From the Editor’s Desk: Catching up on Recent News – Olmstead to Agen; Parfrey to Deputy Minister of Health; Assmus and Zussman to Pacific Four and U18 Men to the Netherlands
We’ve been meaning to run these various stories but with news time ticking down we’ve compiled them into one article.
Evan Olmstead
Even Olmstead is moving from Biarritz to Agen for the next two seasons. Agen are struggling a bit in Pro D2, sitting in 13th place, two spots up from the relegation zone. His move there will hopefully help them move up in the rankings towards the Top 14 promotion zone.
Translation of Press Release
The other reinforcement is called Evan Olmstead, current second line of Biarritz Olympique. The Canadian international began his career at Prairie Wolf Pack, a club located in Canada, before flying to Australia in 2013. He then joined the London Scottish club in 2015, which plays in the English second division, where his performances caught the eye of Newscastle. After a season in 2018 in Auckland then a return the following year to Newcastle, he joined Biarritz then in Pro D2. Since his arrival at Biarrots, he has taken part in 53 games and participated in the accession of the Basques to the Top 14. He is joining the SUA LG for the next two seasons.
Evan Olmstead in numbers:
2nd line
Born on 02/21/1991
1m96
99kg
Pat Parfrey
Dr Pat Parfrey has been a long time advocate of Canadian rugby holding many executive positions at the national level and at the world rugby level. He’s been the corner stone of Newfoundland rugby for many years. He’s now taking a step into the world of provincial government as Deputy Minister of Health Transformation.
Executive Council
June 6, 2022
The Honourable Andrew Furey today announced that Dr. Pat Parfrey has been appointed as Deputy Minister, Health Transformation, in the Office of the Executive Council.
Dr. Parfrey has a long and distinguished medical career in Newfoundland and Labrador as a clinical epidemiologist and most recently in playing a key role in the reimagining of health care in the province through his work as co-chair of Health Accord NL. A complete bio can be found in the backgrounder below.
This appointment is effective immediately.
Chris Assmus and Julianne Zussman
Two Canadian referees who often work in the BC leagues are being given roles in the Pacific Four Series in NZ. Chris Assmus is working in the TMO position and Julianne Zussman as Assistant Referee.
World Rugby has announced the team of match officials selected for the Pacific Four Series 2022, which takes place in Tauranga, Waitakere and Whangarei on 6, 12 and 18 June, respectively.
Selected from New Zealand, Canada, England and Australia, the team of eight officials includes seven females all of whom were recently announced as part of the wider match officials squad for Rugby World Cup 2021.
Match official selection for the Pacific Four Series was based on merit and follows a comprehensive review of performances over recent international windows. The Pacific Four Series will serve as crucial preparation for the match officials in the build-up to Rugby World Cup 2021, which begins on 8 October, 2022.
The World Rugby Pacific Four Series 2022 match officials team:
Lauren Jenner (New Zealand), Sara Cox (England), Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand), Amber McLachlan (Australia), Julianne Zussman (Canada), Tyler Miller (Australia), Chris Assmus (Canada) and Lee Jeffrey (New Zealand).
U18 Men
The Canada U18 men travel to the Netherlands to take on Belgium, USA and the Netherlands. The first match is July 9th.
Canadas U18s Mens team is set to take part in the Corendon Rugby Summer Tour in the Netherlands this July. Head Coach Cory Hector has confirmed his 27-man squad for the event which is being held from July 9-16 in Amsterdam, hosted by Rugby Netherlands.
Also competing in the tournament are the USA, Czech Republic, Belgium and host nation the Netherlands. Canada will compete in the U18s category, while the Czech Republic will send an U20s team only. The USA, Belgium and the Netherlands will take part in all age groups.
Canadas U18s team will arrive in the Netherlands on July 4 and will make their way to Amsterdam, where they will play their first match on July 9 against Belgium. They will then compete in their second match against the USA on July 13 and their final match on July 16 versus the Netherlands. All three matches kick off at 12:00 p.m. local time.
Hectors roster was selected on the back of the U18 National East versus West camp held in Guelph, ON last month.
The road back to rugby over the past two years has been challenging for all of us in the Canadian Rugby community, said Doug Branchflower, Manager of the Canadas U18 Mens team. The patience and perseverance these young athletes, as well as the many others who participated in the identification and selection process this winter, needs to be recognized.
Final selections were especially challenging for the coaching staff and there are numerous young players observed along the way that Rugby Canada will need certainly need to keep an eye on, even if they were not selected for this tour.
The full Canada U18s Mens roster for the Corendon Rugby Summer Tour in the Netherlands is below:
Leo Chen – DW Poppy High School
Marco Mitchell – St. George’s School – UBCOB Ravens
Hudson Bell – St George’s School – UBCOB Ravens
Lenny Bonduau – Windsor High School – Capilano RFC
Presley Bosa – Collingwood High School – Capilano RFC
Alex Gamage – Henry Wise Wood High School – Calgary Saints
Paddy Kirwan – Prince of Wales Secondary School Meraloma RFC
James Skene – St George’s School – UBCOB Ravens
Sandon Gupta – Kitsilano Secondary School – UBCOB Ravens
Ollie Clarke – Brentwood College School – Cowichan RFC
Jeffrey Young – Shawnigan Lake School- Toronto Nomads
Owen Williams – Dunbarton High School – Ajax Wanderers
Charles Trollip – Bishop Macdonell Catholic High-School – Fergus Highland RFC
Sam LeVasseur – Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School – Peterborough Pagans
Grant Meadows – St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School – Aurora Barbarians
Stephen Webb – Crescent School – Toronto City Rugby Club
Sanad Ibrahim – Iroquois Ridge High School – Crusaders Rugby Club
Marcus D’Acre – Lorne Park High School – Crusaders Rugby Club
Mac Reimer – Uxbridge Secondary School – Oshawa Vikings
Graeme Tremain – Upper Canada College – Toronto Nomads
Brenden Black – Oakville Trafalgar High School – Crusaders Rugby Club
Ryan Dier – Donald A. Wilson Secondary School – Ajax Wanderers
Nehemiah ONeil – Citadel High School – Halifax Tars
Garin Schroeder – St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School- Burlington Centaurs
Ollie Wigman – Eastbourne College – Heathfield and Waldron RFC
Will von Dadelszen – Whitgift School – Swilers RFC
Morgan Di Nardo – Crescent School and Macleans College – Toronto City Rugby Club
NON-TRAVELLING RESERVES
Ben Martin – Dover Bay High School – Nanaimo Hornets
Seamus Goodyear – Gonzaga High School – Swilers RFC
Calum Hayes – Oakville Trafalgar High School – Crusaders Rugby Club