Canada national rugby league team

{{Short description|Rugby league team}}

{{About|the men's team|the women's team|Canada women's national rugby league team}}

{{confused|Canada national rugby union team}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox rugby league representative team

| Name = Canada

| Badge = Canada_rugby_league.png

| Badge_size = 200px

| Nickname = Wolverines

| Governing body = Canada Rugby League

| Region = Americas

| Coach = Aaron Zimmerle

| Captain = Skyler Dumas

| Home Stadium = Lamport Stadium

| RLIF Rank = 31

| pattern_b1 =

| pattern_ra1 =

| leftarm1 = B40404

| body1 = B40404

| rightarm1 = B40404

| shorts1 = 000000

| socks1 = B40404

| pattern_la2 =

| pattern_b2 =

| pattern_ra2 =

| leftarm2 =FFFFFF

| body2 = FFFFFF

| rightarm2 =FFFFFF

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| First international= {{rl|Canada}} 23–10 {{rl-rt|United States}}
(1987)

| Largest win = {{rl|Canada}} 52–14 {{rl-rt|United States}}
(Toronto, Ontario; 9 August 2014)

| Largest loss = {{rl|England}} 68–4 {{rl-rt|Canada}}
(Toronto, Ontario; 6 October 2012)

}}

The Canada national rugby league team represents Canada in international rugby league football tournaments.

History

{{Further|Rugby league in Canada}}

=1987–2000: Origins=

Rugby league was first introduced to Canada in the 1900s but was quickly outlawed by Rugby Union officials and thus became Canadian Football. It was not until the late 1980s that rugby league was re-introduced to Canada at an amateur level, when a short-lived 4-team domestic competition, known as the Tri-Counties Rugby League, was established. Four teams competed in its first year, three in Canada and one in the U.S., the New York–based Adirondacks club.{{Cite web |url=http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/history/index.php?pageid=100001# |title=Archived copy |access-date=26 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101042612/http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/history/index.php?pageid=100001# |archive-date=1 January 2011 |url-status=dead }}

The Canadian national team played their first game in 1987 against the USA. They then played sporadically throughout the 1990s and participated in the 1995 and '96 Rugby League World Sevens and Rugby League Emerging Nations World Cup in 2000. Following the 2000 Emerging Nations World Cup, the Canadian Rugby League Federation folded. As a result, the national team was disbanded and the sport remained dormant for 10 years.

=2010 onwards: Revival=

File:Canada rugby league team mounties logo 2010.png

In 2010, a new governing body, Canada Rugby League, was formed. Their first comeback game was in 2010 in the War at the Shore tournament, where they played New England Immortals, a New England representative team, and the New York Knights AMNRL club team, losing both games.{{cite web |last=Lester |first=Jamie |title=Canadian team to play in AMNRL 'War at the Shore' |url=http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=35882 |publisher=rleague.com |access-date=2010-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409070157/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=35882 |archive-date=9 April 2010 |date=5 April 2010 |url-status=dead }} The team's international comeback was later in the year in September in the inaugural Colonial Cup.{{cite web |last=O'Neill |first=Matthew |title=Canada to host USA in inaugural Colonial Cup |url=http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=37358 |publisher=rleague.com |access-date=2010-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820133809/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=37358 |archive-date=20 August 2010 |date=16 August 2010 |url-status=dead }} Later that year they competed in the Rugby League Atlantic Cup in Jacksonville, Florida.

Canada's first win since they were reformed came the following year in 2011 against Jamaica. They collected their second win in September, against the US in the second game of the Colonial Cup. However, due to an earlier loss to the US and the resulting aggregate scores, Canada was unable to win the Cup. Canada's international season finished up with a defeat against South Africa, in a warm up game before their 2013 World Cup qualifiers campaign.

In 2014, Stuart Donlan was appointed as head coach.{{Cite web |url=http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/site/eng/news/article.php?id=10259# |title=Stuart Donlan named head coach of Canada Wolverines |access-date=15 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524065707/http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/site/eng/news/article.php?id=10259# |archive-date=24 May 2014 |url-status=dead }} Donlan's first game was the 2014 Colonial Cup's only fixture. He coached Canada to a famous victory which made them the Colonial Cup champions for the very first time.{{cite web |url=http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/rugby-league-nations/91-rugby-league-test-match-or-international-game/1853-canada-52-smack-usa-14-in-rugby-league-international |title=Rugby League Planet - Canada 52 smack USA 14 in Rugby League international |website=www.rugbyleagueplanet.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411093648/http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/rugby-league-nations/91-rugby-league-test-match-or-international-game/1853-canada-52-smack-usa-14-in-rugby-league-international |archive-date=2015-04-11}} Aaron Zimmerle, the head coach of the Tweed Heads Seagulls, took over the main coaching role in 2015 in their 2017 World Cup qualifying campaign.{{cite news

|title = Canada announces Aaron Zimmerle as head coach for Qualifiers

|publisher = CRL

|date = 2015-09-11

|url = http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/site/eng/news/article.php?id=10287

|access-date = 2015-09-12

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150919080810/http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/site/eng/news/article.php?id=10287#

|archive-date = 19 September 2015

|url-status = dead

}}

After failing to qualify for the 2017 World Cup, the Canada Rugby League Board appointed Benjamin Fleming as coach on a three-year deal. Canada Rugby League Association Vice President David Graham said "the board's decision to appoint Fleming as Head Coach was based on the hard work and passion he has shown since returning to the association last year."

