BRAMPTON'S RYAN SMITH SELECTED TO NATIONAL SQUAD TO TOUR NEW ZEALAND  4th June 2007

Aaron Abrams named as Non-Traveling Reserve. (Based on Rugby Canada article)

Canada will travel with its strongest squad for some time, to New Zealand next week to play the All-Blacks. Included in the squad are all of Canada’s top overseas professionals, including Brampton's Ryan Smith, while Aaron Abrams is named as a non-traveling reserve.

Among new players selected are eighteen year-old Burnaby Lake prop Mauro Perizzolo, who enjoyed an outstanding U-19 World Cup earlier in the year and who attended the Senior Men’s Team High Performance camp at Shawnigan Lake in January. Perizzolo currently attends Simon Fraser University on a wrestling scholarship and he brings the skills learned on the wrestling mat to the front-row making him a formidable opponent.

Centre Nick Trenkel, unable to travel to the Barclays Churchill Cup squad because of injury, has also been named to this New Zealand tour party. Coach Ric Suggitt says “ He’ll be there in the same kind of capacity as Mauro ( Perrizzolo) and  we’ll room him with Ryan Smith who will mentor him. There is no one who prepares better in the backs than Ryan and so Nick can learn many tangible and intangible lessons from him. Our young athletes need to be exposed to our top players and play in top level games and this is the kind of tour where those things can happen.”

Included too is DTH van der Merwe, who like Trenkel was born in South Africa. Van der Merwe won two caps coming off the bench against Barbados and scoring two tries and coming off the bench against Italy in 2006. Injury prevented him playing in the Barclays Churchill Cup. Nineteen year-old Nathan Hirayama holds his place in the NZ squad having won his first cap against the New Zealand Maori in the Churchill Cup, the youngest Canadian ever to do so.

One player who will be delighted with his selection is Vancouver born, but Auckland resident, Craig Culpan, who returned to his birthplace last year in an attempt to win a berth on Canada’s World Cup team. He won a place on Canada ‘A’s tour of New Zealand last April, but an unfortunate head injury, suffered in the first of four games, prevented him showing his skills. As a member of the Churchill Cup squad he scored a try against Ireland ‘A’ and his sound overall play won him a place on the team that played the USA in the Final.

Another bright prospect who will travel to New Zealand is Nigerian born flanker Nanyak Dala who won his first Canadian appearance against Ireland ‘A’ at the recent Barclays Churchill Cup. Though he was forced to retire early from that game he showed enough for the selectors to include him in this New Zealand tour party. Tight-head prop Scott Franklin has forced his way onto the New Zealand trip with some solid scrummaging that saw him start all of the Barclay’s Churchill Cup games in England in May.

Canada and the All-Blacks have played each other four times. In October 1980 New Zealand beat Canada 43-10 in Burnaby; in 1991 the two met in the World Cup Quarter Finals with New Zealand winning 29-13;  the All-Blacks hosted Canada in Auckland beating it 73-7 and in 2003 the two played in Melbourne at the Rugby World Cup with New Zealand prevailing 68-6. 

CANADA SQUAD TO NEW ZEALAND 2007

NAME CLUB HOMETOWN CLUB

Burak, Mike Pau (Fr.) Vancouver, BC
Carpenter, Aaron Brantford Brantford,
Cudmore, Jamie Claremont-Auvergne Squamish BC
Culpan, Craig Meraloma Auckland, NZ
Dala, Nanyak Wild Oats Saskatoon,
Fairhurst, Ed Cardiff(Wales) Victoria, BC
Franklin, Scott Castaway Wanderers Regina, SK
Hirayama, Nathan University of Victoria Richmond, BC
James, Mike Stade Francais Burnaby B.C.
Kleeberger, Adam University of Victoria White Rock, BC
McKeen, Stan Cornish Pirates (Eng.) Vancouver, BC
Mensah-Coker Albi (Fr.) Vancouver, BC
Monro, Ander Waterloo (Eng.) Edinburgh, Scot.
Perizzolo, Mauro Burnaby Lake Burnaby, BC
Pletch, Dan Oakville Crusaders Lucan,
Pletch, Mike Oakville Crusaders Lucan,
Pritchard, James Bedford (Eng.) Sydney, Aust.
Pyke, Mike Montauban (Fr.) Victoria, BC
Riordan, Pat Burnaby Lake Burnaby, BC
Smith, Ryan Montauban (Fr.)& Brampton Caledon, ON
Spicer, David University of Victoria Victoria, BC
Stephen, Sean-Michael Bezier (Fr) Oakville, ON
Tait, Luke Overmach Parma (It.) Barrie, ON
Tkachuk, Kevin Glasgow Warriors (Sct.) Regina, SK
Trenkel, Nick Capilano R.F.C. North Vancouver, BC
Van Camp, Dean Aurora Barbarians Port Perry, ON
Webb, Mike Swilers W. Vancouver, BC Rock
Williams, Morgan Albi (Fr.) Cole Harbour, NS
Yukes, Colin Agen (Fr.) Edmonton, AB
Van der Merwe, DTH James Bay AA Regina, SK

STAFF:
Manager Bob McGeein
Manager’s Assistant: Al Charron
Coach: Ric Suggitt
Asst. Coach: John Tait
Asst. Coach: Glen Ella
Asst. Coach: Kevin Wirachowski
Strenght and Conditioning Coach: Tyler Goodale
High Performance Director: Geraint John
Video Analyst: David Johnston
Physical Therapist: Kim Osland
Physiotherapist: Vince Avery
Massage Therapist: Sandra Bosich
Doctor: Dr. Bruce Davidson
Press Officer: Ian Kennedy

NonTraveling Reserves:

Stu Ault Barrhaven Scottish Harlequins
Aaron Abrams Castaway Wanderers & Brampton
Oliver Atkinson Stade Bordelais (France)
David Biddle Meraloma
James Buchanan Calgary Rams
Hubert Buydens Wild Oats
Derek Daypuck Castaway-Wanderers
Iain Exner Pau (France)
Mark Fisher Southern Districts (NSW)
Forrest Gainer Albi (France)
Ciaran Hearn Baymen Rock
Brodie Henderson Abbotsford
Scott Hunter Abbotsford
Josh Jackson Stade Bordelaise (Fr.)
Tony La Carte Castaway-Wanderers
Phil Mack James Bay AA
Neil Meechan University of Victoria
Chris Pack Bayside
Carl Pocock Calgary Rams
Geoff Warden James Bay AA
Matt Weingart Castaway Wanderers NS Keltic
Kris Witkowski Castaway Wanderers NS Keltic