Poor performances by Canadian men’s team sets off debate on how to fix it

The ripple effect from Canada’s poor performance at the Americas Rugby Championship has been quickly felt by the rugby community back home.

Following a 24-23 loss to unheralded Brazil, Canada dropped to No. 23 in the World Rugby rankings – sandwiching Mark Anscombe’s team between Germany and Kenya. Canada started the tournament at No. 18.

Chris Le Fevre, a former member of the Rugby Canada board and the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) World Council, fired a loud salvo that quickly generated debate on social media.

“When I first joined the (Rugby Canada) board we had two employees and we were nudging the top 10,” the Victoria entrepreneur wrote in a letter to Rugby Canada chairman Tim Powers. “Today dozens and dozens of employees and (we are) heading into the abyss of thirdworld rugby.

“Clearly the administration has failed to have an adequate strategy to position Canada in the modern rugby world.” Powers welcomes the debate. “I’m pleased there’s such passion out there,” he said. “That’s a positive sign ... And I think steps are being taken to get us there, though it’s ugly. We’re in a rebuilding phase, we’re in a development phase. Ugly. And you can’t make ugly pretty. But you can keep on a path to get you there.”

Canada went 1-4-0 at the ARC, fielding a largely domestic developmental squad with a dozen or so top overseas pros left at their clubs.

“The reality is that our men’s XV program is broken,” Mark Slay, a former Rugby Canada board member, said in a Facebook response to Le Fevre’s letter.

“We’re spiralling downwards, talking about sevens, talking about governance issues and missing the big picture,” Le Fevre lamented.

World Rugby confirmed that Canada’s current position of No. 23 is its worst since the rankings were introduced in October 2003.