Canada national under-20 rugby union team

The Canada under 20 rugby team is the junior national rugby union team from Canada. It replaced the two former age grade teams Under 19's and Under 21s in 2008. The team competed at the IRB Junior World Championships in 2008 and 2009 but have been relegated to the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy for 2010.[1]

Canada U-20
UnionRugby Canada
Coach(es) Jeff Williams
Team kit
Change kit
First international
 Australia 81 – 12 Canada 
(6 June 2008)
Largest win
 Canada 71 – 14 Romania 
(9 September 2018)
Largest defeat
 Australia 86 – 0 Canada 
(5 June 2009)
World Cup
Appearances2 (First in 2008)
Best result12th, 2008

History

2008 and 2009 IRB Junior World Championships

In June 2008 Canada participated in the 2008 IRB Junior World Championships held in Wales. The team competed in Pool C with all of their pool games being played at Rodney Parade in Newport. Canada lost their matches to Australia 81–12 and to England 60–18 but were able to earn a 17–10 win against Fiji which placed them 3rd in their pool. Canada would go on to lose their next two games to Scotland 15–10 and to Italy 33–10. The team ended the tournament in 12th place.[2]

The following year Canada competed in the 2009 IRB Junior World Championships hosted by Japan. Canada began pool play with an 86–0 loss to Australia. The team went on to lose their next two pool play matches to Wales 51–15 and to Tonga 36–20. Canada then went into the play off stages and beat Uruguay 29–11 but suffered a 32–22 loss in their final match. Canada's final position was 14th and therefore the team was relegated to the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy for 2010.[3]

2010 and 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy

Canada went into the 2010 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy as one of the favourites to play in the final. However, Canada suffered a 17–15 loss to Russia and another loss to Japan, 38–17. Canada's only win came from a 22–6 defeat of Zimbabwe placing them 3rd in Pool B. The team eventually lost in a dramatic 5th place final 13–11 to Uruguay giving Canada the final position of 6th.[4]

On May 24, 2011, under new head coach Mike Shelley, Canada took on the 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy hosts Georgia to begin pool play. The Canadians were outmatched by the formidable Georgians and lost their opening match 38–9.[5] Canada played their next game four days later against a Japanese team who had previously defeated Zimbabwe four days earlier. The Canadians showed improvement upping their offensive production to 15 points. However, The Japanese proved to be too much for Canada winning the match 30 points to 15.[6] Canada then played their final pool match versus Zimbabwe on June 1, 2011. Canada defeated Zimbabwe 49-23 to record their first Pool B win. Canada would go on to defeat Russia 49–24 in the 5th-place playoff, improving their ranking one spot from last year.[7]

2012 Junior World Rugby Trophy

Prior to the 2012 Junior World Rugby Trophy, Rugby Canada announced an unprecedented series of matches against fellow under-20 national squads from Romania and the United States.[8]

March 2012 saw Canada match up against a formidable Romanian side for two matches the first being played at Shawnigan Lake School. The Romanians had just missed qualification for the 2012 Junior World Rugby Trophy by placing third behind Georgia and Russia in the European qualifiers and so had much to prove. Romania came out firing with physical play, out-muscling the Canadians in the forwards and secured a 30–22 victory. The Canadians and Romanians came together on 10 March for a rematch, and again the Romanian forward pack proved dominant over the Canadians. Romania completed the sweep with a 23–6 defeat over an outworked Canadian squad.[9]

Canada then met traditional rivals U.S.A. on 23 May 2012 at Shawnigan Lake School for the first of a two-match series. Both squads contained players still vying for spots on their respective nation's final roster for the 2012 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy. The game proved to be a back-and-forth affair as the Canadians and Americans traded scores. At the end of the first half, the Canadians led the Junior All-Americans by a score of 15–8. Early substitutions at the beginning of the second half proved fruitful for the United States as they scored off a quick tap from an American front row reserve. Quickly after the United States struck again off a counter-attack, taking an important 20–15 lead. Canada would hit back soon after with a try from replacement centre Michael Fuailefau which was well converted by Conor McCann; however, the Americans would find time to score one more try, finishing the match with a 27–22 victory.[10] The teams would meet three days later. Canada would come out with 21 unanswered points before the United States completed the comeback and picked up a 34–28 win.

Canada would play one more preparation game against a touring university side from Scotland, St. Andrews University. The Scottish university side proved to be a mismatch with the Canadian under-20s coming out 118-0 winners. Canada's preparation would conclude with a 1–4 record.

Canada's pre-tournament matches would prove prophetic as Canada struggled throughout, losing their first game 31–17 at the hands of a very physical Georgia side. Four days later, on 22 June 2012, the young Canadians would once again go down in defeat, this time losing to a rising Japan team, 38–35. Canada would end pool play on a positive note, picking up a 66–45 win in a high-scoring affair against Zimbabwe. The fifth-place decider saw the Canadian team face a spirited Chile side. Once again the Canadian defense was lacking, and the Chileans would take a 20-point lead in the second half of the match. Canada came back with a series of tries but ultimately came up short, the game finishing 43–31 in the Chileans' favour. With the loss to Chile, Canada finished 6th in the tournament. Taylor Paris would finish the tournament with 5 tries, the second most in the tournament.

2013–2015 Junior World Rugby Trophy

During this period, the Canadian junior team saw highs and lows which included two second-place finishes in the 2013 and 2015 Junior World Rugby Trophies and a dismal seventh-place finish in the 2014 edition of the tournament. Canada would go a perfect 3–0 in pool play in 2013, beating out formidable opponents in Tonga, Japan, and Uruguay. The team would eventually fall heavily, 45–23, in the final to a very strong Italian side. This second-place finish, however, would be Canada's best result in the second-tier tournament.

