Rugby: Why IRB Rugby Officiating Has Many Seeing Red
Jun 18, 2014
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 15: Wales captain Sam Warburton (hidden) receives a straight red card from Referee Alain Rolland of Ireland (L) for a dangerous tackle on Wing Vincent Clerc of France during semi final one of the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup between Wales and France at Eden Park on October 15, 2011 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Rugby Canada and London Irish forward Jebb Sinclair was sent off the field with a straight red card last weekend in the late stages of Canada's International Rugby Board (IRB) test match with Scotland at BMO Field in Toronto.
The controversial decision had the effect not only of removing one of Canada's most influential players but also of overturning a Canadian penalty kick that would likely have given Canada the win. Canada would go on to lose the match by a score of 19-17.
The furious Canadian crowd at BMO Field vented their anger at IRB referee Mike Fraser, but since then they have been joined by many across the global rugby community who are expressing outrage both at the specific call against Sinclair and the increasingly shambolic penalty standards surrounding tackles in general across the rugby world.
First things first: As can be clearly seen by the match video, Sinclair made a strong upright run at the Scottish defence. Sinclair kept one arm tightly around the ball, while his other arm was pressed against his side in a non-threatening position. The Scottish tackler, Ruaridh Jackson, made an attempt to take Sinclair high, his head connecting with Sinclair's elbow. Jackson then fell unconscious to the turf.
To be sure, Sinclair dropped his shoulder, which is a perfectly acceptable tactic for a ball-carrier in rugby. His arm did extend following the hit; however, that has little to do with the initial point of contact. Jackson was injured largely because his tackling technique was flawed and because he was up against a much larger player moving at speed.
Aside from the frustrations that left Canadian rugby fans seething, what should be more broadly concerning to the global rugby community is the complete state of confusion concerning what is and is not an illegal tackle in the game today.
Canada Head Coach Kieran Crowley, whose team rightly felt they should have emerged the winners on Saturday, gave these comments to me directly after the match: "I don't know what you can do when a guy's head gets on the wrong side of an elbow. I thought it was the wrong decision but that's the way he sees it."
Crowley's concerns were quickly echoed by commentators such as former Scotland scrum-half Mike Blair, who is currently working for BBC Sport. Blair quickly came out against the decision and the message it sends to the rest of the rugby community:
Being reduced to 14 men was bad enough but in the process Canada lost the penalty in front of the posts which, if successfully converted, would have put them ahead.
For me, it wasn't even a penalty against Sinclair and decisions like these set a dangerous precedent.
I've seen Clermont winger Napoli Nalaga yellow-carded for 'leading with the knee' when carrying the ball. Could Sean Lamont have been put to the television match official for the lead up to the Taylor Paris head knock? In my opinion that would have been absurd but a referee has to be consistent.
Last summer during the 2013 Pacific Nations Cup in Canada, Canadian winger Matt Evans was subjected to a vicious flying shoulder to the jaw that saw him stretchered off the field. The end result was that Tongan offender David Halaifouna was given a 10-minute yellow-card penalty, while Evans was taken to hospital.
After the match Tongan head coach Mana Otai questioned whether the hit should have been a penalty at all and even went so far as to accuse the match official of racial bias.
The gap in understanding around what is or is not a legal tackle is so vast that one wonders if any two people in today's game could come to the same decision when looking at an incident.
That more than anything else is the most damning part of this discussion. How can the players make decisions on the field when the standards change from match to match and from one referee to another?
Listen to the referee clearly explain how this incident in a match between Australia and the British and Irish Lions does not constitute a penalty. The tackler's head was in the wrong position, only in that instance it was the ball-carrier who was injured:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjM738x4rSQ
Was the Sinclair incident so different? If so, where was Sinclair supposed to put his elbow?
Lest you think I exaggerate the extent of the disagreement, check out this discussion forum where IRB-trained officials from around the world are discussing the incident as we speak.
Last year, I took this issue to straight to the IRB's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Martin Raftery. Dr. Raftery's reaction tells you all you need to know about where we are at on this issue today:
I know the [Matt Evans] incident. I saw it. I think you will always have people who, when they make statements, as the coach did, demonstrate that their knowledge isn’t up to speed.
As a game and as a body we have try to educate everybody at every level. Direct attacks to the head in rugby have been outlawed since the game was invented. They have been outlawed to protect the players.
The hit on Evans, however, was dealt a far less severe penalty than the one Sinclair received, merely in the act of making a run with the ball.
No player knows the standard.
No coach knows the standard.
One wonders if any three referees in a room could agree on a standard.
As long as there is this kind of confusion over one of the most physical and potentially dangerous parts of the game, the IRB cannot even begin to profess a commitment to player welfare.
Canada vs. Scotland Rugby: Live Blog, Scoring Updates and Analysis
Jun 13, 2014
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 04: Ben Lam of New Zealand tackles John Moonlight of Canada during the IRB Glasgow Sevens - Day Two at Scotstoun Stadium on May 4 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
Scotland have settled themselves in Toronto and will take to the pitch at BMO Field on Saturday to battle Canada in what promises to be the most exciting of this year's major North American internationals.
