NEWS REPORT

Seven veterans of the Canada team that placed fifth at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 find themselves named to Rugby Canada's ten-man squad set to compete at the January 26th -28th Sevens World Cup in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Since those Commonwealth Games many of the players have continued to play on Canada's Sevens team and in last season's inaugural, ten-tournament International Rugby Board Sevens Series, Canada earned a respectable sixth place finish.

At Kuala Lumpur Canada might well have placed in the medals had not a late try, and a 26-19 win by eventual finalists Fiji, knocked Canada out of the medal round. New Zealand beat Fiji in the final.

The World Cup squad will continue to be led by Cowichan's Gregor Dixon, Canada's most-capped Sevens player, now playing professionally with Aurillac in France. The rugged wing-forward has played Sevens for Canada since the Taipei Sevens in 1994, and last season his consistent play saw him selected for the Canada fifteen-a-side team where he displayed his enormous talents learned while playing the sevens game.

Joining him are three other European professionals: Victoria's Winston Stanley of Leicester, who will play in the centre with Montreal's Nik Witkowski of Perpignan. Cole Harbour's Morgan Williams at Stade Francais will likely play in the forwards where he performed at the Paris Sevens last May. These four players will fly directly to Argentina after playing for their clubs on the January 20 weekend. While Dixon, Stanley and Witkowski have played regularly for the Sevens team, Morgan Williams' appearances have been irregular. He began his international career in the Sevens program playing at the Mar del Plata and Hong Kong tournaments in 1998, but after a sterling performance for Canada's national side at the 1999 World Cup, the French club Begles-Bordeaux signed him to a contract. He has since moved to the league-leading Stade Francaise club in Paris. Nevertheless, he found time to play for the Canada Sevens team in Paris last May and now finds himself on the World Cup squad.

Versatile White Rock player Mark Irvine earns a place on the squad for his impressive eleven-try performance at the Chile Sevens where Canada qualified for the Mar del Plata World Cup in May. Irvine can play in the backs or in the forwards. North Delta's Andrew Hoffman played his way into the team with outstanding performances on Canada's recent South Africa and Dubai tour. "Andrew was the Man of the Tour," says coach Doug Tate. " He continually won loose ball, his handling improved, and his attacking skills were outstanding."

Cole Harbour's Jeff Williams, Canada's goal kicker and outside-half, joins his brother Morgan on the World Cup squad. Jeff is the play-maker and quarterback of the side and his composure under pressure is exceptional. On the wing Victoria's Fred Asselin, who scored three tries against Fiji in the Commonwealth Games, adds sheer speed to the team's scoring threat. Victoria's Jesse Frender, the University of Victoria scrum-half, is the real surprise on the squad. First named to the Sevens program for the Dubai Sevens a year ago, he has grown in stature over the season. "At Durban and Dubai this year," says Tate. "Frender scored six tries and his defense was rock solid, and we're going to need some solid defense if we are to get out of our Pool at this World Cup."

White Rock's Nic Milau, who first played for the Canada's Sevens team at the Japan Tournament in 1998, will act as scrum-half. "We have picked what we think is an athletic and a fit team possessing speed and flair, but which is also solid defensively," says Tate. "The other thing is that we are a durable team. With only ten men on the squad, and with as many as possibly eight games in three days, we'll have to take our knocks and keep on playing. We have also named four non-traveling alternates in Shane Thompson, John Cannon, Jason Hartley and Colin Robertson to cover any eventuality."

Canada shares a six-team pool with South Africa, France, Cook Islands, Georgia, and Taiwan. Over the last few years Canada has beaten all of these teams in tournament play, except for the Cook Islands. The last time Canada played that team, the Cook Islands beat Canada 5-0 at the last Sevens World Cup in Hong Kong in 1997, when Canada finished an ignominious 23rd out of 24 nations.

"That just isn't going to happen this time round," promises Tate.

CANADA'S SEVENS WORLD CUP SQUAD

Gregor Dixon    Cowichan  (Capt.)
Mark Irvine White Rock
Andrew Hoffman North Delta
Nic Milau White Rock
Jeff Williams Cole Harbour
Morgan Williams Cole Harbour
Nik Witkowski Montreal
Winston Stanley Victoria
Fred Asselin Victoria
Jesse Frender Victoria

Coach: Doug Tate - Victoria
Manager: Ric Suggitt - Edmonton
Physiotherapist: Bill Treloar - Vancouver
Non-Traveling reserves: Shane Thompson, Montreal; Colin Robertson,
Montreal; Jason Hartley, Vancouver; John Cannon, Abbotsford.