Canada national under-20 rugby union team

2008 and 2009 IRB Junior World Championships

In June 2008 Canada participated in the 2008 IRB Junior World Championships held in Wales. The team competed in Pool C with all of their pool games being played at Rodney Parade in Newport. Canada lost their matches to Australia 81–12 and to England 60–18 but were able to earn a 17–10 win against Fiji which placed them 3rd in their pool. Canada would go on to lose their next two games to Scotland 15–10 and to Italy 33–10. The team ended the tournament in 12th place.^[2]

The following year Canada competed in the 2009 IRB Junior World Championships hosted by Japan. Canada began pool play with an 86–0 loss to Australia. The team went on to lose their next two pool play matches to Wales 51–15 and to Tonga 36–20. Canada then went into the play off stages and beat Uruguay 29–11 but suffered a 32–22 loss in their final match. Canada's final position was 14th and therefore the team was relegated to the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy for 2010.^[3]

2010 and 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy

Canada went into the 2010 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy as one of the favourites to play in the final. However, Canada suffered a 17–15 loss to Russia and another loss to Japan, 38–17. Canada's only win came from a 22–6 defeat of Zimbabwe placing them 3rd in Pool B. The team eventually lost in a dramatic 5th place final 13–11 to Uruguay giving Canada the final position of 6th.^[4]

On May 24, 2011 Canada took on the 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy hosts Georgia to begin pool play. The Canadians were out matched by the formidable Georgians and lost their opening match 38-9.^[5] Canada played their next game four days later against a Japanese team who had previously defeated Zimbabwe four days earlier. The Canadians showed improvement upping their offensive production to 15 points. However, The Japanese proved to be too much for Canada winning the match 30 points to 15.^[6] Canada then played their final pool match versus Zimbabwe on June 1, 2011. Canada defeated Zimbabwe 49-23 to record their first Pool B win. Canada would go on to defeat Russia 49-24 in the 5th place play-off improving their ranking one spot from last year.^[7]

2012 Junior World Rugby Trophy

Prior to the 2012 Junior World Rugby Trophy, Rugby Canada announced an unprecedented series of matches against fellow under-20 national squads from Romania and the United States..^[8]

March 2012 saw Canada match up against a formidable Romanian side for two matches the first being played at Shawnigan Lake School. The Romanians had just missed qualification for the 2012 Junior World Rugby Trophy by placing third behind Georgia and Russia in the European qualifiers and so had much to prove. Romania came out firing with physical play, out-muscling the Canadians in the forwards and secured a 30-22 victory. The Canadians and Romanians came together on 10 March for a rematch and again the Romanian forward pack proved dominant over the Canadians. Romania completed the sweep with a 23-6 defeat over an out-worked Canadian squad.^[9]

Canada then met traditional rivals U.S.A. on 23 May 2012 at Shawnigan Lake School for the first of a two match series. Both squads contained players still vying for spots on their respective nation's final roster for the 2012 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy. The game proved to be a back and forth affair as the Canadians and Americans traded scores. At the end of the first half the Canadians led the Junior All-Americans by a score of 15-8. Early substitutions at the beginning of the second half proved fruitful for the United States as they scored off a quick tap from an American front row reserve. Quickly after the United States struck again off a counter-attack taking an important 20-15 lead. Canada would hit back soon after with a try from replacement centre Michael Fuailefau which was well converted by Conor McCann, however, the Americans would find time to score one more try finishing the match with a 27-22 victory.^[10] The teams would meet three days later. Canada would come out with 21 unanswered points before the United States completed the comeback and picked up a 34-28 win.

Canada would play one more preparation game against a touring university side from Scotland, St. Andrews University. The Scottish university side proved to be a mismatch with the Canadian under-20s coming out 118-0 winners. Canada's preparation would conclude with a 1-4 record.

Canada's pre-tournament matches would prove prophetic as Canada struggled throughout losing their first game 31-17 at the hands of a very physical Georgia side. Four days later on 22 June 2012 the young Canadians would once again go down in defeat, this time losing to a rising Japan team, 38-35. Canada would end pool play on a positive note, picking up a 66-45 win in a high scoring affair against Zimbabwe. The fifth place decider saw the Canadian team face a spirited Chile side. Once again the Canadian defense was lacking and the Chileans would take a 20 point lead in the second half of the match. Canada came back with a series of tries but ultimately came up short, the game finishing 43-31 in the Chileans favour. With the loss to Chile, Canada finished 6th in the tournament. Taylor Paris would finish the tournament with 5 tries, the second most in the tournament.

Overall

Canadian U-20 rugby record against other U-20 national teams.

• Updated as of 11 September 2018

Opponent	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Win %	For	Aga	Diff
Australia	2	0	2	0	0.00%	12	167	-155
Chile	2	0	2	0	0.00%	59	88	-29
England	1	0	1	0	0.00%	18	60	-42
Fiji	1	1	1	0	50.00%	43	63	-20
Georgia	3	0	3	0	0.00%	50	118	-68
Hong Kong	3	3	0	0	100.00%	95	45	+50
Italy	3	0	3	0	0.00%	55	110	-55
Japan	6	1	5	0	16.67%	130	208	-78
Namibia	3	1	2	0	33.33%	76	88	-12
Portugal	1	0	1	0	0.00%	29	31	-2
Romania	2	1	2	0	33.33%	99	67	+22
Russia	2	1	1	0	50.00%	64	41	+23
Scotland	1	0	1	0	0.00%	10	15	-5
Tonga	3	2	1	0	66.67%	57	53	+4
United States	11	6	5	0	54.55%	344	245	+99
Uruguay	5	2	2	1	50.00%	117	84	+33
Wales	1	0	1	0	0.00%	15	51	-36
Zimbabwe	3	3	0	0	100.00%	137	74	+63
Total	53	21	31	1	40.57%	1382	1455	-73

Current Squad

Canada's 26-man squad for the 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy in Bucharest, Romania.^[11]

Backs Player Position Club William McDougall-Percillier Scrum-half University of British Columbia Brandon Schellenberger Scrum-half Castaway Wanderers RFC Gabriel Casey Fly-half Bytown Blues Campbell Clarke Fly-half Swilers RFC Lachlan Kratz Centre Castaway Wanderers RFC Seth Purdey Centre University of California Kevin Vertkas Centre University of British Columbia Elias Ergas Wing University of British Columbia Jack McCarthy Wing Vandals RFC Josiah Morra Wing Toronto Saracens Brennig Prevost Full-back University of Victoria

Forwards Player Position Club Jack McRogers Hooker McMaster University Tyler Rockwell Hooker James Bay AA Gavin Kratz Prop University of Victoria Guershom Mukendi Prop Stoney Creek RFC Emmerson Prior Prop Trent University Tyler Rowland Prop University of British Columbia Mitchell Wainman Prop Unattached Reid Davis Lock Bayside Sharks Tyler Duguid Lock Nor'Westers RFC Quentin James Lock Perpignan Espoirs Peter Ingoldsby Back row Exmouth RFC Jackson Matthews Back row McMaster University James O'Neill (c) Back row University of Victoria Owain Ruttan Back row University of British Columbia Michael Smith Back row University of British Columbia

Former head coaches

• Tim Murdy (2008–10)
• Mike Shelley (2011–14)

Notable former players