Canada's only victory over Scotland also came at home in 2002, so the 16th-ranked Canadians will have high hopes of an upset, as they take on the eighth-ranked Scottish in front of a passionate home crowd.
Canadian coach Kieran Crowley has made two changes from the side that lost to Japan last Saturday in Vancouver, while new Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has made four changes from the team that bested the U.S. last weekend in Texas.
We'll have all of the scoring updates and analysis for you, live from the BMO Field press box, here on Bleacher Report.
Scroll down to find our latest updates from the game.
Game Date: Saturday, April 14
Match Kickoff Time: 2 p.m. EST
Match Location: BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Canada Roster vs. Maori All Blacks (via Rugby Canada)
Unless otherwise stated, all quoted material was obtained firsthand
Pro Rugby in America: Brian Burke Calls for Professional Rugby in North America
Aug 22, 2013
Professional rugby in North America has been a hot topic in 2013.
Our exclusive Bleacher Report coverage has previously chronicled the interest of both SANZAR (Super Rugby) and Premiership Rugby Limited (The Aviva Premiership) in gaining a foothold in the Americas.
Today, former NHL executive and Toronto Maple Leafs President Brian Burke added his experienced voice to the fray, as he took to the podium on behalf of Rugby Canada; on whose Board of Directors Burke now occupies a prominent seat.
The scene was a press conference, in advance of this weekend's Rugby World Cup qualifier in Toronto, where Burke was keen to answer your humble corespondent's questions in regards to the the future of pro rugby on the continent.
When an organization like Rugby Canada says they want you on their board, why I think that's a great honour.
Professional rugby is coming, in my view. We're playing catch-up with a lot of established professional sports. We're playing catch-up with a lot of broadcast sports, but that doesn't diminish the fact that we think we have a product that can compete with those sports.
Rugby is a late comer to us here in North America, but that hasn't stopped other sports from acquiring the kind of status they want to have in the professional community. So I think professional rugby is coming. I don't want to give you a time frame on it, but that's our goal.
Flanking Burke at the press conference were Canada and ASM Clermont-Auvergne star Jamie Cudmore and Canadian National Senior Men's Team head coach Kieran Crowley.
Burke made it clear that he wanted the next generation of elite rugby players in North America to be plying their trade in front of Canadian and American audiences.
Our goal is to get to a place where an athlete like Jamie Cudmore doesn't have to go to France to play. There will be a Canadian pro team that will put him to work, or an American team. So that's our goal. I don't know how close we are to that, but that's our goal.
Those are the discussions we've had. This is a great game and not enough people know about it. That's been true of a lot of sports that have gone on to become successful. Not enough people knew about them or not enough people watched them. That is something we have to fix.
So Many Paths, Not Enough Forward
As mentioned, Burke's comments come amid an increasing amount of attention on North America within the rugby community. The United States in particular has long been seen as the "sleeping giant" of global rugby.
Many acknowledge that, if only a fraction of those athletes who trained to play NFL football at the NCAA level went to on to play rugby, America would be a global powerhouse. However, until very recently, it was impossible for athletes in the United States to earn a living in the sport of rugby, and it still remains difficult.
Despite government funding that is now available to olympians pursuing their dreams in rugby sevens, players in the fifteens game are still reliant on overseas contracts.
International quotas and special "import rules" restrict the amount of North American players that take the field for any one European team.
Both of North America's major unions field an array of starting talent with professional experience, but limited numbers of professionals remain the largest problem. Until North America develops its own well-paying professional league, neither the United States or Canada will be able to secure the necessary talent in their depth charts to truly compete for a World Cup title.
While various American stakeholders continue to eye ways of tapping into the country's rich NCAA athlete pool, Canada has long been preparing to take the next step.
They are a rugby nation built on a successful European regional model, but are virtually isolated in terms of national and elite club level opposition.
Canada's four rugby regions, British Columbia, The Prairie Wolfpack, The Ontario Blues and The Atlantic Rock, have all proven their mettle against opposition from around the world.
Ontario, perhaps the strongest of Canada's regions, defeated the national team of Uruguay on a recent tour of South America, as well as Argentina's Salta Province. British Columbia defeated Russia in 2009.
With the proper investment, Canada's rugby regions would surely be able to rival those of Italy, Scotland and other European countries; however, without opposition in America, they remain an expensive plane ride away from any meaningful competition.
To those desperately hoping for professional rugby to take root across North America, Brian Burke's comments will come as a much needed boost; however, it is a boost limited to the area of morale.
Those who have gotten their structure right in Canada continue to want for money and those in America, who are awash in potential investment and media coverage, continue to bicker over the structure of their path forward.
For now, that path continues to travel in circles, and fans across the continent are dizzy from trying to keep up.
