While wins have been rare at Rugby World Cup, the Canadian men have made their mark

While wins have been hard to come at the Rugby World Cup, the Canadian men have left their mark at the sport’s showcase.

Canada has compiled a 7-23-3 record in its nine trips to the tournament — missing out only on the 2023 edition — and has not recorded a win since downing Tonga 25-20 in its opening match in 2011. The Canadians, under coach Stephen Meehan, qualified for the 2027 tournament in Australia via the Pacific Nations Cup earlier this year and will find out what awaits them at Wednesday’s draw in Sydney.

A look at some of Canada’s memorable games at the tournament:

Canada versus New Zealand, 1991

The Canadians made it to the knockout round for the first and only time, beating Fiji 13-3 and Romania 19-11 before losing 19-13 to host France. That earned a date with New Zealand in the quarterfinals.

The All Blacks won 29-13 and went on to finish third, defeating Scotland 13-6 in the third-place game after losing 16-6 to eventual champion Australia in the semifinals.

“Earning the right to get to that quarterfinal,” remains a high point of former Canadian captain Gareth Rees’ long, distinguished career.

“That was a decade in the making,” he said. “That was a decade of sitting on planes to New Zealand and getting well beaten by New Zealand provinces and learning our lesson and having touring teams come in.”

Canada versus South Africa, 1995

Canada’s 20-0 loss to host South Africa saw Irish referee David McHugh send off Canadian prop Rod Snow and Rees, as well as Springboks hooker James Dalton. 

The game was dubbed the Battle of Boet Erasmus, named after the stadium that hosted it in Port Elizabeth. Canadian forward Al Charron, like Rees a World Rugby Hall of Famer, called it “probably the dirtiest, hardest game I was ever in.”

There was drama from the get-go as the stadium floodlights failed seconds before kickoff. With the stadium dark, the teams returned to the dressing rooms. The game eventually got underway 45 minutes late.

Rees and Snow were ejected, with Dalton, in the 74th minute of Canada’s final game of the tournament after taking exception to the way Canadian winger Winston Stanley was tackled into the sideline advertising boards by Pieter Hendriks.

When order was restored, McHugh consulted with his touch judges.

“Of the 30 guys on the field, he probably could have picked 18 to 20 guys to send off,” said Charron. “How he ended up picking Dalton, Gareth and Rod, I don’t know.”

The incident marked the first time in international rugby that three players had ever been ejected in a game.

McHugh later gave Rees the red card he showed him after the game’s infamous second-half brawl. The card, framed in a picture of Rees and Snow with a note from McHugh, is on display in Rees’ home.

Ironically, Port Elizabeth had opened its arms to the Canadian team, which played all three of its pool games there. The Canadians had raised funds for local townships and forged friendships.

After the South Africa game, the Canadians ran around the field with a banner thanking Port Elizabeth for its hospitality.

The brawl resulted in suspension for Hendriks, Dalton, Rees, Snow and Canadian Scott Stewart.

Canada versus France, 1999

Rees became the first man to play in four World Cups when, despite a heavily strapped thigh, he led Canada out against host France in 1999 in Beziers.

Ignoring a nagging knee injury and thigh strain, Rees kicked a penalty and a conversion in a 33-20 Canada loss. 

Rees was good on all 19 attempts at goal at the tournament, accounting for 27 points — from nine conversions and three penalties — in Canada’s 71-11 win over Namibia in its final Pool C game in Toulouse.

Rees’ lead-up to the tournament included wrist surgery, a severe concussion, chickenpox and a knee injury. There was suspicion he needed painkilling injections to play.

The Victoria native, who captained Canada 25 times, retired after the ’99 World Cup as Canada’s leading scorer in international play with 492 points. 

Canada versus Tonga, 2011

Canada’s last win at the tournament came in its opening match at the 2011 edition in New Zealand.

Wing Phil MacKenzie scored the winning try in the 73rd minute in a see-saw 25-20 win over Tonga in Whangarei.

Canada led 10-0 before Tonga scored 20 of the next 23 points. Canada responded with late tries from Jebb Sinclair and Aaron Carpenter, defending its five-point lead for the last seven minutes to clinch the win.

Fullback James Pritchard kicked two conversions and a pair of penalties. Canadian flanker Adam Kleeberger was voted man of the match for his work at the breakdown.

Canada subsequently lost to 46-19 to France, drew Japan 23-23 and was thumped 79-15 by New Zealand.

Canada versus Namibia, 2019

Canada didn’t get to play the African side in their Pool B finale in Kamaishi, Japan, due to due to typhoon Hagibis.

The Canadians, then ranked 22nd, had targeted No. 23 Namibia as a possible win after losses to Italy (48-7), New Zealand (63-0) and South Africa (66-7). 

In calling off the game (which was ruled a draw), World Rugby noted an evacuation order remained in place in the Kamaishi area with landslides and flooding around the stadium.

While both teams finished with 0-3-1 records, Namibia finished fourth in the pool ahead of Canada on points difference (minus-141 for Namibia and minus-163 for Canada).

With no game to play and Kamaishi hammered by Mother Nature, about 15 Canada players and staff grabbed shovels and brooms to sweep mud and debris off roads, and even from inside residents’ homes.

Flanker Lucas Rumball said the team feeling was “We couldn’t play a game for them, so let’s see how we can help out in other ways.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2025.