Spain Replaces French Barbarians for July 10th Match in Ottawa
This is actually an improvement for Canada, replacing a Barbarians match with a full test match against a higher ranked opponent. Spain are ranked 15th, Canada are ranked 21st. Canada’s opponent on July 2nd will be 27th ranked Belgium.
Spain would be heading to the 2023 World Cup except they were docked points for playing an ineligible player and now Romania are going to RWC 2023 as Europe #2.
Of interest now are the preparations the men’s XVs management have planned for the matches. Kingsley Jones appears to still be in charge but laying low after failing to lead Canada to World Cup qualification. The Rugby Canada quotes have been from interim CEO Jamie Levchuk. The new CEO is coming on board in the summer, so there are a lot of moving parts over the June/July window.
The Coast to Coast Cup takes place over the next two weekends, the MLR regular season will also wrap up over those two weekends. When will camp begin, where will it be held, who will be invited, and will the European pros come back into the fold? Lots of questions that should be answered by mid-June.
from Rugby Canada
There has been a change in opponent for Canadas Senior Mens 15s international test match at TD Place in Ottawa on July 10.
Despite an agreement, the French Barbarians are unable to fulfill the fixture, citing contractual obligations to their players.
Rugby Canada had been looking forward to hosting a match involving a French team in Ottawa due to the strong French-Canadian community in the region.
In the meantime, however, we are delighted to announce that Spain have replaced the Barbarians and will take to the field in Ottawa on Sunday, July 10.
15th-ranked Spain will provide stern opposition and the opportunity for Kingsley Jones Mens 15s side to earn valuable ranking points in what will be the first senior international test match to be played at TD Place.
Their most recent fixtures were against 20th-ranked Portugal, which resulted in a 33-28 victory, and 12th-ranked Georgia, by whom they were beaten 49-15, in March.
The news regarding the French Barbarians is very disappointing for both our team and our fans, commented Jamie Levchuk, Interim CEO and Managing Director, Revenue and Fan Engagement, Rugby Canada. We had an agreement from the French Barbarians that they would be traveling for a two-match tour this July to the USA and Canada. We apologize to those fans that purchased pre-sale tickets and will honour full refunds.
Having said this, we are very excited to welcome Spain to Ottawa for what will be a full international test match and look forward to welcoming Canadian rugby fans to TD Place on July 10 to support our Senior Mens 15s team.
Rugby Canada would like to thank World Rugby for their support in sourcing quality opposition under very difficult circumstances and a tight time frame.
Tickets for Canadas Mens 15s fixture against Spain are now on sale and can be purchased here. Pre-sale tickets purchased by fans for the French Barbarians match will be honoured for this new fixture. Contact tickets@rugby.ca for more details.