Perhaps forceful personalities like Brian Burke are what is needed to straighten out rugby's future in North America. If so, rugby fans across the world would be forever in his debt.
Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Unless otherwise stated, all material was obtained first-hand.
To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.
Canada, who are undefeated in this year's PNC competition, will look to complete their perfect run, after a 15-hour flight to the Far East just days ago.
A quick look at the tournament standings sees a vast difference between these two teams; however, appearances, in this case, are definitely deceiving.
Japan are coming off their greatest win of all time after two strong performances against Wales. The second test in that series resulted in a historic 23-8 upset.
Canada, on the other hand, are coming off a bruising series of encounters against Fiji, Tonga and a powerful touring Irish side. They are a tired group.
On an individual note, James Pritchard, who has just become Canada's all-time points leader, has a chance to pass 500 international points tomorrow, while at the same time winning his 50th Cap.
The Canadians have a perfect record so far in this competition, but one feels that they will be hard pressed to stay with the high-flying Japanese in the later stages of this match. Should Canada emerge victorious, they will be crowned 2013 Pacific Nations Cup champions.
Canada Starting Roster:
1. Hubert Buydens, 2. Ryan Hamilton, 3. Jason Marshall, 4. Jon Phelan, 5. Brett Beukeboom, 6. Tyler Ardron, 7. Nanyak Dala, 8. Aaron Carpenter (Capt), 9. Sean White, 10. Liam Underwood, 11. Taylor Paris, 12. Nick Blevins, 13. Ciaran Hearn, 14. James Pritchard, 15. Connor Braid
Canada Bench:
16. Ray Barkwill, 17. Tom Dolezel, 18. Andrew Tiedemann, 19. Cam Pierce, 20. Aaron Flagg, 21. Eric Wilson, 22. Michael Fuailefau, 23. Patrick Parfrey
IRB Rugby 2013 Summer Tests: Canada vs Ireland Match Preview and Analysis
Jun 11, 2013
Rugby Canada will undertake their biggest challenge of the summer this Saturday, when they take on Ireland at Toronto's BMO Field.
The eighth-ranked Irish arrive in Toronto on the back of a narrow 15 - 12 victory over the USA last weekend, in Houston. They will meet a 13th-ranked Canadian team that, although battle-scarred, is riding a three-game summer win streak; having dispatched the Americans, Fiji and Tonga in the last few weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZAFuXT3ENA
Bleacher Report was at BMO Field Tuesday afternoon, as the teams met the media in advance of Saturday's clash.
Ireland: 20 Days & 20 Nights
Ireland interim head coach Les Kiss was well aware of Canada's recent performances and the advantages his hosts have garnered from their extended time together; his own touring group has not been as fortunate.
"Before we came away to North America we knew that we had 11 training sessions and two test matches in three weeks. We're about at our eighth or ninth training session, so that's not a lot of time; particularly when we have a lot of younger players. We capped five new players last week and we may go ahead and cap a few more new players this week, we'll see how it goes. So, when you're together for such a short time its always tough."
Challenges, like the ones that Kiss is describing usually apply more routinely to the Canadians. As a geographically isolated country, whose top players must join the team from overseas, Canada are often left with little time to prepare for such matches; however, this summer has been an exception.
Canada: Battered & Unbeaten
The newly expanded Pacific Nations Cup tournament has been hugely beneficial to Canada Head Coach Kieran Crowley and his squad, but the extra games—although helpful to team cohesion—come at a cost. The Canadians are a battered and bruised group at the moment.
"This is great. If this schedule gives us more games that's great, and if someone gets injured it gives someone else an opportunity. That's how we look at it. We've got a couple of guys in doubt for Saturday, and in that case other guys will step up, and hopefully they will perform."
Crowley might well be asking more players to step up than he originally planned. Three of Canada's starters against Tonga—Matt Evans, Jebb Sinclair and Sean Duke—are all awaiting the results of concussion testing, prior to being cleared to play on Saturday. Evans was hit with an illegal shoulder charge in the Tongan encounter and stretchered off the field, while Sinclair was felled by right hook to the jaw after the whistle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Fi_3URtR4
Canada's coach was clear that they will not be taking any chances with their players' health, no matter how much they might be needed.
"Matt Evans, is obviously a worry. The IRB now has protocols around concussion and we'll be following those 100 percent. You have to go through a four-day cycle with no symptoms, and on the fifth day you're cleared to play. Sean Duke is a player that is in the same boat right now—Jebb Sinclair is in the same boat. We won't be taking any risks with those players whatsoever."
While the Canadians may be struggling to recover from their injuries, the Irish are dealing with a completely different kind of recovery effort, as Les Kiss explained.
"We are having to manage a slight illness that's making its way through our camp at the moment, so we will have some players who won't be training today. But that's something that just comes with the business, so we'll just be getting on with things."
As if things weren't already hard enough on the Irish, Kiss received word only days ago that his star winger, Simon Zebo, has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad and will join no less than 10 other first-choice Irish internationals in Australia, leaving Coach Kiss' squad dangerously depleted.
