Rugby men have Georgia on their minds

For the Canadian men’s national team, the road to the Rugby World Cup won’t exactly begin in Calgary.

But two June games in Alberta will be key to Canada’s preparations as they begin that journey.

On Thursday, Rugby Canada announced that Calgary will play host to Georgia for an internationally-sanctioned test match at Calgary Rugby Park on June 10. A week later, the Canadian team will play Romania in Edmonton, and both games will serve as important tune-ups to a critical two-match World Cup qualifier against the U.S. in July.

“They’re huge games for the world rankings,” said Calgarian Nick Blevins, a key contributor for the national program in recent years. “By no means are we going to overlook these teams, but it’s an opportunity to get two solid competitions under us before we go take on the U.S.

“So many times we get together for a week, and then a week later we’re into full test matches, and there’s not enough time for us to get our systems in place. The fact that we can do that against two really tough, physical teams before the U.S. is huge for us.”

Both games will see the No. 22-ranked Canadian team taking on higher-ranked opponents. In Calgary, the No. 10-ranked Georgians have developed a reputation for playing tough, physical rugby.

The stakes might not be quite as high as when Canada takes on the U.S. later in the summer, but the home team won’t be treating the Georgia game simply as a tune-up. They can’t afford to.

“It’s taking on a team that’s ranked 10 positions above us and a team where rugby is their national sport,” said Graeme Moffat, Team Canada’s assistant coach. “Any time you can get the opportunity to knock a higher seed off, it’s a great opportunity and a great challenge for us as a team and as coaches and players to prepare and do everything possible to win the game, especially going into World Cup qualifiers.”

Working out the kinks in the Alberta games is crucial for Canada, as the July qualifiers represent a huge opportunity for the team to take the path of least resistance into the World Cup.

Score more points than the No. 17-ranked U.S. over the two games, and Canada will qualify for the 2019 World Cup in Japan. If the U.S. wins, though, Canada will be relegated to a repechage round and will face a much more daunting road.

That’s why players like Blevins were so pleased with the quality of opposition in Calgary and Edmonton.

“(Georgia) as a nation, they’re very hard people and I think that’s kind of bred into them, and it shows on the field,” Blevins said. “You’re getting smacked around and you can barely walk after playing these guys. It tests your body and your mind and that’s exactly what we need.”

Over the past three years, Rugby Canada has been increasingly visible in Calgary. The city hosted the Women’s Rugby Super Series in 2015 and then watched the Canadian men’s team roll over Russia last summer.