom, Tyler Ardron, Jesse Kilgour, Spencer Jones, Nic Benn, Ben Lesage, Takoda McMullin. Isaac Olson and Demetri Patterson are the new starters in the backline. Josh Thiel has come in as a back replacement and Jason Higgins is the reserve scrum half.
from Rugby Canada
Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team will face Hong Kong China this Saturday at Chambéry Savoie Stadium in their second of three fixtures in the November World Rugby Nations Cup.
The match will be broadcast live on TSN4, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 PT / 9:00 ET (15:00 local time). A replay will be available on TSN5 at 18:00 ET.
Head Coach Stephen Meehan has made 10 changes to the squad following Canada’s 59-14 defeat to Georgia in their opening fixture last weekend. Canada moved up one spot in the World Rankings after last week’s match, now sitting at 21st – the highest they have been since November, 2023.
Andrew Quattrin (US Carcassonne), Evan Olmstead (Nissa Rugby), Isaac Olson (Ampthill RUFC), Cole Keith (CAP Périgueux) and Matthew Oworu (Biarritz Olympique) join the squad after being unavailable for selection against Georgia.
“Hong Kong, China are a side that thrive on broken play and loose-balls, said Head Coach Stephen Meehan. They’re very good at capitalizing on kicks, grubbers and unpredictable bounces, so discipline will be crucial. We need to be smart in our approach and make sure we don’t give them the opportunities that other teams have allowed them to exploit.
Our returning players have arrived with tremendous enthusiasm and energy. Tuesday afternoon, we had the best training session I’ve been part of since taking on this role. It was fantastic to see the players smiling, enjoying themselves and bringing that energy to the group. Hopefully, we can carry that momentum into the weekend.
This is a short, demanding tour, and with the Rugby World Cup squad selection getting closer, our opportunities to assess this group are becoming limited. It’s important that we give players the chance to step up, see how they’ve developed and understand what they can bring to this team. These opportunities are vital as we continue building towards the World Cup.”
Josh McIndoe, Liam James and Kyle Tremblay will be unavailable for selection this week due to injury.
Josh Thiel has been named among the replacements after joining the squad in Chambéry. The 29-year-old made his international debut for Canada in the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship and went on to earn a silver medal at the 2019 Lima Pan American Games. He last represented Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team against Namibia in 2022.
Demetri Patterson, who made his debut for Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team at HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi in February 2026, is set to make his 15-a-side debut for Canada, earning his first cap in the number 14 jersey.
Lucas Rumball is unavailable for selection this week due to personal reasons. In his absence, Ben LeSage will captain Canada for the first time in his career, with Andrew Quattrin named vice-captain.
CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM’S MATCH DAY ROSTER VS HONG KONG CHINA
1. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC (16 caps)
2. Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / US Carcassonne (32 caps)
3. Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) – Winnipeg Wombats / Blackheath Rugby (12 caps)
4. Daragh Doyle (Québec City, QC) – Clontarf FC (6 caps)
5. Evan Olmstead (North Vancouver, BC) – Lindfield Rugby Club / Nissa Rugby (37 caps)
6. Matt Beukeboom (Lindsay, ON) – SAXV Angoulême (4 caps)
7. Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC (22 caps)
8. Tyler Ardron (Lakefield, ON) – Peterborough Pagans / Provence Rugby (41 caps)
9. Jesse Kilgour (Oro-Medonte, ON) – Barrie RC / Aurora Barbarians (4 caps)
10. Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) – Hamilton Old Boys / Nottingham Rugby (20 caps)
11. Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Hawkes Bay Magpies (14 caps)
12. Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks (43 caps)
13. Isaac Olson (Vernon, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Ampthill RUFC (8 caps)
14. Demetri Patterson (West Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia / Capilano RFC (0 caps)
15. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Bayside RFC (11 caps)
FINISHERS
16. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Rotherham Titans (18 caps)
17. Sam Miller (Mount Denson, NS) – Valley Rugby Union / Blackheath Rugby (11 caps)
18. Cole Keith (Sussex, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / CAP Périgueux (47 caps)
19. Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC (20 caps)
20. Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Westshore RFC / Biarritz Olympique (17 caps)
21. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution (32 caps)
22. Jack Gore (Mississauga, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Wilfrid Laurier University (1 cap)
23. Josh Thiel (Abbotsford, BC) – James Bay AA (3 caps)