Bleacher Report Predictions
So, when an understrength Irish team takes on an understrength Canada squad on Saturday, which nation is likely to come out on top?
Due to the injuries and illnesses in each team, the final rosters are unlikely to be released until Friday at the earliest.
The issue may well rest with the team that can field the necessary talent to put together an 80-minute performance.
Although Ireland enjoyed a stable set-piece against the Americans, there were long periods of that match in which the Irish were outplayed at the breakdown.
Canada, on the other hand, thoroughly dominated their contest with the Tongans until the last 10 minutes, at which point a near-collapse almost cost the Canadians the game.
Canada Captain Aaron Carpenter, knows his team will have to avoid such a letup if they are to upset a first-class outfit like Ireland.
"Yes, it was the last 10 minutes of the Tonga game, where we lost our structure and they really came back at us. We think we made a few too many substitutions all the same time. Also, we may have been a little mentally fatigued after a short turnaround, and that showed in the last 10 minutes.
"We've talked and we will make sure that we are switched on this week for the full 80 minutes."
Carpenter's confidence aside, Canada will need to expect more from their reserves this week, as they will be taking on an Ireland team that will field a professional lineup from top to bottom. Letup will not be an option.
Canada will draw on the home crowd, but they will have to fare better than the Americans against a powerful Irish scrum if they are to have a chance at victory.
It would be a bold move to call for an upset on Saturday, but Canada have been playing bold rugby of late. They have beaten their last two opponents by small margins, and we are calling for the trend to continue this weekend.
Look for the attacking flair of Canada's back-row and back-line—both of which are infused with talent from their sevens program—to be the deciding factor in a match where the hosts are likely to have to make use of every chance they get.
If Canada emerge victorious on Saturday, it would be one of the biggest victories in their history, and an opportunity to continue their perfect run, in the summer of 2013.
Make sure to visit Bleacher Report for a live-blog of this match; including analysis, scoring updates and quotes from the teams after the game.
Final Score Prediction: Canada 24 - Ireland 18
Canada’s Roster for Test Match - (Club, CRC Team) Hometown
(Updated - Friday, June 14th - 13:00)
#1 - Hubert Buydens, (Saskatoon Wild Oats/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK #2 - Ray Barkwill, (Niagara Wasps RFC/Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON #3 - Jason Marshall, (Atlantique Stade Rochelais/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC #4 - Jebb Sinclair, (London Irish) Fredericton, NB #5 - Tyler Hotson, (London Scottish RFC) Vancouver, BC #6 - Tyler Ardron, (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Lakefield, ON #7 - John Moonlight, (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON #8 - Aaron Carpenter, Captain, (Cornish Pirates) Brantford, ON #9 - Phil Mack, (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Victoria, BC #10 - Nathan Hirayama, (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears), Richmond, BC #11 - Taylor Paris, (SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne) Barrie, ON #12 - Harry Jones, (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC #13 - Ciaran Hearn, (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay, NL #14 - James Pritchard, (Bedford Blues) Parkes, Australia, NSW #15 - Connor Braid (Doncaster Knights) Victoria, British Columbia #16 - Ryan Hamilton, (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC #17 - Andrew Tiedemann, (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB #18 - Doug Wooldridge, (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues) Lindsay, ON #19 - Jon Phelan, (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue/Atlantic Rock) Montreal, QC #20 - Nanyak Dala, (Castaway Wanderers RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK #21 - Sean White, (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC #22 - Liam Underwood (Ontario Blues, Queens University) Toronto, ON #23 - Pat Parfrey, (Atlantic Rock, Newfoundland Rock) St. John's, NF
Ireland Roster for Canada Test Match - Player/Club/Province
15. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster) 14. Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 13. Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 12. James Downey (Dolphin/Munster) * 11. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 10. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster) 9. Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster) 1. Tom Court (Malone/Ulster) 2. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster) 3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) 4. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster) 5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 6. Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 7. Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 8. Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt)
Replacements:
16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 17. David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 18. Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 19. Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht) 20. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster) 21. Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 23. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
* Denotes uncapped player
Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Unless otherwise stated, all quoted material was obtained firsthand.
IRB Pacific Nations Cup Match Report: USA vs. Canada
May 25, 2013
The 2013 Pacific Nations Cup kicked off on Saturday, with two fiercely contested matches between some of the world's more promising rugby nations.
By noon on North America's East Coast, Tonga had already defeated a proud Japanese team by a score of 27-17. The scene then shifted to a wet and rainy Edmonton, Alberta for a North American grudge match between Canada and the United States.
The 14th-ranked Canadians had little to gain in terms of IRB ranking points in this match but knew that a home loss to the Americans could severely damage their hope for closing in on the world's top 10.
If they were to be successful, both Canada and the USA knew they would have to do so without many of their overseas stars. Both coaching staffs had decided to rest some of their top players, following a long European campaign. Professional Canadian speedsters DTH Van der Merwe, Phil Mackenzie, Matt Evans and James Pritchard were all out of action for this encounter, as was injured international sevens star Conor Trainor.
