Despite four Canadian losses during the recent 2015 Rugby World Cup, three of them were competitive into the late going, as the Canuck backfield earned notice with some enterprising sequences.
The rewards have come rolling in, with Victoria player DTH Van der Merwe鈥檚 splashy try against Italy at Elland Road in Leeds named the fourth-best of the World Cup. Also this week, Ciaran Hearn of the Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay has signed a pro contract to play for Premiership club London Irish.
鈥渟a国际传媒 has not been seen as a backfield-type team,鈥� said Hearn, of the old smash-mouth forward-play Canadian reputation.
鈥淏ut we showed we have some skilled guys back there such as DTH, who scored one of the best tries of the World Cup.鈥�
Without his play among the centres of the Canadian backfield at the World Cup, the 220-pound, six-foot-two Hearn would not have been noticed by the European pro clubs.
鈥淭his is sweet and I鈥檓 excited. It鈥檚 a great opportunity,鈥� said the 29-year-old, who is part of the Newfoundland-to-CW pipeline that has proved to be such an end-to-end trans-sa国际传媒 rugby gusher with several top players coming out of it.
鈥淐W gave me the platform to advance my skills,鈥� said Hearn.
He took it from there to now the top level of pro rugby as he joins former CW teammate Jebb Sinclair with the London Irish.
As for the 2019 World Cup in Japan, Hearn noted he is nearing 30.
鈥淚 play it year by year now,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t all depends on how the body holds up.鈥�
The Langford-based national team begins the long road to Japan 2019 with its first Test of the cycle announced Tuesday. It will be in June, with date TBA, at BMO Field in Toronto against Italy, the side against which Van der Merwe of Victoria and Matt Evans of Duncan scored spectacular tries last month in the 2015 World Cup.
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