Brutality and ballet: Canadian men’s international rugby returns to Edmonton with some local faces

The Canadian men's rugby team is training in Edmonton ahead of matches against Belgium and Spain. Three local players made the team.

Canada’s men’s rugby team has been busy preparing for a pair of international matches at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton.

For a few players, it’s a chance to represent their country in front of a home crowd.

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Austin Creighton, a hooker, started playing rugby for the Strathcona Druids when he was 12 and has represented Canada at the U18 and U20 levels.

He is one of the uncapped players in the Rugby Canada senior men’s new 33-man roster emerging from a weeklong training camp at the University of Alberta.

Creighton said making the cut for the 23-man game-day roster for Saturday’s match against Belgium at Clarke Stadium would be a dream come true.

“If I get the opportunity to (represent Canada) at the senior men’s level, that’s every kid’s dream growing up playing this sport,” Creighton said.

“I’m hoping I get a shirt and get to cross that white line and play in the game.”

Canada is currently ranked 24th. It will play Belgium, ranked 23rd, on Saturday and Spain, ranked 16th, on Sunday.

Head coach Stephen Meehan explained the upcoming matches in Edmonton are critical for the new team before the World-Cup qualifier against the U.S. (ranked 15th) in August.

“You want to make a winning start, because you know the old saying – winning is a habit,” Meehan said. “That’s part of the reason that we’re here.”

For the first time ever in 2023, Canada did not qualify for the World Cup.

Meehan said the upcoming test matches will be spent trying out some new, hopefully winning combinations.

“A bit of a challenge for the players to sort of get used to some new systems and to find their way. But with those challenges, they seem to be enjoying it,” he said. “And I know if it’s challenging for us, it’s more challenging for the opposition.”

Dewald Kotze is originally from South Africa but has been playing rugby in Alberta since his family moved to Grande Cache when he was 13. He said he’s looking forward to seeing what the new team can do come Saturday.

“It’s been feeling really good meeting all the new guys on the new system. So I’m very excited to go,” Kotze said.

“Being able to be with the boys and represent this country is incredible,” he added.

Fifteen players and eight replacements will suit up for the upcoming games. Meehan said it would help them out to see the stands full of friendly faces.

“Come out and cheer the boys on,” he said. “They love playing in front of their supporters.

“So, if we can get a full house here, as I say, the 16th man can help us bring it home against Belgium.”

If you’ve never seen a match before, Meehan said the “gladiatorial sport” has lots to offer.

“It really is man on man, so there’s a physical contest in everything that you do,” he said. “That’s the beauty of rugby.… You have this real mix of this brutality, if you like, with ballet thrown in. So it’s a real blend of things.”

Tickets for the July 12 and July 18 games are available on Ticketmaster.

With files from CTV News Edmonton Amanda Anderson and The Canadian Press’ Neil Davison