All of the youth and inexperience in the mix heralded the coming of a sloppy and disorganized first half of rugby, which is something we eluded to in our exclusive Bleacher Report preview.
The first half was indeed an energetic but error-strewen affair, with both teams struggling to maintain a fluid attack.
Canada looked the more ambitious with Glasgow Warriors wing Taylor Paris making several impressive breaks.
A series of tactical kicks, by young Canadian fly-half Harry Jones, pinned the Americans deep in their own end for the majority of the first 40 minutes. The pressure finally yielded reward, as flanker John Moonlight snatched a fumbled USA line-out and spun his way over his opponent's try-line.
A Connor Braid penalty was added to take Canada into half-time with a 10-3 lead over the visiting American squad.
When the teams re-emerged from the dressing rooms, it was the Americans who struck first and kept the pressure on. Two straight USA penalty kicks closed the gap to a narrow 10-9 scoreline heading into the last 15 minutes of play.
In a game that became ever more broken and disjointed, Canada eventually worked their way back into American territory through superior tactical kicking, where the USA gave away—what can only be described as—immature and undisciplined penalties.
Connor Braid once again stepped up to notch two more kicks for Canada and win his team back a 16-9 lead with only moments left to play.
From nowhere, the USA Eagles seemed to find the composure to sustain a final well-coordinated attack.
Wave after wave of American charges battered an increasingly tired and desperate Canadian defence. Multiple Canadian penalties saw the USA only meters away from potentially tying the match, but in the end, careless errors returned to haunt the Eagles.
A knock-on from an American forward run saw the final USA hopes flicker away and saw Canada through to the narrow home victory.
In a game where physicality and defence were the all-important factors, the play of Canadian blindside flanker Tyler Ardron was a highlight. The young Ontario native will likely be catching the eye of overseas professional clubs in the coming months; certainly, this tournament represents an excellent platform for him to make his talents known.
Ardron was named Man of the Match for for his efforts.
For Rugby Canada head coach Kerian Crowley, he will be pleased to have escaped Edmonton with a win. It could certainly be argued that the USA outplayed his squad in the second half. Canada will count itself lucky if it can move on to its next Pacific Nations Cup match, on June 1, without any additional serious injuries.
Crowley spoke to reporters after the match and the following comments were recorded in the Times Colonist:
We haven't been together for very long but hopefully now we have a line in the sand as far as our performance. We've got some time before we next take on Fiji and hopefully we can get in some good training now and come out a little more polished in our next game.
Click here to see the complete Pacific Nations Cup schedule.
For the USA, the next few weeks will look very different. It does not meet its next opponent until June 8; after which it will be forced to play the remaining four tournament matches in a span of two weeks.
The Eagles management will almost certainly be able field more of their professional talent by then, and they will need all the help they can get.
Head Coach Mike Tolkin had these comments, which were also recorded in the Times Colonist after the match.
I'm disappointed. I thought we were on our heels a bit in the first half. We didn't apply enough pressure. You can't spot a team 10 points and look to fight back from there. We can't wait until the end of the game to apply the pressure.
As they continue their tournament schedule, both Canada and the United States must soon face the wrath of two more highly ranked Pacific Island nations, in the forms of Fiji and the now-undefeated Tongans.
Final Score: Canada 16-USA 9
Canada Tries: Moonlight
Canada Conversions: Braid
Canada Penalties: Braid (3)
USA Penalties: Siddall (3)
Canada’s Roster for USA: Name, (Club/CRC Team) Hometown
1. Hubert Buydens, (Saskatoon Wild Oats/ Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK 2. Ray Barkwill, (Niagara Wasps/ Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON 3. Jason Marshall, (Atlantique Stade Rochelais/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC 4. Brett Beukeboom, (Plymouth Albion RFC) Lindsay, ON 5. Tyler Hotson, (London Scottish FC) Vancouver, BC 6. Tyler Ardron, (Brantford Harlequins/ Ontario Blues) Lakefield, ON 7. John Moonlight, (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON 8. Aaron Carpenter, Captain, (Cornish Pirates) Brantford, ON 9. Sean White, (James Bay AA/Pacific Tyee) Victoria, BC 10. Harry Jones, (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC 11. Taylor Paris, (Glasgow Warriors) Barrie, ON 12. Pat Parfrey, (Swilers RFC/Atlantic Rock) St. John’s, NL 13. Nick Blevins, (Calgary Hornets/ Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB 14. Ciaran Hearn, (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay, NL 15. Connor Braid, (Doncaster Knights/ Pacific Tyee) Victoria, BC 16. Ryan Hamilton, (Capilano RFC/Pacific Tyee) Vancouver, BC 17. Andrew Tiedemann, (FC Auch Gers/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB 18. Doug Wooldridge, (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues) Lindsay, ON 19. Jon Phelan, (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue/Atlantic Rock) Montreal, QC 20. Cameron Pierce, (Kelowna Crows RFC) Coldstream, BC 21. Nanyak Dala, (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK 22. Phil Mack, (UVIC Vikes/Pacific Tyee) Victoria, BC 23. Liam Underwood, (Queens University/Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON
