Ben LeSage was born and raised in Calgary—he played rugby for Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School. He says coming back to his hometown for such a big game is very special. “I get to show the city to the guys, and it’s been awesome,” said the 29-year-old. “We’ve been working really hard but have had a bit of time to explore. “We got out to the mountains and have explored the city, and I think it will be extra special to get out to McMahon on Friday night and take to the field in front of many friends and family who have supported me along the way.” LeSage has been with Canada’s national men’s rugby team since 2016. He was with the team when they qualified for the World Cup in Japan in 2019 and says there’s nothing quite like it. “That was by far the coolest experience I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “I think I’m motivated to get back there, selfishly, but we’ve got a young team now, and we want to show them the ropes. “We want to bring this younger generation of Canadian rugby players to another World Cup.” LeSage went from the high of qualifying for the World Cup in 2019 to not qualifying in 2023 in France, and he says it still hurts. He says Canada can use that as motivation to get back to the World Cup in Australia in 2027. “I think we’ve come back now, and we’re the scrappy team at the table,” he said. “We’ve got that underdog mentality where we’re definitely not favourites going into some of these Pacific Nations matches, but we hope that between games being at home and between some of that chip-on-our-shoulder mentality going in, we can sort of leverage that to get back there.” It’s a new era for the Canadian men’s rugby team. Steve Meehan took over the role of head coach in February. He says Friday’s game doesn’t guarantee a spot in the World Cup—it’s the first round of the Pacific Nations Cup. “Everybody knows how important this game is,” he said. “Win this game and you put yourself in a strong position in the PNC (Pacific Nations Cup). “Winning doesn’t guarantee you qualification in the Rugby World Cup, and that’s something that everyone needs to be aware of, but it does put you in a good position.” Kick-off for Friday’s game is at 7 p.m. at McMahon Stadium.
