A Look at the TWU Roster for the Coastal Cup
The Coastal Cup starts Saturday with UVic hosting the Pacific Pride, the national rugby academy and TWU, Trinity Western University, hosting UBC. We took a look at the Pacific Pride extended roster for this season in a previous article. Today we look at the TWU roster for this season.
One of the first things we’re interested in is which players are going to be pushing for a spot in the Canada U20 team, these are the players (and position) of those Canada U20 eligible players on the roster, Ty Dayton (8), Kade Dayton (12/13), Caleb Graham (7), Colton Boychuk (9), Liam Olafsen (Back 3), Jacob Goroza (10/12). It’s a good chance for these young players to test themselves and be scouted playing against the top two university programs in the country plus the national academy program. UBC and UVic have won all the men’s national university titles since the tournament beginning in 2017.
There are some familiar names in the roster. David Wegert played on the Canada U18 squad in the CanAm 7s tournament in 2019 while still in high school at RE Mountain, on that team were Takoda McMullin, Jamin Hodgkins, Relmu Wilson-Valdes. You don’t get many 6’6″ 260 lb locks selected for a national level 7s team.
Favour Olaniyan was impressive for Canada West when they won the inaugural Coast to Coast tournament in Halifax in 2022. On that team were players like Callum Botchar, Talon McMullin, Grady Bowd. At 6’0″ and 270 lb he’s a solid performer at loosehead prop.
Riku Konrad at hooker was one of the members of the dominant Canada U20 front row last year.
Ethan Jurgeneit, prop, was a member of the Canada U20 team in 2022, also on that team top were players like Matt Klimchuk, Ethan Fryer, Tyler Matchem, Talon McMullin, Jamin Hodgkins.
Sam Tsoi, flanker, was in the 2024 MLR draft, the former discus and shot put athlete played for Hong Kong U20 in 2018.
Brady Howlett at scrum half was part of the Canada U20 squad this year. He’s going into his 3rd year at TWU, studying Education.
Keegan Marengo is a talented South African born flyhalf. He’s played at the Currie Cup level with the Golden Lions, he first joined the TWU program for the 2022-23 season.
Josiah Levale is one to watch, the younger brother to two sisters, Nakisa and Tausani, who have represented Canada at the senior level. He has represented Canada at the U18 level and can play flyhalf and in the centres.
The coaching staff is headed by Andrew Evans and includes former players Hubert Buydens and Guiseppe du Toit.
1 Ben Graci
1 Kyle Morfitt
1 Favour Olaniyan
2 Joseph Goroza
2 Seth Klassen
2 Riku Konrad
2 Jose Maria Galicia
2 Joshua Olafsen
3 Grayson Hardie
3 Ethan Jurgeneit
3 Dominik Krajsek
3 Benjamin Tindall
3 Tim Zimmer
4 Tinashe Chirara
4 David Wegert
5 Martin Zubiri
6 Victor Luan
6 Aedan Macdonald
6 John Paterson
6 Sam Tsoi
6 Caleb van Til
6 Maeson Westerlund
7 Caleb Graham
7 Zwelinzima Msipa
7 Alexander Tindall
8 Genaro Gandolfo Brignoli
8 Braeden Parker
9 Colton Boychuk
9 Brady Howlett
9 Jan-Hendrik Lourens
10 Jacob Goroza
10 Keegan Marengo
10 Wesley Willemse
11 Beckham Dickie
11 Lynden Duggan
11 Connor Gibbons
11 Liam Olafsen
11 Gideon Scholtens
11 Jude Turner
12 Kade Dayton
12 Ty Dayton
12 Collin Lagat
12 Fynn Murphy
12 Kael Simpson
13 Josiah Levale
13 Ken Paul
14 Connor Bernardin
14 Isaiah De Peiza
15 Damien Bennett
15 Matthew Willemse
Men’s Rugby Coaching Staff
Director of Rugby
Andrew Evans
7s Coach and Skills Coach
Pose Seumanutafa
Assistant Coach
Julia Sugawara
Assistant Coach
Stuart Crowley
Forwards Coach
Hubert Buydens
Rugby Manager
Kyle Barry
Academy Coach/Backs Coach
Guiseppe du Toit