Rugby Canada Summer Team Staff
Head Coach: Kieran Crowley Assistant Coaches: Geraint John, Neil Barnes, Clive Griffiths Strength and Conditioning: Andy Evans Medical Support: Isabel Grondin, Carrie Smith, Nicole Ainsworth, Rebecca Spiers, Danielle Mah, Michael Cook, Carla Brash, Doctor: Dr. Paul Watson, Dr. Andrew Everett, Dr. Shelby Karpman, Dr. Peet Du Toit Performance Analyst: Calum Ramsay Manager: Gareth Rees Media Coordinator: Bryan Kelly
Men’s Eagles Staff | Pacific Nations Cup vs. Canada
Mike Tolkin, head coach Tristan Lewis, manager David Schneider, doctor Dan Payne, assistant coach Tony Smeeth, assistant coach Derek Dowling, assistant coach Dave Williams, strength and conditioning coach Paul Goulding, video analyst Kristen Douhan, physiotherapist Zach Vyhnanek, physiotherapist
Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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On May 25, the battle for North American rugby supremacy opens a new chapter as, for the first time, Canada and the United States will play each other as part of the revamped Pacific Nations Cup (PNC). The North Americans will join a tournament which already includes Japan, Tonga and Fiji.
This, the first IRB test match in what is set to be an incredibly busy summer of rugby, will take place in Edmonton, Alberta; it will be the first of three meetings between these two countries in the next few months.
Previously on Bleacher Report, I asked whether North America's two major rugby nations have what it takes to handle their new—and vastly expanded—summer schedules. The answer will soon be upon us.
The addition of the the PNC tournament to the normal compliment of three summer internationals has the potential to be a huge benefit to the development of rugby in both countries; however, it will force Canadian and American coaching staffs to utilize their expanded depth charts, which is a factor that may lead to unpredictable results.
Both nations have several top-flight professionals unavailable for the opening game of the tournament, as coaches try to provide them some recovery time after a lengthy overseas season. At first glance, it would appear Canada will suffer more heavily from these absences, with the likes of Jamie Cudmore, DTH Van der Merwe and Jebb Sinclair all unavailable, as well as others who are out injured. Meanwhile, the USA Eagles are set to field several of their leading overseas players, in the forms of Shawn Pittman, Eric Fry and captain Todd Clever.
While both Canada and the USA can expect to see their performances improve significantly over the course of a long summer, this match will see the teams take to the pitch with only a limited amount of preparation time.
Canada heads into action as the world's 14th ranked team, according to the International Rugby Board (IRB), while the USA is listed in 16th position. Both countries will have ample opportunity to improve their standing this summer; especially against the two more highly-ranked Pacific Island nations.
As mentioned, the cross-border rivals will meet again for a home-and-away series in August, as part of the Rugby World Cup qualifying process. By then, the composition of the two squads will likely look very different.
Canadian Head Coach Kieran Crowley originally posted a 45-man player pool for this summer's internationals, making it extremely difficult to guess at what the Canada roster for Saturday's clash will look like.
If the Canadians are hoping to significantly advance their IRB world rankings this summer, they can ill afford a home loss against the lower-ranked Americans. With that in mind, look for the Canadians to dress an experienced starting line-up, possibly with a significant amount of young talent added to their bench.
For the Eagles, the picture looks somewhat different. Given the almost impossible travel schedule and challenging opposition assigned to them this summer, this match may well be one of the fixtures being targeted by the USA management. Look for the USA to dress the very strongest roster available to them.
Canada-USA clashes are traditionally defined by their physicality and intensity, so whatever the make-up of the teams, the players will know that they will need to impose themselves physically to be successful.
Rugby Canada's game day roster announcement will likely take place in the 48 hours prior to the match, in Edmonton.
As this is the first match for both teams since November, a degree of rust and a lack of coordination is to be expected. This will no doubt make for a combative, but sloppy, opening half of rugby.
With very few exceptions, Canada have consistently gotten the better of their American rivals in modern times. Home advantage and a desire to obtain a mental edge against an opponent whom they will play repeatedly this summer, will all be motivating factors for them.
As always, the inspirational Todd Clever will see his team fight hard to the end, but it is unlikely to be enough.
Our Bleacher Report prediction calls for an underpowered Canada to do just enough to get their summer campaign off to a successful start.
Predicted Scoreline: Canada 24 - USA - 21
Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.
Rugby Union: Can North America Handle Its Huge Summer Schedule?
Feb 25, 2013
In early November 2004, your humble correspondent was able to secure a single seat in the back-row of the upper-deck in London's Twickenham Stadium, to see his beloved Canada take on England on their home ground. As I eagerly purchased my commemorative program, I was shocked to see that Canada was going to take the field without most of its compliment of overseas professionals, who had not been released by their pro clubs.
