Four local players on World Cup rugby roster
Meanwhile, Canada’s all- time leading scorer left off the squad
James Pritchard, Canada’s all- time leading scorer, has been left off Canada’s provisional 35- man roster for next month’s Rugby World Cup.
Locals Jeff Hassler, Nick Blevins, Gordon McRorie and Evan Olmstead are on the squad, however.
Head coach Kieran Crowley named an expanded 35- man roster due to injury questions concerning forwards Jamie Cudmore ( concussion), Jebb Sinclair ( knee) and Jason Marshall ( knee) and back Taylor Paris ( groin).
The final 31- man tournament roster will be announced Aug. 31. All four of those players are expected to join up with Canada for a five- day camp starting Tuesday in Ottawa.
Ardron ( knee) and winger DTH van der Merwe ( thumb) were hurt during the Pacific Nations Cup but are expected to recover in time.
Canada, ranked 18th in the world, opens play at the World Cup on Sept. 19 against No. 3 Ireland in Cardiff. Other Group D opponents are No. 7 France, No. 15 Italy and No. 17 Romania.
For Pritchard, the 36- year- old fullback became the 20th player to reach 600 points in international play with a 10- point performance in a 21- 20 loss to Samoa last week in Toronto.
The Australian- born back also took over as Canadian captain when Tyler Ardron was forced off with an injury.
Pritchard, who plays for Bedford Blues in England, has won 61 caps for Canada with 607 points from 18 tries, 104 conversions and 103 penalties.
Former captain Gareth Rees held the previous Canadian record of 491 points. Only Winston Stanley, with 24, has scored more tries for Canada.
In 2006, Pritchard scored a Canadian single- game record 36 points in a 56- 7 World Cup qualifying win over the United States in St. John’s, N. L., with six conversions, three penalty kicks and three tries.
Canada’s pre- tournament schedule includes games against the U. S. on Aug. 22 in Ottawa and the Glasgow Warriors in Halifax on Aug. 29 before flying to England for final warm- ups against Georgia on Sept. 2 and Fiji on Sept. 6.
The Canadians are coming off a disappointing 0- 4- 0 campaign at the Pacific Nations Cup that saw them suffer last- second losses to Samoa and the United States.
Pritchard started in just one of those four matches.
At five- foot- 10 and 182 pounds, Pritchard cuts a small figure in a game of giants. But he’s always been tough as nails.
Also left off the provisional roster were prop Jake Ilnicki, lock/ backrower Callum Morrison and backrower Thyssen de Goede.