Youth will be served as emerging Island players Quinn Ngawati and Lachlan Kratz were named to the 30-player Canadian rugby squad Tuesday. Americas regional qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in France is set to begin Saturday in St. John鈥檚, N.L., against the U.S., with the second home game Oct 2 at Starlight Stadium in Langford against either Uruguay or Chile.
There is an away qualifier sandwiched in between for Langford-based sa国际传媒 against the U.S. on Sept. 11 at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado
鈥淲e have been working tirelessly to ensure that our team is as prepared as we can be for these upcoming matches against the United States,鈥� said Canadian head coach Kingsley Jones of Sooke.
鈥淎s we know, co-ordinating the logistics of assembling players in a COVID-world is no easy task, and our entire group is thankful to our staff and hosts in St. John鈥檚 for their support and excited to be able to compete on home soil in these critical Rugby World Cup qualification matches.鈥�
The winner of the U.S. versus sa国际传媒 total-points set will meet Uruguay at home Oct. 2 (in sa国际传媒鈥檚 case, at Starlight Stadium) and in Montevideo on Oct. 9 with the winner of that set advancing to the World Cup 2023 France. The loser of the sa国际传媒-U.S. tie will face Chile on Oct. 2 at home (in sa国际传媒鈥檚 case, at Starlight Stadium) and Oct. 9 in Santiago with the loser eliminated and the winner staying alive and advancing to a repechage round.
Former St. Michaels University School captain Ngawati and Oak Bay High-graduate Kratz earned their first caps over the summer in sa国际传媒鈥檚 losses to Wales and England at Cardiff and Twickenham. The 22-year-old centre Ngawati, an elegant six-foot-four all-rounder who can run and pass on offence and hit with meaning on defence, has deep roots in the sport due to his family ties to New Zealand. He plays in Major League Rugby for United New York.
The 21-year-old Kratz, a former sa国际传媒 high school champion with Oak Bay, is in MLR for NOLA Gold of New Orleans. Born in San Diego and raised on the Island since age three, Kratz is a dual sa国际传媒-U.S. citizen who has declared for sa国际传媒. He has worn the Maple Leaf in the Under-20 Junior World Rugby Trophy in Bucharest, Romania, 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina and 2017 Youth Commonwealth Games in Nassau, Bahamas.
鈥淭he World Cup in XVs and Olympics in sevens are definitely dreams,鈥� said Kratz.
鈥淚 am really excited by the possibilities.鈥�
Foster DeWitt of Courtenay, out of the Langford-based Pacific Pride development program, is another young Islander given the nod by Jones.
Veterans selected include Jake Ilnicki out of the University of Victoria Vikes and Castaway Wanderers, Pat Parfrey, Lucas Rumball, Djustice Sears-Duru and Kyle Baillie.
sa国际传媒 is attempting to keep alive its run of having qualified for every World Cup since the event鈥檚 inception in 1987.
