Seven uncapped players in Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan’s first squad selection

Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan, in his first squad selection, has named seven uncapped players in his 33-man roster for July test matches against Belgium and Spain.

The 24th-ranked Canadians face No. 23 Belgium on Saturday and No. 16 Spain on July 18, with both games at Edmonton’s Clarke stadium.

The Belgians are coming off a 36-17 loss Saturday to the 15th-ranked United States in Charlotte, N.C. The Americans host Spain on Saturday, also in Charlotte.

Canada’s 33-man roster includes 21 players with Major League Rugby teams — 14 in the forwards and seven in the backs.

The uncapped players in the squad are hooker Austin Creighton, prop Emerson Prior, fly half/fullback Brendan Black, fly half Jamie Armstrong, centre Kyle Tremblay, fly half/centre Maddox MacLean and scrum half Stephen Webb.

Black and Armstrong have both represented Canada in sevens. MacLean spent time with the Queensland Reds U-19 side in Australia.

The roster announcement comes after a weeklong training camp involving 42 players at the University of Alberta. Meehan had originally chosen 59 players for his extended roster.

“We had a very competitive training camp, which I was pleased to see,” Meehan said in a statement. “The coaching staff has been impressed by the players’ work ethic, and ability to learn and adapt in high pressure moments. They have continually pushed each other to be better and are eager to continue doing so throughout our time in Edmonton together.”

Appointed in December, the 59-year-old Australian officially started the job in April. He succeeds Kingsley Jones, who stepped down in December after seven years at the helm.

The Canadian men have not played since a pair of losses in Bucharest in November to No. 21 Romania (35-27) and No. 20 Chile (44-14).

Backrower Lucas Rumball captains a side that features eight members of the New England Free Jacks team that edged his Chicago Hounds in the MLR Eastern Conference final.

New England went on to defeat the Houston SaberCats 28-22 on June 28 for its third straight title.

The Free Jacks on the Canada roster are Andrew Quattrin, Cole Keith, Foster Dewitt, Kyle Steeves, Piers Von Dadelszen, Ben Lesage, Isaac Olsen and Josiah Morra.

Veteran forward Evan Olmstead, now playing in France for SU Agen in the French second tier, returns to the squad for the first time since the 2019 World Cup.

The Edmonton tests are a warmup for the Pacific Nations Cup, which doubles as a qualifier for the 2027 World Cup.

Canada opens Pacific Nations Cup play Aug. 25 against No. 12 Japan on Aug. 25 in Vancouver before facing the U.S. on Aug 31 in Carson, Calif. The six-country tournament also features No. 9 Fiji, No. 13 Samoa and No. 19 Tonga, who will play in a separate pool.

Each team will play two pool games before taking part in a final placement match.

The top three teams will book their ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Australia. But given Fiji and Japan have already qualified through their performance at the last World Cup, a top-five finish would do it for Canada if Fiji and Japan finish above it.

Should Canada fail to qualify via the Pacific Nations Cup, it will still have two more chances to make the World Cup field, via a playoff with the 2025 Sudamerica Rugby Championship runner-up and, finally, a four-team repechage tournament.

Canada failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, the first time it has missed the sport’s showcase, after losing two-legged qualifying series to the U.S. (59-50 on aggregate) and Chile (54-46).

CANADA’S RUGBY SQUAD

Forwards

Andrew Quattrin, Holland Landing, Ont., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Austin Creighton, Edmonton, James Bay AA; Calixto Martinez, White Rock, B.C., Old Glory DC (MLR); Callum Botchar, Vancouver, NOLA Gold (MLR); Cole Keith, Sussex N.B., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Dewald Kotze, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Donald Carson, Tsawwassen, B.C., Britannia Lions; Emerson Prior, Brockville, Ont., Utah Warriors (MLR); Evan Olmstead, Vancouver, B.C., SU Agen (France); Foster Dewitt, Courtenay, B.C., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Izzak Kelly, White Rock, B.C., Capilano RFC; Kyle Steeves, Winnipeg, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Lucas Rumball (capt.), Toronto, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Mason Flesch Cobourg, Ont., Chicago Hounds (MLR); Matt Heaton, Godmanchester, Que., RFC LA (MLR); Matt Oworu, Calgary, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Piers Von Dadelszen, Vancouver, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Siôn Parry, Cardiff, Wales, Ebbw Vale RFC; Tyler Matchem, Pictou County, N.S., NOLA Gold (MLR).

Backs

Ben LeSage, Calgary, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Brenden Black, Oakville, Ont., University of Guelph; Brock Gallagher, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Cooper Coats, Halifax, NOLA Gold (MLR); Isaac Olson, Vernon, B.C., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Jamie Armstrong, Ottawa, University of Ottawa; Jason Higgins, Cork, Ireland, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Josiah Morra, Toronto, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Kyle Tremblay, White Rock, B.C., Pacific Pride; Maddox MacLean, Brisbane, Australia, Souths Rugby Club Brisbane (Australia); Noah Flesch, Cobourg, Ont., Chicago Hounds (MLR); Peter Nelson, Dungannon, Northern Ireland, Dungannon RFC (Northern Ireland); Stephen Webb, Toronto, UBC; Talon McMullin,(White Rock, B.C., UBC.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.