Canada's men's rugby team opens Nations Cup campaign Saturday at Clarke Stadium
Canada faces Spain on Saturday, July 4, in the first of three home matches as the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup kicks off in Edmonton.
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Canada's men's rugby team will open the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup on Saturday, July 4, when it faces Spain at Edmonton's Clarke Stadium.
The match is one of three home games for Canada this month. The team hosts Portugal in Edmonton on July 11, then plays Zimbabwe on July 18 at Winnipeg's Princess Auto Stadium. The Nations Cup is a biennial competition featuring 12 countries already qualified for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Saturday's kickoff comes hours after Canada's men's soccer team plays Morocco in a FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match in Houston. Hooker Andrew Quattrin, a 29-year-old veteran of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, said the soccer team's momentum could inspire rugby.
"Our World Cup, in quotes, probably starts this Saturday, in terms of we need to make some buzz about that," Quattrin said.
Canada is ranked 25th in the world — the lowest in this year's Nations Cup. Spain ranks 17th, Portugal 14th, and Zimbabwe 24th. At last year's World Cup Qualifiers in Edmonton, Spain's last-play penalty kick beat Canada 24-23.
