Rookie team for IRB 7s

It will be a rookie laden Canadian national men's team Sevens squad going to the final two events of the International Rugby Board World Series in England and Scotland.

Naming six new caps into the side, with the remainder having first or second year experience, it will be an eye opening experience for the team, that has been blooding new players throughout the 2007/08 season for just this scenario, when series regulars would be called in for other duties such as Barclays Churchill Cup assemblies, North America Four team duties and other facts of amateur sporting life in Canada such as school final exams.

Making their debuts on the Sevens circuit are New Brunswickers Chauncey O'Toole and Jebb Sinclair, who join fellow Maritimer Robert Wilson (of Newfoundland) as Canada's newest members of the IRB circuit.

Coach Shane Thompson acknowledges that the sevens team Canada has been sending around the world this year have been of a newer vintage than years past, but he says the development the young players receive will pay dividends down the road.

"There is so much rugby right now and there is a lot of conflicts - but it gives other guys a chance and they could end up going to the World Cup (in Dubai in 2009)," offered Thompson. "It is a chance to see these six (new) guys in action, which is very valuable."

Nanyak Dala, along with a number of the sevens squad, will be wrapping up his North America Four West appearance in Toronto May 17th and jetting off for his first Sevens tour as well. Another debutant will be Abbotsford native Bryn Keys. He joins University of Victoria's Ben Grant who is on his eighth tour and they come in as two late call ups to the last leg of the tour.

"We've been trying to get him for awhile," said Thompson of Dala's inclusion. "He has always been on the radar and I think he will be great!"

Staying in his captaincy role, but taking a long way to get there is Victoria's Phil Mack, who has been playing rugby in Australia for the past few weeks with Randwick. Relative veteran Gordie Sawers is back in the side as well, marking his fifth tournament since his debut in Wellington, New Zealand in 2007.

Other veterans include Neil Meechan (Maple Ridge, BC and UVic Vikes), Jordan Kozina (Brantford and UVic Vikes), White Rock, BC's Tony LaCarte along with Nova Scotia native Kris Witkowski who now plays in Victoria with his school side - the UVic Vikes.

Thompson says there are a number of important dynamics taking place within the team when bringing a relatively young team to an IRB event.

"Players' roles shift up one," he says, "guys who were on the bench become starters. The guys who normally start but aren't in a leading role become leaders.

"We are developing different leaders with different qualities. I hope these young players have a positive attitude about the selection and take advantage of it for the opportunity it is."

Canada has a tough draw in England, taking on the high flying Fijians, Australia and Portugal on the weekend of May 24th and 25th in London.

Then a quick trip to the north takes them to Scotland for the weekend of May 31st/June 1st, and what Thompson admits is a better draw to wrap the 2007/08 season. In Edinburgh Canada faces Samoa, Wales and Spain.

"They are all tough these days (tournament draws) and every pool you look at there are no more freebies," said the former Captain of the team, who transitioned to the coaching role two seasons ago. "All the teams are good down to the tenth spot."

He goes on to say that the second week should net better results in part, "because of a week of training together and the new players will have had a tournament of experience to draw on at that point."

It has been a long season for Thompson and the Canadian team with a lot of new players cycling through the program, and only a scant two points to show for their efforts with a Plate final appearance in the enlarged twenty-four team Hong Kong tournament in March. This season wrapping tour will give a shot in the arm to the rookies and give the cast regulars something to build towards in preparation for World Cup qualifiers this October in Bahamas.

"People need to be patient and wait for these young guys to develop," concluded Thompson. "It is such a big leap for them to play club rugby one weekend and then take on New Zealand in Sevens the next.

"We will see the benefits of this in four or five years."

Name/RCSL/Local Club
Nanyak Dala (Saskatchewan Prairie Fire/Saskatoon Wild Oats)
Ben Grant (U Vic Vikes)
Bryn Keys (Velox Valhallians/Aurora Barbarians)
Jordan Kozina (Niagara Thunder/U Vic Vikes)
Anthony LaCarte (Castaway Wanderers)
Philip Mack (Crimson Tide/Randwick/James Bay AA)
Neil Meechan (University of Victoria)
Chauncey O'Toole (Crimson Tide/Castaway Wanderers)
Gordie Sawers (Capilano RFC)
Jebb Sinclair (Crimson Tide/Castaway Wanderers)
Robert Wilson (The Rock)
Kris Witkowski (UVic Vikes)

Staff
Shane Thompson – Coach
Manager – TBA
Michael Yates – Physio