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From Dog River Howlers in Cuba to Canada 7s in Edinburgh and London - Calgary's Ian Schoults
Rugby Canada Press Release
posted May 16 2009
Just over a month ago Ian Shoults was a Calgary based player going through the normal pre-season routines one goes through to play in Alberta. A phone call looking for an extra set of speedy boots on a tour to Cuba changed all that as Shoults, 24, went on to star for the Dog River Howlers invitiational team at the ALBA tournament (the Cuban equivalent of the Commonwealth Games) in Cuba - thus setting in motion a path to playing for Canada a month later.
On that Cuban tour was Shane Thompson - who was a player/coach for the Dog River squad. The former International Sevens player began to take notice of what Shoults was doing; how could he not - as the young Albertan was named player of the tournament - scoring fourteen tries as the Howlers swept the tournament.
Thompson extended an invitation to Shoults to come to Victoria to work out with the team this past week - and in four short days - has played his way into a spot on the team.
"It's pretty incredible," agreed Thompson in recounting the story. "He is a very fast and creative player and has really impressed me - so while there was some tough choices to make this week this wasn't one of them."
In announcing the squad that will travel to England and Scotland for the final two events of the International Rugby Board series events, Thompson said it was one of the harder assembly camps in terms of selection, because the confluence of Canada playing Ireland and Wales in Vancouver and Toronto on the same weekends as the Sevens events meant a lot of his normal stable of players has been named into fifteens squad. In fact of the squad that went to the Hone Kong Sevens in March - only Neil Meechan, Tony La Carte and Sean White remain - the other eight players consisting of former sevens and fifteens players and four new caps to the team.
Thompson's team will have the speed and experience of Justin Mensah-Coker - who has finished his National Division one season with Plymouth Albion, as well as second year senior player Bryn Keys of the Velox Valhallians. Stu Ault makes his return to the Sevens pitch as well - after a nearly two year absence. The Ottawa area native has finished his first season in the English National Division One - with the Rotherham Titans - and he is a player that Thompson welcomes back into the fold.
"He is a very fast player and with his size he can get under the high ball - something we need on kick-offs," explained Thompson. "Stu is a very professional and very mature player so we are lucky to have him."
Other returnees to the Sevens program include first year man Sean White of James Bay, and seasoned performer Tony La Carte. Neil Meechan will continue to Captain the side - a role he has relished since taking the C earlier this year.
James Buchanan of Calgary returned early from his tour to New Zealand on the chance he would get back in - and the gamble of paying his own return ticket paid off with his third appearance on a Canadian Sevens team and second tour overall.
One player that will have senior men's team coach Kieran Crowley curious about is University of Victoria's Kyle Buckley - who shone at times in the Canadian Direct Insurance League - scoring some scorching tries. Now - playing against other speedsters of a similar ilk - can he keep up that form in the short game?
"We are keen to see how he blends in on his first tour," affirmed Thompson.
Other new players include Meralomas wing Dekek Townsend who also has five years experience playing gridiron for the UBC Thunderbirds as a running back and punt returner. Thompson rates Townsend as a real potential find with his strength and speed combined with a small frame as potential keys to success.
Also in for first tours are Colin Brown of the London St. Georges club, and Capilano's Spencer Baker.
Canada compete in the London Sevens next weekend - with a daunting pool of New Zealand, Argentina and Portugal. On May 30th the tour moves to Edinburgh, Scotland where the Canadians will take on the hosts, as well as England and the always troublesome Kenya.
Thomspon was quick to point out the valuable contributions of two other players at the camp that added to his selection frustrations - Aurora and Velox's Dave Neilsen and Velox's Clay Panga - who will be on stand-by should there be any injury replacements required.
"They both did really well and I think we will be seeing them in a Canadian squad at some point in the future," offered Thompson, who travels to the UK with his team on Sunday night along with Manager Dustin Hopkins and physio-therapist Mike Yates.
