The Canadian men’s rugby team aims to build on recent momentum when it hosts Portugal in Edmonton on Saturday at Clarke Stadium. The match, part of the inaugural Nations Cup, marks the second test for both teams in the tournament, which serves as a secondary competition alongside World Rugby’s Nations Championship. Both events feature the 24 national sides qualified for next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Canada climbed two spots to 23rd in the world rankings following a hard-fought 42-42 draw with Spain last Saturday. The match featured multiple lead changes and was tied on six occasions before Canada secured the draw with a last-minute try by wing Kyle Tremblay in the 82nd minute, converted by Takoda McMullin. Canada’s head coach, Stephen Meehan, praised his team’s resilience but emphasized the need for victories rather than draws going forward. “Ultimately you can’t be satisfied with the draw. You’ve got to be pushing on to win those games,” Meehan said.
Portugal, meanwhile, fell to 15th in the rankings after suffering a 30-29 defeat against the United States. The U.S. Eagles triumphed with a late penalty kick from fly half Chris Hilsenbeck in the 79th minute, moving up to 14th place and overtaking Portugal. The Portuguese side played much of that match in Commerce City, Colorado, with only 13 men following red cards to fly half Manuel Vareiro and replacement prop Pedro Vicente.
Canada enters Saturday’s fixture with a depleted roster, as more than two dozen players have been sidelined due to injury or other commitments ahead of July fixtures against Spain, Portugal, and Zimbabwe. Despite the absences, Meehan views this as an opportunity to test emerging talent. “We’re providing people with opportunity to show what they’ve got,” he said. Several newcomers impressed in the draw against Spain, notably centre Josh McIndoe, a former Canada under-20 captain making his senior debut.
The roster has been further adjusted this week. Evan Olmstead and Sion Parry replace veterans Lucas Rumball and Tyler Ardron in the back row, adding a mix of physicality and mobility. Injury to Cooper Coats has prompted Peter Nelson to shift from fullback to fly half, with McMullin starting at fullback. Additionally, backrower Cody Nhanala and wing Liam James have been added to the matchday squad and are potential debutants alongside uncapped players Daragh Doyle and Jacob Ince.
Canada’s starting lineup for the weekend game combines 292 international caps, with an additional 38 caps among the bench players. This is slightly less experience than the squad fielded against Spain, which totaled 347 caps among starters and 44 on the bench.
The two sides last met in November in Coimbra, Portugal, where Canada was narrowly defeated 33-27. Portugal recently secured the Rugby Europe Championship title in March by edging No. 13 ranked Georgia 19-17, capturing the annual European competition for top teams outside the Six Nations Championship. The upcoming Nations Cup encounter in Edmonton will provide both teams critical match preparation ahead of the World Cup next year.