It was a forgettable day for Canadian rugby that will never be forgotten. Sadly enough, there were those in the British press—such as rugby analysts at The Guardian—who easily predicted the 70-0 massacre that was to follow.
The width of several prairies separate the impoverished Canadians from their hosts and playing for the Castaway Wanderers or the Old Boy Ravens at the University of British Columbia is clearly no preparation for top-level professional sport. The International Rugby Board (IRB) meets in Dublin this week and its big hope is for rugby to win Olympic recognition and thus qualify for greater funding in countries where rugby is currently a poor relation.
After sheepishly dragging my Canadian flag past throngs of festive, but depressingly sympathetic English rugby fans, I had the opportunity to read the following words in the Canadian media the next day.
They were the words of former Canadian National Senior Team Head Coach—and current U.S. Women's Sevens Coach—Ric Suggitt, who understood the problem all too well.
We need to play more games of this quality. I'd like to play England 20 times a year if we could. ... I'm sure each and every time out we would get better.
Almost a decade later and many of the factors that were blamed for the 2004 debacle have been addressed.
Due to the creation of IRB Rule 9, no longer do Canada and the United States do battle on the international rugby pitch without their overseas-based professionals. Centralized training in both countries has largely eliminated the problems caused by having elite domestic players spread across vast land masses.
Finally, rugby has indeed found its way into the Olympics—beginning in 2016—albeit only in the Sevens version of the game; resulting in large funding increases for the sport in both countries.
Suggitt's call for more matches for his, then, besieged Canadians was always going to be one of the more difficult pieces to arrange.
Both Canada and the U.S. are geographically isolated from much of the rest of the rugby world. In addition, many of the top-tier nations were already involved in competitions which took place over unique windows of time on the rugby calendar.
The RBS Six Nations, which has included Italy for over a decade, takes place during February, when national team activity in North America is at a minimum.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the competition now known as The Rugby Championship—which involves New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina—kicks off in late August when the few summer international fixtures in North America are usually coming to an end.
Both of these tournaments represent long strings of matches that are quite simply unavailable to both of North America's major unions. These tournaments are alliances between top-flight rugby nations, who have all agreed to release their top players from club duty for those competitions.
Due to these agreements, the world's top-ten nations have, at times, outnumbered their second-tier brethren by a ratio of 2:1 or more, when it comes to the number of international fixtures played annually. It seemed that the rugby world was quickly moving towards a permanent two-tier system.
For years, the concerns Suggitt had originally raised in 2004 went unaddressed, and many of the world's smaller rugby nations fell further behind the elite.
In the summer of 2013, that trend is finally set to come to an end with a vastly expanded summer schedule for both of North America's major rugby powers; Canada and the U.S. The changes did not come easily. The management of both unions pushed hard for a schedule of matches that went beyond what the IRB announced in its recent schedule for Tier-Two Nations.
The result was North American participation in an enhanced Pacific Nations Cup, alongside Tonga, Fiji and Japan.
With all of these matches being played during North America's existing summer test season, both countries have more than doubled the amount of fixtures they are expected to play during that time period.
These matches represent a dramatic increase in the competition schedule, and cannot possibly be undertaken with the standard compliment of 26 players that would embark upon a routine summer tour. Both Canada and the United States will have to utilize their expanded depth charts, with unpredictable results.
The Pacific Nations Cup, however, does not represent the end of the schedule additions.
Both unions have committed to fielding a combined North American All-Star Team against South Africa's Golden Lions, who play in that country's Currie Cup competition. The South Africans will play the North American Selects on back-to-back weekends in mid-April.
Finally, the Irish national team—stripped of its stars who will taking part in the Lions Tour in Australia—will play both Canada and the United States in June.
With all of these additions, both countries will be forced to embark on a schedule which is, arguably, far more rigorous than the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The schedule for both nations involves travel across the breadth of North America and ends with an almost inhuman month of June, halfway around the world.
For example, the United States—after playing in Canada on May 25—must then go on to play four matches in June, ending in a painful flight to Japan where the Eagles will be forced to play two matches in five days.
Canada is currently ranked 14th in the world while the United States stands 16th in the IRB rankings.
Each of the five separate opponents the U.S. will face this summer is more highly ranked, and it will be near impossible for either North American squad to field their top players in all of these matches.
Choices will have to made. Younger players will have to be exposed. The results will be very interesting to behold. For while fans across North America may be thrilled to have so much elite rugby action taking place on home soil, their eyes will not be the only ones watching.
Canada and the United States have been pleading for more international competition for more than a decade; now that it has arrived, the entire rugby world will, no doubt, be watching to see if North America can rise to the challenge.
Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. To follow the author in Twitter, click on the link below.
Rugby Union: Pro Dream Still a Big Climb for North Americans
Jan 30, 2013
Rugby union professionals, in the modern era, are recipients of some of the best coaching and sports science in the history of athletic pursuits, and there are few phrases used as much in modern rugby coaching as "10,000 hours of mastery."
