Canada's 2007 RWC squad

Rugby Canada reports:

Canada head coach Ric Suggitt and his staff have named a 32-man, 2007 Rugby World Cup (RWC) squad that will begin its preparatory cross-Canada tour in Vancouver on August 5th.

The squad contains 18 forwards and 14 backs and possesses a blend of experience and potential. The age-range spans 15 years, from Mike James at 34 years-of-age to Nathan Hirayama at 19.

“The squad will be reduced by two men during August in order that the required, final, 30-man squad will leave for France on August 31st,” says Suggitt.

With 51 caps, scrum-half Morgan Williams will captain Canada for the tournament. Playing at his third Rugby World Cup, Williams returns to the country where he burst onto the world stage, scoring two tries against France at the 1999 RWC.

Veteran lock Mike James comes back into the squad for the first time since Canada’s qualifying match against the USA in St. John’s Newfoundland a year ago. France will be his fourth World Cup, after which James will retire from a 12-year international and professional career. [...]

Read the entire press release here.

CANADA’S 2007 WORLD CUP SQUAD

NAME
POSITION - CLUB - HOMETOWN

Scott Franklin
prop - Castaway-Wanderers - Regina, Saskatchewan

Dan Pletch
prop - Oakville Crusaders - Lucan, Ontario

Mike Pletch
prop - Oakville Crusaders - Lucan, Ontario

Jon Thiel
prop - Bayside - White Rock, British Columbia

Kevin Tkachuk
prop - Glasgow Warriors (Scotland) - Regina, Saskatchewan

Aaron Carpenter
hooker - Brantford - Brantford, Ontario

Pat Riordan
hooker - Burnaby Lake - Burnaby, British Columbia

Mike Burak
lock - Pau (France) - Vancouver, British Columbia

Jamie Cudmore
lock - Clermont-Auvergne (France) - Squamish, British Columbia

Mike James
lock - Stade Francais (France) - Burnaby, British Columbia

Luke Tait
lock - Overmach Parma (Italy) - Barrie, Ontario

Colin Yukes
back row - Agen (France) - Edmonton, Alberta

David Biddle
back row - Meraloma - Vancouver, British Columbia

Nanyak Dala
back row - Wild Oats - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Adam Kleeberger
back row - University of Victoria - White Rock, British Columbia

Stan McKeen
back row - Cornish Pirates (England) - Vancouver, British Columbia

Sean-Michael Stephen
back row - Béziers (France) - Oakville, Ontario

Mike Webb
back row - Swilers - West Vancouver, British Columbia

Ed Fairhurst
scrum-half - Cornish Pirates (England) - Victoria, British Columbia

Matt Weingart
scrum-half - Castaway-Wanderers - Williams Lake, British Columbia

Morgan Williams (captain)
scrum-half - Albi (France) - Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia

Nathan Hirayama
fly-half - University of Victoria - Richmond, British Columbia

Ander Monro
fly-half - Waterloo (England) - Edinburgh, Scotland

Ryan Smith
fly-half - Montauban (France) - Caledon, Ontario

Craig Culpan
centre - Meraloma - Auckland, New Zealand

Derek Daypuck
centre - Castaway-Wanderers - London, Ontario

David Spicer
centre - University of Victoria - Victoria, British Columbia

Nick Trenkel
centre - Capilano - North Vancouver, British Columbia

Justin Mensah-Coker
wing - Albi (France) - Vancouver, British Columbia

James Pritchard
wing - Bedford (England) - Sydney, Australia

Mike Pyke
fullback - Montauban (France) - Victoria, British Columbia

DTH Van der Merwe
fullback - James Bay AA - Regina, Saskatchewan

Non-Traveling Reserves:
NAME
POSITION - CLUB - HOMETOWN

Fisher, Mark
back row - Southern Districts (NSW) - Sydney, Australia
Jackson, Josh
back row - Bordeaux Bègles (France) - Lantzville, British Columbia
Cannon, John
centre - Doncaster (England) - Abbotsford, British Columbia
Evans, Matt
centre - Hartpury College (England) - Victoria, British Colmbia
La Carte, Tony
centre - Castaway-Wanderers - White Rock, British Columbia
Van Camp, Dean
centre - Velox-Valhallians - Port Perry, Ontario
Hearn, Ciaran
fullback - Baymen - St. John’s, Newfoundland
Abrams, Aaron
hooker/prop - Castaway-Wanderers - Mississauga, Ontario
Atkinson, Oliver
lock - Bordeaux Bègles (France) - Gormley, Ontario
Ault, Stu
lock - Barrhaven Scottish - Ottawa, Ontario
Barbieri, Mike
prop - Overmach Parma (Italy) - Toronto, Ontario
Dunning, Casey
prop - Pertemps Bees (England) - Calgary, Alberta
Exner, Iain
prop - Pau (France) - Rossland, British Columbia
Perizzolo, Mauro
prop - Burnaby Lake - Burnaby, British Columbia
Snow, Rod
prop - Dogs - St. John’s, Newfoundland
Fleck, Pat
scrum-half - Meraloma - Vancouver, British Columbia
Henderson, Brodie
wing - Abbotsford - Chilliwack, British Columbia
Witkowski, Kris
wing - Castaway-Wanderers - Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia

CANADA WORLD CUP STAFF

Coach: Ric Suggitt
Assistant Coach: John Tait
Assistant Coach: Glen Ella
Assistant Coach: Kevin Wirachowski
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Tyler Goodale
High Performance Director: Geraint John
Manager: Bob McGeein
Assistant Manager: Terry MacPherson
Video Analyst: David Johnston
Physical Therapist: Kim Oslund
Physiotherapist: Vince Avery
Massage Therapist: Sandra Bosich
Doctors: Dr. Mike Wilkinson & Dr. Andrew Everett
Press Officer: Ian Kennedy
Special Ambassador/Interpreter: Al Charron

A quick glance at the 32-man squad and some number-crunching sees most of Canada's national rugby team comes from British Columbia, with sixteen - or half the bodies - coming from the Pacific coast. Ontario is represented by seven players; Saskatchewan punching above their weight with four; Alberta a single; and only one from the Maritimes - captain Morgan Williams of Nova Scotia. Alas, no Quebeckers or Manitobans. There are three "accented" Canadians ~ that's to say, three players with Canadian passports who reside outside the country, each from Scotland, New Zealand and Australia. Fifteen of the 32-man squad ply their trade with professional teams in Europe.

Al Charron weighs in with some relevant (and funny) comments especially concerning tattoos and superstitions. Click here.

Stay tuned here for more developments, comments, previews and predictions about Canada's big RWC challenge ahead...