Former captain Tyler Ardron returns to Canada rugby lineup for first time since 2021

Canada's Tyler Ardron, right, tries to block the kick by Italy's Callum Braley during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match in Fukuoka, western Japan, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kyodo News via AP

Former captain Tyler Ardron returns to the Canadian rugby lineup up for the first time in almost four years on Friday when Canada hosts the United States in Calgary in the Pacific Nations Cup.

The tournament marks the start of World Cup qualifying for the 25th-ranked Canadian men and 16th-ranked Americans.

Ardron won the last of his 38 caps in October 2021 when Canada lost a two-match World Cup qualifier against Chile 54-46 on aggregate.

That loss consigned Canada -- which was beaten 59-50 on aggregate by the U.S. in an earlier two-game qualifying series -- to the sidelines at the World Cup for the first time.

The 34-year-old Ardron, a native of Peterborough, Ont., who plays in France for Castres Olympique, has been brought back into the fold by new Canada coach Steve Meehan.

Ardron will line up at No. 8 between captain Lucas Rumball and Matt Oworu.

“The effort and understanding the team has shown in training has been very good,” Meehan said in a statement. “Competition for (the) starting 15 and reserves was high and this demonstrates the depth we’re building.

“It’s now time to execute what we’ve practised. This begins on Friday evening in the Pacific Nations Cup with a strong performance against the U.S.A.”

The Pacific Nations Cup, which also features No. 9 Fiji, No. 13 Samoa, No. 14 Japan and No. 19 Tonga, will send three teams to the 2027 World Cup, which is being hosted by No. 6 Australia.

Fiji and Japan have already qualified by virtue of their performance at the 2023 tournament, so a top-five finish would do it for Canada if Fiji and Japan finish above it.

Also Friday, Tonga hosts Samoa in Nuku’alofa in Pool A play. Canada will complete Pool B play against Japan in Sendai on Aug. 30.

The semifinals and fifth-versus-sixth game are scheduled for Sept. 14 in Denver with the championship and third-place game Sept. 20 in Salt Lake City.

Canada finished sixth in last year’s Pacific Nations Cup, beaten 30-17 by Tonga after group stage losses to the U.S. (28-15) and Japan (55-28)

Meehan’s matchday 23 features 18 players from Major League Rugby including 12 in the starting 15. There are six players from the MLR-champion New England Free Jacks and five from the Chicago Hounds including captain Lucas Rumball.

Seattle Seawolves prop Dewald Kotze, a 28-year-old from Edmonton, gets his first start while University of British Columbia scrum half Stephen Webb earn his first cap off the bench.

Webb is the son of the late Bill Webb, co-founder of the now-defunct Toronto Arrows.

Friday’s match is the first for the Canadian men at McMahon Stadium since 2017 when they faced Georgia.

Meehan took over the Canadian men after Kingsley Jones stepped down in December after seven years at the helm.

The team lost Meehan’s first two games in charge — 25-18 to No. 22 Belgium and 24-23 to No. 15 Spain on a last-minute Spanish penalty kick — in July in Edmonton.

Veteran forward Evan Olmstead started against Spain, his first cap for Canada since the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Canada has lost seven straight since a 35-22 win over No. 21 Romania in July 2024 in Ottawa. That losing run includes a 28-15 defeat at the hands of the U.S. in August 2024 in last year’s Pacific Nations Cup.

The 2027 World Cup features an expanded 24-team field, up from 20 last year in France.

In MLR news Wednesday, the Miami Sharks confirmed it will not take part in the league in 2026.

The North American league featured 11 teams last season but was reduced to nine in July when NOLA Gold, based in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, backed out and the San Diego Legion and Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (RFC L.A.) announced they will join forces and compete in the league next season as the California Legion.

The Miami roster last season included Canadian backs Guiseppe du Toit and Shane O’Leary. Josiah Morra, who starts on the wing for Canada on Friday, spent time with the Sharks on loan from the New England Free Jacks.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press