One of the most important and fascinating parts of Gladwell's research, which focused on different groups of people who had reached the peak of their professions, was his findings in regards to pro athletes in the sport of ice hockey.
Gladwell discovered that Canadian hockey players born in the first few months of the year, were far more likely to become professional players than the rest of their peers.
The logic was that players born early in the year were likely to be more physically mature than other boys at various stages in their childhood and therefore more likely to be identified as more athletically gifted.
This, in turn, caused these players to receive more hours of elite coaching and attention. These are the players that went on to benefit from Ericsson's 10,000 hour theory and subsequently become professionals.
If only the issues around pursuing a professional rugby career were so simple.
For ambitious North American rugby players, the very idea that they could accumulate such hours of training so early in life seems highly improbable. For starters, rugby leagues for the very young are a relatively new phenomenon for North Americans, and today's young adults with professional aspirations are likely to have only been in the game for a comparative handful of seasons.
European national unions, as well as their associated professional clubs, all have youth development programs which are specifically designed to identify, acquire and train promising young talent in England, Ireland, Wales and elsewhere.
So where then is a player like the USA's Eric Fry to turn?
The 25-year-old California native had been trying earn a full-time professional contract for some time, after breaking in to the American national team as a prop in 2010. Its a challenge for any athlete born in North America, as European pro clubs have their own depth charts of local talent that flow all the way down to local youth rugby.
Recently, the powerful front-row forward was able to sign-on with London Scottish of the R.F.U. Championship; a club in the second-tier of professional English rugby. He said:
It is a difficult process for North Americans to sign contracts overseas. This is my second overseas contract. My first being for the Manawatu Turbos in New Zealand. One of the difficulties is that we are competing for spots with players who have been playing as a professional for some time, or against young players who have been identified as having potential and been put into an academy program.
Domestically, in North America, there are no professional leagues nor is there a way for us to play and train at a level as high as our full-time European counterparts. One of our opportunities to showcase our abilities is in international tests. However, there are only a few of those a year, and we often don't have as much time to prepare for them as we'd like.
Fry is one of the lucky ones. The lack of a professional league in North America means that, often, North American athletes are forced to try and find innovative ways of displaying their talents for professional scouts and managers. Its a strategy that can come with a lot of risks.
Another option which is much more of a gamble is to prove yourself at the amateur level in a country with a professional league. Last February, I quit my job and moved to New Zealand to train full time in a competitive rugby environment. I was hoping that my time in New Zealand would help develop me as a player and as a scrummager and that it would add to my credibility and make me less of a risky investment to professional team. I was extremely fortunate that.
Being a full time player in the ITM Cup grew my game a lot and gave me game footage to prove that I could benefit a professional team in another part of the world. With this experience I played better in my next international tour with the US team. Without it, I don't think I would have won a contract with London Scottish.
Fry is correct that his gamble paid off. The entire purpose RFU Championship is to push talent up into the ranks of the English Aviva Premiership, where the truly big money contracts can be found.
Players with London Scottish are offered far more meagre wages, with some clubs in the league still occasionally fielding purely amateur players.
One of Fry's new teammates is Canadian international lock forward Tyler Hotson. Hotson joined London Scottish this season and has already played several seasons in England; he is a veteran who truly appreciates the opportunity to earn a living playing the sport he loves. He added:
It's a massive opportunity to play over here. This league continues to improve and it can be so physical; even more than Premiership games, depending on the day.
As far as the quality of the RFU Championship is concerned, I can completely attest to it. It's so important to get guys over here and out of their comfort zones, and obviously it’s worked out really well for me in a positive way. The more guys we can get over here playing somewhere, the better.
Hotson's hopes for more Canadians joining him overseas, a hope that is no doubt shared by Eric Fry and the Team USA management, will be difficult to realize. As Fry explains, the system is currently stacked against players from across the Atlantic.
Another hurdle North Americans face is that clubs have to sponsor us for a work visa which can be an difficult, expensive and timely process. Additionally, in most professional leagues there are restrictions on the number of overseas players. Furthermore, it is my understanding that some teams have financial incentives if they average a certain amount of players who are eligible to play for their affiliated national team.
Recently, news became public that the Super 15, the southern hemisphere's premier professional rugby competition, is pondering the idea of expansion to North America. Rugby communities across the continent rejoiced at this development.
For with the arrival of a truly professional league in both Canada and the United States would also come the resources necessary to identify talent at a younger age and unleash the vast potential that the North American athlete pool holds.
Surely then the world rugby community will stand up and take notice.
If players like Eric Fry and Tyler Hotson can be moulded into rugby machines of their caliber in a little under a decade, one shutters at the thought of what might be possible when the next generation of North American boys and girls start off much earlier, in search of their own 10,000 hours of rugby.
Jeff Hull is a contributor to Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise stated, all of the above quotations were obtained first-hand.
