Coach Mark Anscombe names Canada ‘A’ rugby side for tour of United Kingdom

TORONTO — Canada rugby coach Mark Anscombe has selected 11 players with test caps in his 26-man Canada ‘A’ squad for a tour of the United Kingdon next month.

The Canadian side will play second-tier English side Doncaster and Ulster Pro 12 team Ulster.

“We’re looking to develop our player depth on this tour,” Anscombe, who previously coached Ulster, said in a release. “We want to see if the players that played well during the Canadian Rugby Championships can step up and play at a higher level.”

The 11 players who have already played for the senior national team are Kyle Baillie, Nanyak Dala, Matt Heaton, Phil Mackenzie, Gordon McRorie, Dan Moor, Pat Parfrey, Benoit Piffero, Mozac Samson, Brock Staller and Jordan Wilson-Ross.

The rest of the squad have yet to win a cap for Canada.

Looped in

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: February 26, 2026

11h ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Saving people time at ICBC

Feb 25, 2026

Question of the Week

Has the violence in Mexico changed your opinion about travelling there for a vacation?

Feb 23, 2026

“We want to see how these players work under pressure,” Anscombe said. “Are they capable of going up to the next level and playing international rugby?”

Admir Cejvanovic is one of several veterans of the Canadian sevens team on the touring squad.

Canada ‘A’ Roster

Lucas Albornoz, Burnaby Lake RFC, Vancouver; Kyle Baillie, Ohio, Summerside, P.E.I.; Admir Cejvanovic, Burnaby Lake RFC, Burnaby, B.C.; Nanyak Dala, Castaway Wanderers, Saskatoon; Matt Heaton, Darlington Mowden Park, Godmanchester, Que.; Peter Houlihan, Strathcona Druids, Calgary; Daniel Joyce, Dublin University Football Club, Wicklow, Ireland; Conor Keys, UVic Vikes, Stittsville, Ont.; Ryan Kotlewski, Calgary Saints, Calgary; Ben LeSage, UBC Thunderbirds, Calgary; Kainoa Lloyd, Mississauga Blues,  Mississauga, Ont.; Anthony Luca, Burnaby Lake RFC, Burnaby, B.C. ; Phil Mackenzie, San Diego, Oakville, Ont.; Alex Mascott, UBC Thunderbirds, Langley, B.C.; Cody McClary, Port Alberni RFC, Port Alberni, B.C.; Aidan McMullan, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC, Montreal; Gordon McRorie, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Dan Moor, Balmy Beach RFC, Toronto; Oliver Nott, UVic Vikes, Qualicum, B.C.; Pat Parfrey, Swilers RFC, St. John’s; Benoit Piffero, Blagnac Sporting Rugby Club, Montreal; Robbie Povey, Bedford Athletic, Northampton, England; Mozac Samson, Calgary Saints, Calgary,; Brock Staller, UBC Thunderbirds, Vancouver; Adrian Wadden, Oakville Crusaders/Ontario Blues, Mississauga, Ont,; Jordan Wilson-Ross, James Bay AA, Alliston, Ont.

The Canadian Press