CALEB GROEN IN U17 CANADA MEN'S
SQUAD NAMED FOR MILLFIELD FESTIVAL February 28,
2007
Brampton RFC';s Caleb Groen is in the
Rugby Canada squad that will represent the Under-17 Men's
National Team at the Millfield Rugby Festival in England this
April. The 26-man squad will compete against England’s 'A'
side and teams from Portugal and the United States.
Millfield School, is located in
Somerset, and hosts this annual round robin tournament, which
features a strong field of national age-grade teams from
Europe and North America. Before competing at Millfield, the
team will play a warm-up game against England’s South West
Divisional Under-16s in Bristol.
Canada’s Under-17 squad was selected
following an intense four-day evaluation camp of 36 top rugby
prospects at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island from
February 9th – 13th. Paring the roster to the 26 players who
will represent Canada at Millfield proved difficult for the
coaching staff.
The selection process started Friday
with fitness testing followed by an evening weight training
session run by strength and conditioning coach Les Gilson.
Gareth Rees, a Canadian Rugby legend, directed a kicking
skills session Saturday morning. Later that day, the Under-17
forwards worked on scrummaging skills with a group of players
from Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team and former National
Team player Gary Dukelow. Current National Team member Pat
Riordan and Gary Dukelow also ran a scrummaging skills session
Sunday morning for the Under-17 forwards.
"Twenty-one of the twenty-six members
of this current squad traveled to England last November with
the Canada Under-17 Team and the experience gained by these
players on that tour will pay dividends at the Millfield
Festival” said Under-17 manager Jean-Philippe Lavoie.
CANADA FIXTURES AT MILLFIELD
FESTIVAL
|
Tuesday, April 3rd |
Canada
vs England 'A' |
|
Thursday, April 5th |
Canada
vs Portugal |
|
Sunday,
April 7th |
Canada
vs USA |
TEAM TO TRAVEL TO ENGLAND FOR
THE MILLFIELD FESTIVAL
|
NAME |
HOMETOWN |
|
Tyler
Allen |
Toronto, ON |
|
Kyle
Armstrong |
Whitby,
ON |
|
Cameron
Ballard |
West
Vancouver, BC |
|
Spencer
Barrett |
Lindsay, ON |
|
Brett
Beukeboom |
Lindsay, ON |
|
Andrew
Crow |
Victoria, BC |
|
Josh
Dufresne |
Edmonton, AB |
|
Sean
Ferguson |
Coquitlam, BC |
|
Ryan
Fried |
New
Hamburg, ON |
|
Kevin
George |
Uxbridge, ON |
|
Caleb Groen |
Mississauga, ON
|
|
Tye
Hamblin |
Ladysmith, BC |
|
Sean
Hamilton |
West
Vancouver, BC |
|
Carlin
Hamstra |
Duncan,
BC |
|
Robert
Manning |
Burnaby, BC |
|
Hugh
McDonell |
Brandford, ON |
|
Jeffrey
McKinnon |
North
Vancouver, BC |
|
Courtney Mendez |
Whitby,
ON |
|
Jake
Morrison |
Ajax,
ON |
|
Dakota
Poole |
Kelowna,
BC |
|
Mackenzie Poole |
Victoria, BC |
|
Nathan
Reeves |
Lindsay, ON |
|
Cameron
Roy |
South
Surrey, BC |
|
Sam
Skulsky |
Calgary, AB |
|
Robert
Spearing |
Conception Bay South, NF |
|
Andrew
Welch |
West
Vancouver, BC |
Head Coach – Dave Chambers, Mission BC
Assistant coach – Chris Silverthorn, Lindsay ON
Assistant coach – Jim Delaney Orangeville, ON
Athletic Therapist – Colleen Creighton, Campbell River, BC
Strength & Conditioning coach – Les Gilson, St.Catherines, ON
Manager - Jean-Philippe Lavoie, Quebec City, QC
