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102-601: The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji , Samoa , Tonga , Canada , Japan and the United States . First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby teams by providing competitive test matches in a tournament format. Former teams include the Junior All Blacks (2006, 2007, 2009), Australia A (2007, 2008, 2015), Georgia (2018) and

204-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by

306-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union

408-592: A repechage match against the second best Rugby Europe Championship team. Georgia was invited for the 2018 tournament hosted in Suva. For 2019, Canada, Japan and the United States returned to the tournament, serving as a prelude to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Japan won without losing a match. The tournament was not held in 2020 or 2021, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other related logistical issues. It

510-703: A 27–27 draw against Ireland on 27 June 2000 in Markham, Ontario and chalked up a 26–23 win against Scotland in Vancouver , on June 15, 2002. Canada has yet to beat England in seven attempts. They have also played the England national XV, B team, and Under 23 teams eleven times (for which Canada awarded its players international caps.) The most notable result was a 15–12 victory over a strong England XV on 29 May 1993 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Unfortunately for

612-588: A 28–22 victory in front a record 10,621 fans. In the away leg Canada won 27–7. Their warm-up schedule continued with a match against the Australian Barbarians which featured several of Australia's World Cup squad, and the Barbarians claimed a comfortable 38–14 victory. The Canadians began their 2011 Rugby World Cup on September 14 against Tonga , winning 25–20. They followed this up with a 46–19 loss to France on September 18. The team had only

714-660: A 3–3 draw with Barbarians F.C. and lost 8–0 to a Wales under-23 side. The 1966 British Lions won a non-cap match 19–8 in Toronto on their way back from Australia and New Zealand. The Rugby Union of Canada was reformed in 1974 as the Canadian Rugby Union. Canada established themselves as the strongest team in North America, though they struggled to compete with the major test-playing nations in Europe and

816-756: A Canadian team won the NA4 and the national team beat the US earlier in the Churchill Cup. Going into the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, Canada were ranked as severe outsiders, and given odds of 5000/1 to win the tournament. Pool B also contained Australia , Fiji , Japan and Wales . In their opening match on 9 September the Canadians lost 42–17 to Wales. They followed this with a 29–16 loss to Fiji, whom they had needed to beat to have realistic hopes of progressing to

918-567: A defeat. There are also bonus points offered with one bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and one bonus point for losing by 7 points or fewer. The tournament generally occurs every year in the June mid-year international test window. The tournament was played mainly throughout June, with the last round in early July. The revised tournament begins in May due to pre-existing Test commitments and concludes in late June. The Pacific Nations Cup

1020-469: A four-day turn-around after their first match, and let the game slip out of their reach within the final 20 minutes. They produced a repeat result of 2007, by playing to a 23–23 draw against Japan . Their Rugby World Cup concluded with a 79–15 loss against the All Blacks . Canada finished fourth in their pool, narrowly missing out on automatic qualification for the 2015 Rugby World Cup . Canada secured

1122-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament

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1224-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain

1326-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play

1428-534: A score of 38–16, with the Americans dominating the game from start to finish. Canada lost the aggregate 50–59 and were drawn to play Chile in a two-game series for the second Americas spot. While Canada once again won the first leg, they only did so by a score of 22–21. Canada would lose the second leg in Santiago by a score of 33–24 (their first ever loss to Chile), which eliminated Canada from qualifying, marking

1530-524: A spot in the 2015 Rugby World Cup on 23 August 2013, with a 13–11 win over the USA, 40–20 on aggregate. Canada joined Pool D with France , Ireland , Italy and Romania . Canada finished the tournament with zero wins and in last place in Pool D. At the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship , Canada claimed three wins over Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, and two losses versus Argentina XV and United States. In June 2016 ,

1632-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside

1734-461: A team stating that they wanted to focus on their domestic competition. The inaugural tournament kicked off 3 June 2006 and was played in a round-robin format, with some games being held in Australia. The Junior All Blacks won all of their matches en route to winning the 2006 tournament. The inaugural tournament was a success in providing a platform for Pacific states and Japan in gaining valuable exposure. Australia A joined an expanded competition for