Canada Team to Tour England and Scotland IRB Sevens Events
Stu Ault (Rotherham Titans/Perth, ON)
Spencer Baker # (Capilano/North Vancouver, BC)
Colin Brown # (London St. Georges/St. Thomas, ON)
James Buchanan (Velox Valhallians/Calgary Mavericks/Calgary, AB)
Kyle Buckley # (University of Victoria Vikes, Montreal, PQ)
Bryn Keys (Velox Valhallians/Abbotsford, BC)
Tony La Carte (Bayside RFD, White Rock, BC)
Neil Meechan (University of Victoria Vikes, Victoria, BC)
Justin Mensah-Coker (Plymouth Albion RFC/Vancouver, BC)
Ian Schoults # (Calgary Irish/Calgary, AB)
Derek Townsend # (Meralomas/Vancouver, BC)
Sean White (James Bay AA, Victoria, BC)
#First Tour
Coach: Shane Thompson
Manager: Dustin Hopkins
Physiotherapist: Mike Yates
London Sevens - May 23rd-24th
Edinburgh Sevens - May 30th-31st
Three National Rugby Teams on the Road: U20 in NZ; Men's and Women's 7s in Dubai
[ed. now that Maria Gallo has paved the way, it would good if one of the men's 7s players and a U20 player would start sending blog entries. Just email your entries to editor@bcrugbynews.com and we'll post them up.]
Rugby Canada Press Release
posted March 2 2009
Three of Canada’s national rugby sides are involved in events in Dubai, UAE and New Zealand in the next ten days. This press release provides a synopsis of the tours involving the Canadian men’s and women’s sevens teams and the Canadian U20 men’s team.
Three of Rugby Canada's teams will be in action around the world in the coming week - as the World Cup of Sevens hosts the men's and women's teams in Dubai and the Canadian U20 men's team has arrived in New Zealand to play a three match tour in preparation for this June's World Championships in Japan.
Canada's women's sevens team arrived in the new super Hotel Atlantis in the middle East on Sunday - following a one week training camp at a training academy near Abu Dhabi. The women's team is the top seed out of the North American West Indies (NAWIRA) zone - and takes on Brazil, Spain and Thailand in Pool C starting this Friday.
In her online Blog - Maria Gallo - team Captain says the mental part of their game is ramping up.
"Having been a part of two 15s World Cups there comes a time when all of your physical preparations you have done to date are trivial," says the Edmonton resident. "The most important variables that will win you games is your emotional and psychological state, your hunger for the ball and the extent to which you will sacrifice yourself. "
Meanwhile Canada's men's team also arrived in Dubai over the weekend - and begin preparations to take on South Africa, Scotland and Japan - also in Pool C. The men's tournament also begins on Friday with 24 teams attempting to advance to the Cup quarter-final rounds on Sunday.
After winning the Shield competition recently in San Diego - Canada has re-jigged its side for the World Cup - adding English rugby club Bedford's James Pritchard and Plymouth Albion wing Justin Mensah Coker. Neil Meechan moves into the skipper's role - with senior 15s coach Kieran Crowley working with Shane Thompson to help the team that went 2-7-2 in New Zealand and the USA to open Canada's 2009 International Rugby Board Sevens series.
“It’s been great. The boys have been working really hard and the guys from the carded program are here helpings us out,” said Meechan said before talking about the competition in the Middle East. “All the teams in the tournament are amping up their squads - there’ll be a lot of new faces in Dubai. But we’ll be stronger with guys like [James] Pritchard and [Justin] Mensah Coker back in the lineup.”
There was a late change to the Canadian team as well after Phil Mackenzie consulted a team physician - making the way for Saskatchewan's Nanyak Dala to replace the Oakville, ON native as part of the 12 man squad.
Canada's U20 team left from Vancouver and Toronto on Sunday to New Zealand where it will play development sides from Wellington, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay. Tim Murdy is the coach - and has assembled a diverse group for this dress rehearsal of the World's in three month's time.
“It’s a challenge assembling the players for the tour, but the goal is long term,” says U20 Coach Tim Murdy. “The goal is to use the New Zealand games as an opportunity to build on our preparations for the World Cup.”
According to Murdy, the coaching staff is excited to see their team in action and to test out a series of lethal combinations.
“We’ve got a fairly well balanced team,” Murdy said before adding, “On paper we’ve got a bigger forward pack than last year. We’re looking at having these forwards involved in the attack and having different options and being able to create some continuity between the two units.”
For information on all of Rugby Canada’s teams visit www.rugbycanada.ca [or drop by www.bcrugbynews.com].
Canadian Men's Sevens Team to Dubai RWC of Sevens
Nanyak Dala (Saskatoon, SK/Castaway Wanderers)
Ciaran Hearn (Conception Bay, NFLD, Castaway Wanderers)
Bryn Keys (Abbotsford, BC/Velox Valhallians)
Adam Kleeberger (Victoria, BC/U Vic Vikes)
Jordan Kozina (Brantford, ON/U Vic Vikes)
Phil Mack (Victoria, BC/James Bay AA)
Neil Meechan (c) (Victoria, BC/U Vic Vikes)
Justin Mensah Coker (Vancouver, BC/Plymouth Albion RFC -UK)
James Pritchard (Parkes Australia/Bedford Rugby)
Gordon Sawers (Vancouver, BC/U Vic Vikes)
DTH van der Merwe (Regina, SK/James Bay AA)
Morgan Williams (Cole Harbour, NS/James Bay AA)
Coaches: Kieran Crowley, Shane Thompson
Manager: Doug Tate
Therapist: Chris May
Canadian Women's Sevens team to Dubai RWC of Sevens
Name, Current Club, Hometown, Prov.