Unable to match their successes of the 2014 tournament, the 2014 Junior World Rugby Trophy saw Canada finish with two losses and a tie against Uruguay. They finished the tournament on a high note, defeating hosts Hong Kong 33–30 to finish seventh overall. Following the tournament Mike Shelley was relieved of his head coaching duties of the Canada U20 team.

With a brand-new head coach in former Canadian national player, Jeff Williams, Canada seemed revitalized, going through pool play of the 2015 tournament with a 3–0 record, knocking off Namibia, Hong Kong, and a close win against Tonga. However, Canada would yet again miss out on promotion to the Junior World Rugby Championship as the team were unable to get by a powerful Georgian side. Canada lost the final match 49–24.

Results and statistics

Junior World Championship/Trophy
YearCompetitionPWDLPFPADiffBPPtsPool placePlayoffsFinal position
2019Trophy 3102124101+23373rd(5th Final) Beat Kenya 52 – 135th
2018Trophy 300378111-33214th(7th Final) Beat Romania 71 – 147th
2017Trophy 300356126-70114th(7th Final) Beat Hong Kong 38 – 07th
2016 Did not qualify
2015Trophy 33007246261131st(Final) Lost to Georgia 49 – 242nd
2014Trophy 30125592-37024th(7th Final) Beat Hong Kong 33 – 307th
2013Trophy 33009936632141st(Final) Lost to Italy 45 – 232nd
2012Trophy 31021181144373rd(5th Final) Lost to Chile 43 - 316th
2011Trophy 31027391−18153rd(5th Final) Beat Russia 49 - 245th
2010Trophy 31025461−7153rd(5th Final) Lost to Uruguay 13 – 116th
2009Championship 300335173−138004th(13th–16th Semifinals) Beat Uruguay 29 – 11
(13th Final) Lost to Italy 32 – 22
14th
2008Championship 310247151−104043rd(9th–12th Semifinals) Lost to Scotland 15 – 10
(11th Final) Lost to Italy 33 – 10
12th
Total
inc. playoffs
- 461712810911354-2631459---

Overall

Canadian U-20 rugby record against other U-20 national teams.

  • Updated as of 21 July 2019
Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn Win % For Aga Diff
 Australia20200.00%12167-155
 Chile20200.00%5988-29
 England10100.00%1860-42
 Fiji111050.00%4363-20
 Georgia30300.00%50118-68
 Hong Kong4400100.00%17371+102
 Italy30300.00%55110-55
 Japan615016.67%130208-78
 Kenya1100100.00%5213+39
 Namibia312033.33%7688-12
 Portugal30300.00%65117-52
 Romania212033.33%9967+32
 Russia211050.00%6441+23
 Scotland10100.00%1015-5
 Tonga422050%8279+3
 United States1385061.53%411283+128
 Uruguay522150.00%11784+33
 Wales10100.00%1551-36
 Zimbabwe3300100.00%13774+63
Total602536142.50%16681797-129

Personnel

Current squad

Canada's 26-man squad for the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy in São José dos Campos, Brazil.[11]

Backs
Player Position Club
Jack Carson Scrum-half Castaway Wanderers RFC
William Percillier (c) Scrum-half Stade Francais Espoirs
Brock Webster Fly-half Oshawa Vikings
Gabriel Casey Centre Bytown Blues
Lachlan Kratz Centre University of Victoria
Quinn Ngawati Centre Westshore RFC
Jarvis Dashkewytch Wing University of Victoria
Antoine de la Fontaine Wing Saint Mary's College
David Richard Wing Mississauga Blues
Thomas Isherwood Full-back Westshore RFC
Avery Oitomen Full-back Toronto Arrows
Forwards
Player Position Club
Jared Augustin Hooker Queen's University
Michael McCarthy Hooker Swilers RFC
Guershom Mukendi Prop Stoney Creek RFC
Tyler Rowland Prop University of British Columbia
Joshua Tweed Prop University of British Columbia
Stefan Zuliani Prop Queen's University
Frank Carson Lock University of British Columbia
Reid Davis Lock James Bay AA
Tyler Duguid Lock Nor'Westers AA
David Carson Back row University of British Columbia
Nick Carson Back row University of Victoria
Mason Flesch Back row Coburg Saxons
Quentin James Back row Stade Francais Espoirs
Will Matthews Back row Beaconsfield RFC
Siaki Vikilani Back row Burnaby Lake Rugby Club

Former head coaches

Notable former players

Kit

2015-16 1st Kit
2015-16 2nd Kit
2015-16 3rd Kit
2017 1st Kit
2017 2nd Kit

References

  1. Jimenez, Oscar. "IRB Junior World Championship". irb.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  2. "IRB Junior World Championship Overview". irb.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  3. "IRB Junior World Championship Overview". irb.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  4. "INJURY TIME PENALTY LIFTS URUGUAY OVER CANADA". rugbycanada.ca. 2010. Archived from the original on 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  5. "Impressive start to JWRT 2011 in Georgia". irb.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-06-01. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  6. "Hosts maintain unbeaten record at JWRT". irb.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  7. "Samoa claim JWRT crown". irb.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  8. "U20 MEN'S SPRING TEST MATCHES ANNOUNCED". rugbycanada.ca. 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  9. "U20 MEN FALL TO ROMANIA IN SECOND MATCH OF SERIES". rugbycanada.ca. 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  10. "U20 MEN FALL JUST SHORT IN BACK-AND-FORTH GAME VS. USA". rugbycanada.ca. 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  11. Pat Parfrey (8 July 2019). "Canada set to kickoff World Rugby U20 Trophy". Retrieved 8 July 2019.
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