Rugby Canada Release List of 34 Players for Pacific Nations Cup Training Camp: Did They Omit a Couple of Important Names
Rugby Canada released a list of “34 players to Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s training camp in Calgary ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup” but it appears they’ve left off a couple of marquee players as we understand both Evan Olmstead and Tyler Ardron are in camp. We’re not sure of the reason for the omission but we’re expecting both Olmstead and Ardron to be in the match day roster against USA. We’ll wait and see on that.
A couple of names included that weren’t in the mix for the Belgium and Spain games, Conor Young now being mentioned, he was sidelined by injury for most of this MLR season but was the starting tighthead for Canada last year. Shane O’Leary is now in the mix, could he show up as fullback or #10?
Training Squad (Listed by Rugby Canada)
FORWARDS
Alexandre Janlin (Toulouse, FR) – L’Isle Jourdain
Austin Creighton (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / James Bay AA
Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC
Callum Botchar (Vancouver, BC) – James Bay AA / NOLA Gold
Cole Keith (Sussex, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
Conor Young (Yamba, AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA
Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves
Emerson Prior (Brockville, ON) – Brockville Privateers / Westshore RFC / Utah Warriors
Foster DeWitt (Courtenay, BC) – New England Free Jacks / Westshore RFC
Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Capilano RFC
Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZ) – Bayside RFC / Seattle Seawolves
Karl Hunger (Beaconsfield, QC) – Beaconsfield RFC / Pacific Pride
Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) – Winnipeg Wombats / New England Free Jacks
Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
Matt Heaton (Godmanchester, QC) – Ormstown Saracens / RFC LA
Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride / Chicago Hounds
Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) – New England Free Jacks
Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC
BACKS
Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
Brenden Black (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / University of Guelph
Brock Gallagher (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves
Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Tars RFC / NOLA Gold
Isaac Olson (Vernon, BC) – New England Free Jacks
Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution / Chicago Hounds
Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – New England Free Jacks / Toronto Saracens
Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, ON) – James Bay AA / United Rugby Sports Club
Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Utah Warriors
Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC
Shane O’Leary (Cork, IRE) – Ballina Killaloe RFC / Miami Sharks
Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) – Hamilton Old Boys / Utah Warriors
Stephen Webb (Toronto, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / University of British Columbia
Talon McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia
STAFF
Stephen Meehan – Head Coach
Phil Mack – Coach
Anthony Mathison – Coach
Richard Andrews – Head Analyst
James Rees – Head S&C Coach
Lisa Ruggles – Lead Therapist
Dr. Boshoff – Team Doctor
Neil MacDougall – Manager
from Rugby Canada
Head Coach Stephen Meehan has named 34 players to Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s training camp in Calgary ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup.
Canada will kick off the Pacific Nations Cup on Friday August 22 at 6:00pm PT / 7:00pm MT / 9:00pm ET at McMahon Stadium in Calgary against the United States, the team’s first opportunity to earn direct qualification for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup. Tickets are currently on sale here. The team will then travel to Japan to take on the hosts on Saturday August 30 at 1:00am PT / 4:00am ET / 5:00pm Local.
All six Pacific Nations Cup sides (Canada, United States, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) will convene in Denver, Colorado in September for the play-offs, with the semi-finals and fifth place play-off taking place on September 14 in Denver, and the final and third place play-off taking place on September 20 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The top three teams from the tournament will qualify for the Rugby World Cup (minus Fiji and Japan, who have already qualified); the last placed team at the conclusion of the tournament will then look to qualify through the South America / Pacific Play-off.
Included in the training squad are 11 players who competed in the 2025 MLR play-offs, and seven players from the recent championship winning New England Free Jacks: Ben LeSage, Cole Keith, Foster DeWitt, Isaac Olson, Josiah Morra, Kyle Steeves, and Piers Von Dadelszen. Four uncapped players will also be looking to make the Pacific Nations Cup squad: Alexandre Janlin, Austin Creighton, Stephen Webb, and Karl Hunger. The Pacific Pride are well represented as well, with 19 players named to the training group who have spent time with Rugby Canada’s development academy.
“Players and staff are really eager to get on the pitch and continue to build off our performances in Edmonton, I’m looking forward to seeing this squad getting stuck in, in Calgary,” said Meehan. “Having this extra time together is extremely valuable and there is some pressure around the place as we make our final selections for the Pacific Nations Cup. We are building strong foundations in our effort towards Rugby World Cup qualification. We have invited a mix of experienced players and new talent and are looking forward to seeing what they each bring to camp.”
Tickets for the Pacific Nations Cup in Calgary are available for purchase here. Questions regarding ticket purchases can be directed to tickets@rugby.ca. For more information on suites, please contact suites@rugby.ca. All of Canada’s Pacific Nations Cup matches will be available on TSN.
CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM SCHEDULE
Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs United States (Pacific Nations Cup)
Friday August 22, 2025
6:00pm PT / 7:00pm MT / 9:00pm
TSN3 and TSN+
McMahon Stadium, Calgary
Buy tickets here
Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs Japan (Pacific Nations Cup)
Saturday August 30, 2025
1:00am PT / 4:00am ET / 5:00pm Local
Yurtec Stadium, Sendai
TSN4 and TSN+
Buy tickets here
Remaining Pacific Nations Cup matches to be determined based on the results of Canada’s matches against the United States and Japan.