1836-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include

1938-402: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around

2040-625: Is a tournament that will provide more certainty for Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga in terms of regular high level Test match rugby, while also providing a high level of competition for the Junior All Blacks," said Mark Egan , the IRB's Head of Rugby Services. In the first year only it was called the Pacific 5 Nations and did not include Australia. Australia had been invited to take part in the inaugural 2006 tournament but decided against sending

2142-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,

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2244-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of

2346-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between

2448-650: The 2003 World Cup in Australia, their fifth world cup in a row. Canada's sole win was a 24–7 result against Tonga as they lost their games against Italy, Wales and the All Blacks. From 2003–2011 Canada played host to the Churchill Cup and made one finals appearance in 2010, losing to the England Saxons 38–18. In 2004 and 2005 they competed in the Super Powers Cup . In 2005 the competition

2550-593: The 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and enter the tournament as Americas 1. Canada began its Rugby World Cup preparations by finishing runner-up in the 2011 Churchill Cup for the second year in a row, losing 37–6 in the final to the England Saxons (England's second-string side). This good form carried on in a two-legged home and away series against the USA Eagles . In the home leg Canada secured

2652-487: The 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool stage . The teams in the Pacific Nations Cup and their finishing positions are as follows: The teams in the Pacific Nations Cup from the 2024 season and their finishing positions are as follows: Notes: ^ * The 2014 tournament was split into conferences without crossover matches or finals. Samoa and Japan won their respective conference titles. On 20 June 2008

2754-850: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by

2856-638: The International Rugby Board announced that regional financial institution ANZ had agreed to become presenting sponsor of the competition, as well as the FORU Oceania Cup and the Pacific Rugby Cup . On 16 August 2024, World Rugby and Asahi Breweries Limited announced that Asahi Super Dry would be the title sponsor and official beer of the competition. The following tables contain points and tries scored in

2958-631: The Māori All Blacks (2008). The inaugural tournament was the only one that carried the title of IRB Pacific 5 Nations; from 2007 the competition was known as the IRB Pacific Nations Cup and subsequently the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup. The tournament is a round-robin, where each team plays one match against each of the other teams. There are four points for a win, two points for a draw and none for

3060-535: The New Zealand Māori team replaced the Junior All Blacks in the competition. The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) had decided that the New Zealand Māori needed to play more matches at home and that the Junior All Blacks would not be assembled in 2008 for reasons of "player welfare." The Junior All Blacks returned for the 2009 tournament, but no New Zealand team has participated since then. From 2010 to 2012,

3162-480: The Pacific , and Asia : Canada , Fiji , Japan , Samoa , Tonga , and the United States . The competition format would, however, be staged with a round-robin pool stage followed by a knockout stage (finals), hosted by Japan or the United States , to decide the tournament winner, unlike the previous format. In August 2024, it was revealed that the 2025 edition (finals hosted by the United States) of

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3264-727: The Southern Hemisphere . Wales won a non-cap game against Canada 56-10 in Cardiff in 1971, and another 58-20 in Toronto in 1973. Canada were one of the 16 nations that were invited by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to compete at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 , hosted by both Australia and New Zealand. Canada were grouped with Wales, Ireland and Tonga in Pool 2. In their first ever World Cup match they defeated Tonga 37–4. However, they lost their subsequent matches 46–19 to Ireland and 40–9 to Wales finishing third in

3366-510: The inaugural 1987 tournament , and up to 2015, have always qualified during the first round. However, for the 2019 , they have failed to qualify during the first two rounds, but to qualified by means of the 4-team repechage in November 2018. Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Canada national XV at test level up until 16 November 2024 , updated after match with [REDACTED]   Romania . The following

