For the Canadian members

[Te Kaha]

The problem I have with this article is that there is no S in Maoris the plural of Maori is Maori and the team is a rep team not a club team. But thats just me being picky.


Maoris to tour Canada
From correspondents in Toronto
May 28, 2003

GEORGIA's national team and the New Zealand Maoris will tour Canada in July and August, Rugby Canada announced here today.

Gareth Rees, head of Rugby Canada, said they are using these matches as preparation for Rugby World Cup in October.

"We will be able to duplicate the level of play we will find in Australia here on Canadian soil. This is a great opportunity for the selectors to assess the players as they perform in match conditions," said Rees.

Georgia have qualified for the World Cup and will play in a pool that includes England and South Africa.

The New Zealand club is made up of players with Maori backgrounds.

The Maori team will include some former and future members of the All Black team, including former star fullback Christian Cullen.

The Maoris will play three matches in Canada, making stops in Calgary on July 26, Ottawa on July 30 and Toronto on August 2.

Georgia will play in Edmonton on August 16 and at a site and date to be determined.

Canada will also square off against England on June 14 and the United States on June 18 in the run up to the World Cup.

 

[CanadianSteve]

So this article came from a Canadian source? I guess the writer didn't know about the plural of Maori. The word moose is the same way.

I may try to get to the game in Toronto, and with Cullen playing it's even more appealing.

Rugby union is still a minor sport in Canada, but if the team does respectably in the WC, it will raise the profile. In the long term, they need a US pro league with 1 or 2 Canadian teams added to make the game more popular here in NA.

 

[Te Kaha]

So this article came from a Canadian source? I guess the writer didn't know about the plural of Maori. The word moose is the same way.

I may try to get to the game in Toronto, and with Cullen playing it's even more appealing.

Rugby union is still a minor sport in Canada, but if the team does respectably in the WC, it will raise the profile. In the long term, they need a US pro league with 1 or 2 Canadian teams added to make the game more popular here in NA.

It could have been a Canadian Source but then the Australians do it as well. It's just a pet hate of mine. No big deal.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Canada just lost badly to England A in Vancouver. I guess that's more like England's 3rd team than 2nd, since England played something like a 2nd team against the Maori. It was Canada's first game together since last summer, so we had some excuse. We play USA next in this mini tournament.

I saw part of the game on Canadian tv. It may have been the camera angle, which was lower and closer to the field because it's a small stadium, but the England forwards looked huge, bigger than the S12 guys I see on Aussie and NZ broadcasts.

Canada is ranked 12th in the world, and the US 16th, so there is quite a gap between the top 3-5 nations and the rest.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Third string show depth of talent
By Brendan Gallagher
Tuesday, June 17, 2003


The England A side completed a superb weekend for English rugby when they defeated Canada 43-7 at the Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver, in the opening game of the Churchill Cup tournament.

The strength in depth of English rugby has never been more evident with the victorious team in Canada effectively a national Third XV, with the Second XV defeating New Zealand Maori last Monday and the seniors beating the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.

England got off to a flying start, when a penalty try was awarded in the opening minute after Newcastle flyhalf David Walder was obstructed, and never looked back. They had to defend for long periods of the game, however, with the strong Canada pack securing more than its fair share of possession. Canada hit back after the early setback with a try from the Saracens scrum-half, Morgan Williams, but thereafter it was England who dominated the scoring.

Dan Scarbrough, Andy Titterell, Martyn Wood, Fraser Waters, Mark Cueto and replacement Michael Horak all crossed as Canada, whose first international of the season it was, struggled to live with England's pace and ability to counter-attack.

"It was just being patient in defence, waiting for the opposition to run out of ideas, and look to move the ball and do something effective with it," said the Gloucester centre, Henry Paul. "When we did strike it was with precision and we've shown here that there are players who are really pushing to make it into the senior squad."


The Canadians, who were resting a number of key players such as lock Mike James and No8 Phil Murphy, must now beat the United States on Wednesday if they are to reach the final on June 28.

England's big win virtually assures them of a place in that final but there will be no let-up against the Americans on Saturday, another match which provides players with a chance to put down a marker for the World Cup.

The Telegraph, London