mens
international
Rugby Canada have entered into a strategic agreement with Champ Rugby England to allow their players to get more competitive playing time in the lead up to Rugby World Cup in 2027
Financial and logistical measures have been put in place to encourage clubs to sign Canadian players and reverse the trend of recent years.
Canadian players predominated in the Champions League’s second division until the introduction of English-eligible conditional funding deterred clubs from new North American players.
Major League Rugby has promised to fill the void, but with the league now down to five teams, Canadian players have limited opportunities to play professional rugby in a high-performance environment.
Experienced players like Tyler Ardron, Evan Olmstead and Andrew Quattrin are playing at a high level in France, but there are very few Canadian players breaking ground in the UK, and this deal hopes to change that.
Going back a decade or two, established internationals such as prolific international goalscorer James Pritchard (Bedford/Plymouth), John Cannon (Coventry/Doncaster), record scorer Aaron Carpenter and Brett Beukeboom (both Cornish Pirates) were just some of the stars that graced the league.
Rugby Canada’s role in this latest partnership will support player relocation costs such as flights and visas. Champ Rugby will in turn offer players professional contracts that include accommodation support as part of the deal.
Reformatted with player availability in mind, clubs signing Canadian players will work with Rugby Canada to ensure flexibility for national team training/matches.
“We are pleased to formalize this partnership with Champ Rugby and its clubs with the support of the RFU,” said Nathan Bombris, CEO of Rugby Canada.
“We have some quality players in Canada and this partnership will give them the opportunity to test themselves and develop their rugby in a great professional environment.”
Simon Gillham OBE, Chairman of Champ Rugby, added: “Champ Rugby is a training ground for aspiring players. We are delighted to welcome talented Canadian players to our clubs, where they will receive regular, competitive rugby at an elite level.
“It’s a partnership that strengthens our competition, elevates our platform and supports Rugby Canada in the development of its international players, while contributing to the growth of the wider game.”
Canada has fallen outside the top 20 in the World Rugby Rankings since it last competed at the 2019 Men’s Rugby World Cup.
The team missed out on the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the first time in history that they were not present on the game’s biggest stage, but secured qualification for next year’s tournament in Australia.
Canada is in Group C, along with Argentina, Fiji and Spain.