3468-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in

3570-470: The 2007 season. The inclusion of Australia A meant that the tier 2 teams would have an even greater number of matches in the buildup to the 2007 Rugby World Cup . For Australia, it provided a stepping stone for Wallaby selection. Following the 2008 tournament, however, the ARU announced Australia A would not play in 2009 due to the current economic environment. Australia has not participated since then. In 2008,

3672-539: The CRU would legalise forward passing and make other changes that would make Canadian football a totally different sport, similar to American football . The original Canadian Rugby Union disbanded just before World War I. During World War I and World War II rugby union was suspended, but during the inter-war period a renaissance occurred. In 1919 a Canadian Services team played overseas against representatives from England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. The formation of

3774-522: The Canadians have not always had their full complement of players available for test matches. Nevertheless, Canada has produced top class players such as Dan Baugh , Rod Snow , Mike James , Colin Yukes , Dave Lougheed and Jamie Cudmore who have played professionally in England, Wales and France. Canada qualified for the 2003 Rugby World Cup as Americas 1, finishing at the top of Round 4 Americas tournaments , winning five of their six fixtures to enter

3876-582: The Canadians, on the eve of the match England's management chose not to award international caps, as some players were touring with the British and Irish Lions at the time. Canada won the now defunct Pacific Rim Rugby Championship three years in succession in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Canada finished second in Round 4 of the Americas 1999 Rugby World Cup qualifying , losing only to Argentina, and qualified for

3978-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example

4080-769: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in

4182-456: The Pacific Nations Cup was a four-team tournament, contested by Japan, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, with Samoa winning in 2010 and 2012, and Japan winning in 2011. In January 2013, the IRB announced that both the United States and Canada teams would be joining the 2013 competition on a permanent basis. For the first time, the reigning champion Samoan team did not compete as they took part in a competition in South Africa . The Pacific Nations Cup

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4284-464: The Pacific Nations Cup would double as the qualification tournament for the newly-expanded 2027 Rugby World Cup , merging North America and the Asia-Pacific regions, replacing the former regional qualification method. With this announcement, five of the six teams that compete in the Pacific Nations Cup will automatically qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup as Fiji and Japan had qualified via

4386-481: The Pacific Nations Cup. Last updated: 14 August 2024 Source: statbunker.com Last updated: 14 August 2024 Source: statbunker.com Below is a table listing all the venues that have been used in the tournaments, listed with the number of matches each venue has hosted annually and historically: Table updated to 2024 tournament Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,

4488-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by

4590-555: The Rugby Union of Canada in 1929 was followed by a Canadian representative side tour of Japan in 1932. About half the team were Canadian born (mostly British Columbia players) and the rest were originally from Britain. They beat Waseda University 29–13, but lost 9–8 and 38–5 in the two test matches. Canada's tour team which travelled to the United Kingdom in 1962 was dominated by British Columbia players. They recorded

4692-474: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game

4794-480: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in

4896-490: The World Cup. Canada finished third in their pool (with France, Fiji and Namibia), winning their match against Namibia but losing their other two fixtures. The victory against Namibia was uncharacteristic for Canada, as they ran the score up to 72–11, one of their most lopsided victories. This thrashing was the one bright light in an otherwise disappointing 1999 World Cup performance. Like many second and third-tier nations,

4998-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually

5100-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under

5202-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of

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5304-591: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed

5406-706: The centennial of the 1874 meeting and is now known as the Covo Cup, using the original rules of rugby football. McGill University can therefore lay claim to being the oldest rugby club in Canada. Westmount Rugby Club is the oldest independent Canadian rugby club. To this day, the McGill University Rugby Football Club is one of the premier university sides in Canada. Since 1989 the team has won 15 RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) Titles, including 8 straight from 2006 - 2013. In 2019,

5508-588: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in

5610-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in

5712-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of

5814-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if

5916-713: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. Canada national rugby union team Canada is classified by World Rugby as a tier two rugby nation and has competed in competitions such as the Americas Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup . Canada traditionally plays in red and white. Canada has been playing international rugby since their 1932 debut against Japan . Canada competed at every World Cup from

