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Canada head coach Stephen Meehan has named his 23-man squad to open November’s Cup of Nations window against 13. Georgia at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia.
70-cap Chicago Hounds loose forward Lucas Rumbell will captain the side, alongside vice-captain Ben LeSage in the number 12 jersey.
There are two Kiwi links in the strong squad named to take on Georgia, with New Zealand-bred top-five Spencer Jones, who is predominantly a midfielder, starting at No.10. Hawke’s Bay Magpies junior Nic Benn has been named to start on the left wing, in his 14th game for Canada, his first since 2025.
“It’s funny because obviously when you go through the age grades in New Zealand, you sniff, and you’re really into it. But then I think it got to be a lot for me at the time, so I thought I’d take a year off and then come back and give it another go,” Jones said RugbyPass earlier this month in Osaka.
Meehan has very few experienced players to call on from the bench and replacement loose forward Siôn Parry has a maximum of 21 substitute appearances.
Meehan, who has been in charge of Canada since the start of 2025, said the challenge this weekend will be “physical”.
“Georgia is a physical, confrontational team with aggressive defensive line speed, a strong set piece and an athletic background,” Meehan said after naming his 23-man squad.
“It’s going to be important for us to be smart about how we respond to those challenges and how we want to dictate the pace of the game. We want to play with intent, hit when the opportunity arises and move Georgia around the court.”
“We continue to develop a style of rugby that suits our strengths while constantly looking for ways to improve. We believe it is an exciting way to play the game and one in which the players are fully invested.”
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CANADA MEN’S RUGBY TEAM AGAINST GEORGIA
1. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC (14 appearances)
2. Foster DeWitt (Courtenay, BC) – Westshore RFC / Nottingham Rugby (8 appearances)
3. Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) – Winnipeg Wombats / Blackheath Rugby (7 appearances)
4. Daragh Doyle (Québec City, QC) – Clontarf FC (5 appearances)
5. Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC (19 appearances)
6. Matt Beukeboom (Lindsay, ON) – SAXV Angoulême (3 games)
7. Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RC / Chicago Hounds (70 appearances)
8. Tyler Ardron (Lakefield, ON) – Peterborough Pagans / Provence Rugby (40 games)
9. Jesse Kilgour (Oro-Medonte, ON) – Barrie RC / Aurora Barbarians (3 games)
10. Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) – Hamilton Old Boys / Nottingham Rugby (19 appearances)
11. Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Hawkes Bay magpies (13 drops)
12. Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks (41 games)
13. Jacob Ince (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders (5 appearances)
14. Kyle Tremblay (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Westshore RFC (8 games)
15. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Bayside RFC (6 appearances)
FINISHERS
16. Austin Creighton (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association (4 appearances)
17. Sam Miller (Mount Denson, NS) – Valley Rugby Union / Blackheath Rugby (10 appearances)
18. Tyler Matchem (Pictou County, NS) – Pictou County RFC / James Bay AA (2 appearances)
19. Barnaby Waddell (Exeter, ENG) – Okehampton RFC / Camborne RFC (5 appearances)
20. Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiubina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC (21 games)
21. Stephen Webb (Toronto, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Toronto City RC / University of British Columbia (2 appearances)
22. Jack Gore (Mississauga, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Wilfrid Laurier University (0 appearances)
23. Liam James (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia / UBCOB Ravens (4 appearances)
ABOUT THE WORLD CUP OF NATIONS IN RUGBY
Nations Rugby World Cup is a new biennial competition featuring 12 nations that have already qualified for the men’s competition Rugby World Cup 2027. Designed to create a structured annual testing calendar and increase opportunities for meaningful international competition, the tournament represents a significant step forward in the global game.