Natalie Bendavid, Aurora Barbarians (ON), Richmond Hill ON
Rosie Cobbett, Burnaby Lake Rugby Club (BC), Fort Nelson BC
Tara Eckert, Calgary Irish (AB), Saskatoon SK
Maria Gallo, Burnaby Lake Rugby Club (BC), Guelph ON
Brooke Hilditch, Yeomen Women's Rugby Club (ON), Mississauga ON
Mandy Marchak, Capilano RFC (BC), Winnipeg MB
Tanja Ness, London St-Georges (ON), Orillia ON
Ashley Patzer, Lethbridge Rugby Club (AB), Lethbridge AB
Cheryl Phillips, Toronto Scottish (ON), Scarborough ON
Kelly Russell, Toronto Nomads (ON), Russell, Bolton ON
Laura Stoughton, Calgary Irish (AB), Saskatoon SK
Brittany Waters, Meraloma Athletic Club (BC), Vancouver BC
NON-TRAVELLING RESERVES:
Marie-Josee Blais, Town of Mount Royal RFC (QC), St. Etienne de Lauzon QC
Genevieve Gay, Bayside RFC (White Rock, BC), Miramichi NB
Jill Harris, Edmonton Rockers Athletic Club (AB), Lloydminster AB
STAFF:
Natascha Wesch, Head Coach, Baie D'Urfe QC, London ON
John Coumbe-Lilley, Technical Advisor, Rochester Hills MI, Rochester Hills MI|
Annie St-Georges, Team Therapist, Crabtree QC, Magog QC
Eva Havaris, Program Manager, London ON, Toronto ON
Canada U20 team to tour New Zealand - (Position/club/school)
Jamal Allen (Prop - Vancouver Rowers/University of Saskatchewan)
Kyle Armstrong (Scrum-half - Ajax Wanderers/Truro College - UK)
Chris Barratt (Wing/FB - Queens University)
Conner Braid (Centre - James Bay AA)
Brett Beukeboom (Lock/Back row - Lindsay RFC/University of Victoria)
Justin Chelak (Prop - UBC Old Boy Ravens - Langara College)
Andrew Crow (Back row - Castaway Wanderers/University of Western Ontario)
Hamish Davidson (Centre - Capilanos RFC/East Coast Bays RFC - NZ)
Chris Dickenson (Fly-half - Oakville Crusaders/McMaster University)
Adam Dreidger (No 8 - Calgary Saracens)
Ryan Fried (Prop - Wimot Warthogs/University of Waterloo)
Aaron Johnstone (Centre - Caplianos RFC/University of Victoria)
Harry Jones (C) (Fly-half - Capilanos RFC/University of British Columbia)
Brett Kelly (Back row - St Albert RFC/Olds College)
Jesse Kliman (Back row - University of Western Ontario)
Mark Kohler (Wing/fullback - Luton RFC)
Jamie MacKenzie (Scrum-half - Oakville Crusaders/University of Victoria)
Evan Mallory (Hooker - University of Victoria)
Jeff McKinnon (Back Row - Capilanos RFC)
Ben Mittlestead (Hooker - Capilanos RFC/Carson Graham School)
Sebastian Pearson (VC) (Back row- Lindsay RFC/Leicester Tigers Academy)
Will Phillipson (Centre/wing - UBC Thunderbirds)
Dakota Poole (Lock - Kelowna RFC)
Grant Schneider (Wing - Oakville Crusaders/McMaster University)
Sam Skulskey (Scrum-half - Castaway Wanderers/McGill University)
Richard Townsend (Prop - Dings Crusaders Nat3 UK/Hartpury College)
Conor Trainor (Centre - UBC Old Boy Ravens/St. Mary's College - California)
Nick Wallace (Prop - Chuckanut Bay RFC/St. Mary's College - California)
Jordan Wilson-Ross (Wing - Alliston Timberwolves)
Toni Wodzicki (Lock/back row - Montreal Wanderers/Marianopolis College)
Head Coach: Tim Murdy
Assistants: Ian Hyde Lay - John Tait - NSMT Forwards Coach
Manager: Brian Hunter
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Joe McCullum
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