Canada hoping for England test in July

Canada are hoping to secure a test against England in July. Head coach Kingsley Jones confirmed talks are underway during a halftime interview at the Toronto Arrows match against Old Glory DC. Two additional tests are being sought against to-be-determined opposition.

The arrangement itself is not a surprise. England committed to touring North America as part of the July 2021 tests last May, but the pandemic has brought most domestic action to a halt. Canadian border restrictions remain in place that would require any arriving team to quarantine while there would be limited if any spectator attendance permitted.

Americas Rugby News understands that a contingency plan is being discussed that would see Canada traveling to England to fulfill the fixture. A similar solution is also being negotiated for the USA. Eagles coach Gary Gold confirmed in March his team’s interest in playing South Africa as well though changes to the British & Irish Lions tour have complicated the issue.

Should a test series take place as intended it could put several players in a difficult situation as the Major League Rugby season is not due to be completed until August 1. Under normal conditions there would be no such clash but the pandemic forced the MLR campaign to be delayed by a month.

The first three weeks of the season have proved highly competitive and it’s uncertain which teams will be in contention for a playoff spot come July. Should the Arrows – Canada’s only professional team – advance they could lose key members of the squad though a compromise might also see some left out of the tests.

Also clashing with the tour are the Tokyo Olympics. A squad of 17 players traveled with the Men’s Sevens side to Dubai this past week in their first action since early 2020. Among them are Rugby World Cup 2019 tourists Conor Trainor, Andrew Coe, and Theo Sauder

Jones is in a difficult position with limited time to prepare his team ahead of the World Cup Qualifying series against the Eagles later this year. Canada have not played any tests since October 2019 in Japan, with their only congregation since a High Performance Camp in November that was absent several leading players including all overseas professionals.

At the same time Jones must recognize the enormous contribution that MLR has made in the employment and development of his player pool. There are nearly 60 Canadian-eligible players currently on the books in the North American competition, with Seattle signing Karsten Leitner the newest arrival.

As of yet no official statements have been made by Rugby Canada, USA Rugby, or the Rugby Football Union regarding the proposed matches.

About Americas Rugby News

Formally created in June 2015, this website's goal is to increase media exposure of the Tier 2 rugby nations, and create a hub with a focus on the stories of rugby in the Americas - North, Central and South.

Check Also

Raptors Shock Yacare in Slobberknocker in Denver

The Americans Raptors have back-to-back wins in Super Rugby Americas. The victims have been Os …