6018-600: The first Canadian team toured the United Kingdom, winning seven on 21 matches. In 1909, Earl Grey , then Governor General of Canada , donated a trophy to the CRU to be awarded for the Rugby Football Championship of Canada. This trophy became known as the Grey Cup . However, the rules used in Canada were vastly different from the rules used in countries that were part of the IRB . In the years that followed,

6120-511: The first North American international game took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts between McGill and Harvard universities. The following day the two teams played under "McGill" rugby rules to a scoreless tie. In late 1874 , the Harvard team traveled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby, and won by three tries in front of 2,000 spectators. An annual competition began in 1974 to mark

6222-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at

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6324-467: The first time ever that Canada failed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. The national team currently does not have a permanent home stadium and as such play their matches at various locations across Canada. BMO Field in Toronto , Ontario has been proposed as the national team's home stadium, despite not providing a suitable rugby climate year-round. In August 2011 it was announced that

6426-435: The first time. In November 2017 , Canada lost to the Māori All Blacks , Georgia and Fiji, while defeating Spain. In 2018, Canada lost both matches versus Uruguay for the 2019 World Cup Americas play-off, therefore the team advanced to the intercontinental repechage which it won, securing the very last spot in the final tournament. The team also lost to United States in the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship . Canada secured

6528-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to

6630-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on

6732-646: The former New Zealand All Black took over coaching duties. In Autumn 2008 the Canadians toured Europe, beating Portugal in their opening match, but suffering heavy defeats in their subsequent games in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In June 2009 the Canadians hosted the Welsh and Irish during the Summer test window, losing both encounters. Canada beat the United States in a two-legged playoff game in July 2009 to qualify for

6834-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area

6936-484: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,

7038-522: The hosts South Africa, defending champions Australia, and Romania. Canada finished third in the pool, winning their match against Romania, but losing 27–11 to Australia and 20–0 to the Springboks. Despite failing to replicate their previous success, Canada would build upon their 1991 World Cup achievement and record wins over tier 1 nations. Canada beat Wales 26–24 on November 10, 1993, at Cardiff Arms Park . They beat France 18–16 on June 4, 1994, at Twin Elms Rugby Park in Nepean, Ontario. They battled to

7140-567: The inagurual tournament in 1987 until its elimination at the hands of Chile during the 2023 qualifying process, breaking the 3 decades long record of uninterrupted attendance. Canada achieved their best result at the World Cup in 1991 , where they reached the quarterfinals. Canada was once the dominant power of North American rugby and was the second-best team in the Americas. Before the professionalization of rugby, Canada were known to upset stronger teams, having defeated France, Scotland, Wales, and an uncapped England side prior to 2002. In 1874

7242-473: The last spot in the 2019 Rugby World Cup on 23 November 2018, winning all of its three matches of the intercontinental repechage in Marseille, France. They joined 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool B with title holders New Zealand and third-placed team from 2015 South Africa , Italy and the African qualifier , Namibia . They lost their first 3 fixtures by scores of 48–7 to Italy, 63–0 to New Zealand, and 66–7 to South Africa. Their last fixture against Namibia

7344-469: The match in Newfoundland on August 12, 2006, defeating the USA 56–7 in front of a capacity crowd, when player James Pritchard scored a national record 36 points with three tries, six conversions and three penalties in the match, beating the record of 29 he had set against Barbados in their previous match. The win assured Canada of a place in the 2007 World Cup as Americas 2 in Pool B. Also that year,

7446-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;

7548-717: The national team would have a permanent training centre located in Langford, British Columbia. The centre opened in 2017 and was named the Al Charron Rugby Canada National Training Centre. Matches in Canada involving the Canadian national team with attendance of 10,000 or more: On 22 October, Canada named a 32-player squad ahead of the 2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals . Head coach: [REDACTED] Kingsley Jones Canada has played in every Rugby World Cup since

