NEWS REPORT

A break in the Six Nations calendar allows Canada the services of four of its most experienced Sevens players when it travels to the IRB Beijing and Hong Kong Sevens Tournaments set for the 16-17th and 23-24 th March weekends.

Veterans, Montreal's Nik Witkowski ( 24 Sevens tours),Victoria's Winston Stanley ( 22 Sevens tours and top

 try-scorer in Fifteens), Cole Harbour's Morgan Williams (8 Sevens tours) and Abbotsford's John Cannon (7 tours) are all able to take time away from their professional European clubs to play on Canada's Asian Sevens tour.

They will join other long-time Sevens campaigners, captain Cowichan's Gregor Dixon (38 tours, and Canada's most capped Sevens player), Victoria's Fred Asselin (29 tours) and Montreal's Shane Thompson (18 tours) giving Canada one of its most experienced squads at an IRB Tournament in quite some time. Dixon, Stanley, Asselin and Witkowski all played on Canada's very successful Commonwealth Games team in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

"We were even surprised that all four professionals were released," said Canada's head Sevens Coach Doug Tate. "It will be our only opportunity to have them play prior to selection for the Manchester Commonwealth Games this summer. Even though Morgan Williams will only be available for the Hong Kong Tournament, and we will have to go to Bejing with only eleven players, we feel that based on his prior performances with the Sevens team, his selection is justified. "
 
The inclusion of speedsters Fred Asselin, as well as Burnaby's Barry Ebl, and also North Vancouver's Garth Prouse will provide the team with more added pace which Canada has lacked in its recent performances especially against better teams. Ebl is a long time Sevens player, having first played in 1995, but for Prouse this is only his second Sevens expedition. "The coaching staff feels that Garth Prouse deserves his place based on his outstanding fitness (a 15.6 beep score), his terrific work ethic, and his promising abilities shown on his first tour to Brisbane and Wellington."
 
"This squad will also stiffen our defense," says Tate. " In patches we are knocking the stuffing out of teams and putting them under extreme pressure, but at other times we are pinching and not communicating or trusting the player inside to make the tackle. We have stepped back a little and put a blend of experienced and skilled players together. The veterans will help teach the newer players how this is done." 

Canada's Sevens Squad to Beijing and Hong Kong.

1) Shane Thompson   Montreal
2) Gregor Dixon (Capt.)  Cowichan
3) Marco Di Girolamo  Toronto
4) Morgan Williams  Cole Harbour
5) Winston Stanley  Victoria
6) John Cannon  Abbotsford
7) Fred Asselin  Victoria
8) Barry Ebl   Burnaby
9) Todd McBride  White Rock
10) Jim Douglas  Kelowna
11) Garth Prouse  North Vancouver
12) Nik Witkowski  Montreal

Coach: Doug Tate
Manager: Ric Suggitt