OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport, as the Canadian representative of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), announced Wednesday Canada's women's and men's rosters for the 2012 world university rugby sevens championships. The Gaels'
Gillian Pegg of Barrie, Ont. was named to the women's team while Toronto natives
Matt Kelly and
Liam Underwood were named to the men's squad.
Brive 2012 website:
www.wuc-rugbybrive2012.com
The fifth FISU championships will be held from July 11 to 13 in Brive, France.
The Canadian women have enjoyed tremendous success over the years at the biennial competition, winning the first two tournaments in 2004 (Beijing, China) and 2006 (Rome, Italy) before finishing second in 2008 (Cordoba, Spain) and fourth in 2010 (Porto, Portugal).
On the men's side, the Canadians are coming off their best-ever FISU result as they placed sixth in 2010. Canada did not participate in the inaugural tourney in 2004 and finished seventh in 2006 and 10th in 2008.
The women's contingent will be led in France by head coach Lesley McKenzie from the University of British Columbia, assistant coach Sean McDonaugh from Royal Military College and team leader Rick Farrally from the University of Victoria. Therapist Carmen Chan rounds out the support staff.
A former CIS all-Canadian at UBC, McKenzie played for Team Canada at a pair of World Cups, including in 2010 in England. McDonaugh and Farrally were both part of the Canadian staff at the 2008 FISU championships.
The women's roster for the 2012 tournament is comprised of 12 CIS standouts and one college star, including Britt Benn from the reigning CIS champion Guelph Gryphons, as well as Saint Mary's Jean Baker, York teammates Sarah Campbell and Tiera Thomas-Reynolds, Lethbridge's Shannon Court, Alberta teammates Alanna Fittes and Chelsea Guthrie, UBC teammates Megan Hamm and Gabrielle Hindley, Calgary's Lizzie Mackinnon, Queen's
Gillian Pegg, Toronto's Karla Telidetzki, and Dawson College's Alexandra Tessier.
Of the group, Court is the lone returning member from the 2010 FISU squad.
Patrolling the sidelines for Canada's men's team in Brive will be head coach Darrell Devine and assistant coach Cory Hector, both from the University of Guelph. Team Manager Brian Spanton and athletic therapist Jami Boyd complete the support staff.
At the helm at Guelph since 2009, Devine gained international coaching experience with Canada's entry at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The 2012 FISU roster is dominated by players from Ontario University Athletics, who took nine of the 12 available spots. The lineup is comprised of Sebastian Pearson and Rory Tomlinson, both of the reigning OUA champion Western Mustangs, as well as Waterloo's Zach Bogdon, McMaster's Andrew Ferguson, Queen's teammates
Matt Kelly and
Liam Underwood, Guelph teammates Adam Maahs, Rob Paris and Sean Sinel, Victoria's Adam Timler, and the UBC duo of Jonathan Hill and Liam Murphy-Burke.
Tomlinson, Bogdon, Timler and Hill are veterans of the 2010 FISU team.
NOTES: The Canadian women defeated Kazakhstan 27-5 in the gold-medal final of the 2004 championship and host Italy 21-0 in the final of the 2006 tournament... The Canadian women lost 17-7 to host Spain in the 2008 final... Spain repeated as women's champion in 2010, while Portugal captured the men's title.
CANADIAN ROSTER: WOMEN
Name Position University Hometown
Jean Baker Centre Saint Mary's Argyle Shore, P.E.I.
Britt Benn Centre Guelph Napanee, Ont.
Sarah Campbell Scrum-half / FH / FB York Guelph, Ont.
Shannon Court Hooker / Prop Lethbridge Red Deer, Alta.
Alanna Fittes No. 5, 6 or 7 Alberta Rimbey, Alta.
Chelsea Guthrie Centre Alberta Edmonton, Alta.
Megan Hamm Scrum-half UBC Aldergrove, B.C.
Gabrielle Hindley Centre / Fullback UBC Guelph, Ont.
Lizzie Mackinnon Winger / Scrum-half Calgary Calgary, Alta.
Gillian Pegg Hooker / Flanker Queen's Barrie, Ont.
Karla Telidetzki Winger / Fullback Toronto Edmonton, Alta.
Alexandra Tessier Inside Centre Dawson College Saint-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que.
Tiera Thomas-Reynolds Winger York Scarborough, Ont.
Head Coach: Lesley McKenzie (University of British Columbia)
Assistant Coach: Sean McDonaugh (Royal Military College of Canada)
Team Leader / Manager: Rick Farrally (University of Victoria)
Therapist: Carmen Chan (Sheridan College)
CANADIAN ROSTER: MEN
Name Position University Hometown
Zach Bogdon Centre Waterloo Cambridge, Ont.
Andrew Ferguson Scrum-half / Fly-half McMaster Mississauga, Ont.
Jonathan Hill Forward UBC Edmonton, Alta.
Matt Kelly Forward Queen's Toronto, Ont.
Adam Maahs Winger Guelph Port Perry, Ont.
Liam Murphy-Burke Winger UBC White Rock, B.C.
Rob Paris Forward Guelph Barrie, Ont.
Sebastian Pearson Forward Western Lindsay, Ont.
Sean Sinel Centre Guelph Toronto, Ont.
Adam Timler Forward Victoria White Rock, B.C.
Rory Tomlinson SH / FH / Centre Western Alliston, Ont.
Liam Underwood Fly-half / Centre Queen's Toronto, Ont.
Head Coach: Darrell Devine (University of Guelph)
Assistant Coach: Cory Hector (University of Guelph)
Team Manager: Brian Spanton
Therapist: Jami Boyd (McGill University)
FISU RUGBY SEVENS CHAMPIONSHIPS: CANADA'S ALL-TIME RESULTS
Women
2010 (Porto, Portugal): 4th
2008 (Cordoba, Spain): silver medallists
2006 (Rome, Italy): champions
2004 (Beijing, China): champions
Men
2010 (Porto, Portugal): 6th
2008 (Cordoba, Spain): 10th
2006 (Rome, Italy): 7th
2004 (Beijing, China): did not participate
FISU RUGBY SEVENS CHAMPIONSHIPS: PAST CHAMPIONS
Women
2010 (Porto, Portugal): Spain
2008 (Cordoba, Spain): Spain
2006 (Rome, Italy): CANADA
2004 (Beijing, China): CANADA
Men
2010 (Porto, Portugal): Portugal
2008 (Cordoba, Spain): South Africa
2006 (Rome, Italy): France
2004 (Beijing, China): France