7650-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of

7752-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of

7854-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified

7956-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both

8058-497: The pool and advanced to the quarter-finals. They were then knocked out in the quarter-final by the All Blacks, 29–13. The 1991 tournament stands as Canada's best ever finish in a Rugby World Cup. 23 of the 26 World Cup squad members were born in or played their club rugby in British Columbia. Having reached the quarter-finals in 1991, Canada automatically qualified for the 1995 Rugby World Cup . They were in Pool A with

8160-552: The pool. Canada had to qualify for the 1991 Rugby World Cup . Canada took part in the Americas tournaments , and finished first in the Americas qualifying standings. Additionally, Canada beat Scotland XV 24–19 on May 25, 1991, at Saint John. At the 1991 Rugby World Cup, Canada was placed into Pool D, alongside France, Romania and Fiji. Canada beat Fiji and Romania in their opening two matches. Despite losing their final group fixture against France 19–13, Canada finished second in

8262-719: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition

8364-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind

8466-418: The quarterfinals. They drew 12–12 with Japan, conceding an injury-time try by Koji Taira . In their final game they lost 37–6 to an Australian side consisting mostly of second-string players. Canada finished bottom of Pool B, and returned home from a World Cup without winning a single game for the first time ever. Following the 2007 Rugby World Cup Canada hired Kieran Crowley as head coach, and by April 2008

8568-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around

8670-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst

8772-588: The side represented Quebec at the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship, finishing 6th in the nation. McGill Rugby alumni have gone on to represent Canada on the world stage and join the ranks of professional rugby. A Canadian Rugby Football Union was established in 1884, although this organisation went on to become the Canadian Football League , as rugby football in Canada evolved into Canadian football . In 1902–1903

8874-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international

8976-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',

9078-407: The team defeated Russia and lost to Japan and Italy. In November 2016 , Canada was defeated by Ireland, Romania and Samoa. At the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship , Canada scored a single win versus Chile, and lost the other four matches. In June 2017 , the team lost to Georgia and Romania. Later they faced United States for the 2019 World Cup North America play-off , being beaten on aggregate for

9180-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between

9282-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually

9384-616: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,

9486-517: Was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Americas qualifying round was delayed indefinitely before it was abridged and the first fixtures were confirmed for July 2021. Canada played the United States in a two-game series; Canada won in thumping fashion in St. John's , winning by a score of 34–21. However, they scuttled in the return leg in Glendale, Colorado , losing by

9588-456: Was downscaled for 2016 and 2017 with these two editions featuring only Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The sides from Canada, Japan and United States played in their respective regional qualifiers for the 2019 Rugby World Cup . As part of the Oceanian qualification, places at the 2019 Rugby World Cup were awarded to the two top teams of the 2016 and 2017 PNC (on aggregate), whereas the bottom team played

9690-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on

9792-485: Was funded as an International Rugby Board (IRB) tournament which was part of the $ US50 million, three-year, global strategic investment programme launched in August 2005. The competition was aimed at developing the Pacific rim sides in the second tier of the rugby countries: Fiji , Japan , Samoa and Tonga . The Junior All Blacks were also invited to compete, who are New Zealand's second XV. "The IRB Pacific 5 Nations

9894-602: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,

9996-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played

10098-579: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,

10200-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:

10302-516: Was renamed the Super Cup and Canada beat Japan 15–10 in the final. In 2006 Canada completed the qualification process for the 2007 Rugby World Cup . They were in a three-team group also containing Barbados and the United States . Each played the other once. On 24 June 2006, Canada defeated Barbados 71–3, in Bridgetown , their largest ever win. Canada achieved a record win over the US in

10404-446: Was revived in 2022, with the ever-present Fiji, Samoa and Tonga being joined by Australia A. Samoa won all three matches, ahead of Australia A. The 2023 version saw Australia A replaced by Japan. Fiji won the championship this time, ahead of Samoa who narrowly edged-out Japan for second place. In October 2023, World Rugby announced that beginning in 2024 the Pacific Nations Cup will be contested by six permanent teams from North America ,

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