Week 6 kicks off in the men’s Premier league with the Ravens the only undefeated team, there are only 3 games with the university sides taking part in the Canadian University Championships. The women’s Premier features 2 games with Seattle visiting CW and Westshore visiting UBC.
Canada put in a better effort this week against Romania, but still fell 35-27. It’s the 5th straight loss for Canada in 2024 and renews calls for a coaching change. Canada are projected to fall to 23rd in the world rankings when the ranking are released on Monday.
Canada are expected to win the Rugby Americas North 7s tournament, without USA present. The win is essential to begin the journey back to the World Rugby 7s Series. The winner of the RAN 7s will get on the Challenger 7s series and a top 4 finish there will get them in the promotion/relegation tournament at the end of the year.
Thanks to Peter Muirhead who put together these league tables for the weekend ending November 10th 2024.
There were 12 Canadian players (listed below) in action this weekend in the women’s English Premier, 13 if you consider Canadian Mackenzie Carson who now plays for England.
Chile scored in the first 30 seconds of the match, that pretty well summed up the match. Chile came out with intensity, they kicked long, chased well, swarmed the receiver whose support was slow arriving, the ball popped out of the ruck, several offloads later and they were over, 5-0. The difference in the level of intensity between the two teams was noticeable in that first minute. It looked like Ethan Fryer may have been the one injured in that ruck as he staggered off under assistance. #20 Sion Parry came into the match.
There’s a limited schedule this weekend as the BC Premier has a bye week in both the men’s and women’s competition. Play in the BC Premier resumes November 16th.
The men’s and women’s 7s teams are on different paths this coming season, the women are preparing for the World Rugby 7s series which kicks off in Dubai on November 29th. Canada are in a pool with NZ, Japan and Brazil. As a buildup to the series the women are crossing the border on November 17th for a day of 7s in Portland, Oregon vs the USA and a PR7s all-star team. The press release for that is posted below.
Last year the Canadian Classics team came 4th at the World Rugby Classic in Bermuda. They lost to Ireland in their first match, thumped USA in their second match and lost to South Africa in the Plate final. Argentina would claim 1st and France 2nd. The 2023 match reports are here.
On a cool early November day at UBC, with both teams missing some key players, it was anybody’s guess which team would prevail on the day. Initially it appeared that the Ravens would be that team as they easily mauled in two tries by the 20 minute mark and had an advantage in the sets and at the contact point. But UBC’s energy and pace of play brought them back into the game gradually and they were only down 12-3 at the half having dodged a bullet in the late stages when a UBC defender played the ball just outside his own try line while off his feet denying a likely try. He was yellow carded but the Ravens’ attack from the 5 metre line was stymied when the ball carrier Shelton was seen to make a second movement while off his feet after the tackle.