Each year, Canada's Under-17 development program’s cycle ends with a tour to the United Kingdom, and entry in the Wellington International Festival.
This year’s selection process, which was the largest in the history of the U17 program, began far back in June 2010. National team coaches had the opportunity to identify players at a number of competitive events, including; the Ontario U16 provincial tryouts, the Eastern Canadian Championships, the B.C. Provincial Championship’s and the 2010 National Festival. From these events over 130 where identified and indeed, some of the players involved have been on the program's radar earlier than that, since there are usually a number of talented fifteen year olds in the program's depth chart.
Beginning last September, Coach Jim Delaney and his staff held regional tryout camps in both Montreal and at Shawnigan Lake School, near Victoria. There, based on the previous identification, recommendations and reports from provincial coaches, academies, clubs and others, a pool of 110 talented young players hailing from 9 different provinces, were evaluated for participation in one of the program's two development tours. Those tours would end up giving 54 selected athletes a chance to enrich their rugby skills in high-level matches and lengthy high performance camps
In late December, Canada travelled to Santa Barbara, California for its first Wellington Selection event , and matches against the United States High School All-Americans (U18's). Canada split the series against the older and more developed American athletes, dropping the final match by a narrow margin.
From there, the program set about its second and final Wellington Selection event, a tour of British Columbia, which pitted an entirely new group of athletes against a pair of B.C. regional sides. Again, some of the opposing players were older, and the young players wearing Canada's jersey learned what it is like to have to perform under pressure, regardless of weather conditions or opposition.
The final stage of the program is, of course, Canada's annual visit to the Wellington International Festival. This is a tournament where Canada has enjoyed large amounts of success in the past, obtaining recent victories over the national team from France, Wales, Scotland and Italy and others. This year, Canada will face off against two of the most highly regarded age grade teams in Europe; England's U16's as well as France's U17. Canada’s additional game is against developing Belgium.
Every player selected will have worked tremendously hard and made sacrifices to get this far, yet each one will know that more will be expected of them on this upcoming trip. Canada's preparation for the Wellington Festival will include a week-long camp in Leeds, home of the Aviva Premiership club, Leeds Carnegie. The Canadians will face-off against the Yorkshire U16's, as well as the Leeds Carnegie Academy.
Yorkshire is an English region known for its tough and bruising brand of rugby, and the experience the Canadians have had against older and stronger opposition, will no doubt serve them well.
Head Coach Jim Delaney had this to say about this year’s selection process.
“It has been a long journey for these athletes and now we travel to Wellington again to put our development to the test and compete against the best youth international teams in Europe.
The player pool was particularly deep this year as many of the non travelling reserves were in serious consideration for selection and even though they did not make the final squad they should be proud of their performance.
There were also a number of young players at our two final selection events who will hopefully return next year with the knowledge of what the fitness and strength requirements are and the commitment to practice it takes to compete at this level.
I and the other coaches were also pleased with the development of all 54 of the athletes that attended the selection events this year, as they have all contributed to improving the level at this age group."
Now, at the end of the 2010/11 selection cycle, Canada's U17 program is proud to announce the names of those players who will be representing their country on the upcoming Wellington Festival tour.
2011 Canada U17 Tour Roster:
Name (Province) High School / Club
Mitch Brant (UK) St. Benedicts / Wasps
Jordan Best (BC) Robert Bateman / Abbotsford
Josh Boyles (ON) Thomas A Stewart / Peterborough
Justin Douglas (BC) Robert Bateman / Abbotsford
Haydn Evans (BC) Shawnigan / Cowichan
Sam Evans (ON) IE Weldon SS / Lindsay
Jeremy Gardner (BC) St. Georges / Rowing Club
Scott Gauer (ON) Lorne Park /Crusaders
Robert Grant (ON) Weldon / Lindsey
Fergus Hall (BC) Glenlyon Norfolk / Cast. Wanderers
Brendan Harrison (AB) Shawnigan / Coyotes
Sawyer Herron (ON) Abbey Park / Crusaders
Alan Hogarth (BC) Shawnigan / Cowichan
Patrick Lynott (QC) Philemon Wright / Chelsea
Adam McQueen (AB) Brentwood / Saracens
Oliver Nott (BC) Shawnigan / Cowichan
Mike Perilli (ON) St. John's College / Harlequins
Owen Perley (BC) West Vancouver Secondary
Issac Pickell (NB) Leo Hayes HS / Loyalists
Djustice Sears-Duru (ON) Shawnigan / Crusaders
Jack Smith (ON) Lakefield District / Peterborough
Reid Tucker (BC) Vancouver College / Rowing Club
Reid Watkins (AB) Holy Trinity / Lions
Matthew Whittle (NF) Holy Spirit High / Baymen
Connor Willis (BC) G.P. Vanier / Comox Valley
Chris Woodhead (ON) Abbey Park / Crusaders
Non Travelling Reserves:
Ryan Brethour (ON) Brock High / Brock RFC
Glen Belvedere (QC) Westwood / St. Anne de Bellevue
Kirk Bonnis (BC) St. George's / Rowing Club
Evan Graves (MB) Shawnigan / Wasps RFC
Reid Johnson (NB) Fredericton HS / Loyalists
Alex Kanty (BC) Oak Bay / Cast. Wanderers
Ian Macmaster (BC) Earl Marriott / Bayside
Jeff Nashima-Miller (BC) S.M.U. / Cast. Wanderers
Connor Weyell (BC) Handsworth / Capilano
James MacKenzie (BC) Earl Marriott / Bayside
Jack Yune (ON) Appleby College / Crusaders
Staff:
Head Coach: Jim Delaney
Asst. Coach: Francois Ratier
Asst. Coach: Mike Shelly
Manager: Fran Mason
Therapist: Laura Andrews
Non Travelling Press Officer: Jeff Hull
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