Current squad

Canada squad for March 1, 2024 match against the USA Hawks.{{cite web |title=Senior International Matches 2024 |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/senior-international-matches-2024/game-1/united-states-of-america-vs-canada.html |website=Rugby League Project |access-date=23 October 2024}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="width:60%;text-align:left"
style="width:75px;"| Player

! style="width:10px;"|Caps

! style="width:10px;"|Points

! style="width:100px;"|Club

{{sortname|Dillon|Hamilton}}10
{{sortname|Josh| Michalik}}24
{{sortname|Luke| Toroca}}14
{{sortname|Lee|Keegel}}24
{{sortname|Colton|Carpenter |dab=rugby league}}28
{{sortname|Blake|Mahovic}}28
{{sortname|Jacob|Bourne}}26
{{sortname|David|Astley|dab=rugby league}}10
{{sortname|Ben|Stothers}}20
{{sortname|Chuck|Curran|dab=rugby league}}24
{{sortname|Jason|Chuck}}20
{{sortname|Jason|Park|dab=rugby league}}22
{{sortname|Scyler|Dumas}}20
{{sortname|Kyle|Yurkiw}}20
{{sortname|Daniel|Martyn}}20
{{sortname|Niko|Andrionas}}10
{{sortname|Danny|Tupou}}10

Competitive Record

{{main|List of Canada national rugby league team results}}

=Overall and IRL Rankings=

{{RLIF World Rankings|Canada}}

Below is the head-to-head record of the Canadian national XIII side up to date as of 22 October 2024.{{cite web |title=Head to Head |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/teams/canada/head2head.html |website=Rugby League Project |access-date=27 December 2020}}{{cite web |title=PAST RESULTS |url=http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/wolverines/past-results/ |website=Canada rugby league |access-date=25 April 2021}}

class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
style="width:150px;"|Against

! style="width:5px;"|First Played

! style="width:5px;"|P

! style="width:5px;"|W

! style="width:5px;"|L

! style="width:5px;"|D

! style="width:30px;"|% Won

! style="width:5px;"|Last Played

! style="width:5px;"|F

! style="width:5px;"|A

! style="width:30px;"|D

align="left" | {{rl|Bosnia}}20191100100%2018782+76
align="left" | {{rl|Chile}}20181100100%20186212+50
align="left" | {{rl|England}} Lionhearts201220200%201416102–86
align="left" | {{rl|Fiji}}201610100%20161226–14
align="left" | {{rl|FRA}}199510100%19953272–40
align="left" | {{rl|ITA}}200010100%2000666–60
align="left" | {{rl|JAM}}201010631{{#expr:6/10*100 round 2}}%2024238180+58
align="left" | {{rl|Japan}}19992110{{#expr:1/2*100 round 2}}%20002826+2
align="left" | {{rl|Lebanon}}20121100100%20123618+18
align="left" | {{rl|Serbia}}201910100%2019836–28
align="left" | {{rl|South Africa}}201110100%20112236–14
align="left" | {{rl|USA}}1993285221{{#expr:5/24*100 round 2}}%2024448914–466
class="sortbottom"

! Total

19935015331{{#expr:14/45*100 round 2}}%20249861,490–504

=World Cup=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
colspan=9|World Cup Record
Year

!Round

!Position

!{{Tooltip|Pld|Games played}}

!Win

!Draw

!Loss

{{flagicon|France}} 1954

|rowspan=11 colspan=11|did not enter

{{flagicon|Australia}} 1957
{{flagicon|England}} 1960
{{flagicon|Australia}} {{flagicon|New Zealand}} 1968
{{flagicon|England}} 1970
{{flagicon|France}} 1972
1975
{{flagicon|Australia}} {{flagicon|New Zealand}} 1977
1985–88
1989–92
{{flagicon|England}} 1995
{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby league}} {{flagicon|France}} 2000

|rowspan=6 colspan=11|did not qualify

{{flagicon|Australia}} 2008
{{flagicon|England}} {{flagicon|Wales}} 2013
{{flagicon|Australia}} {{flagicon|New Zealand}} {{flagicon|PNG}} 2017
{{flagicon|England}} 2021
{{flagicon|Australia}} 2026

=Colonial Cup=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
colspan=9|Colonial Cup record
width=150 |Year

! width=150 |Round

! width=50 |Position

! width=50 |GP

! width=50 |W

! width=50 |L

! width=50 |D

bgcolor=silver

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2010

Second place2/21010
bgcolor=silver

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} {{flagicon|USA}} 2011

Second place2/22110
bgcolor=silver

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|USA}} {{flagicon|CAN}} 2012

Second place2/22020
bgcolor=silver

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} {{flagicon|USA}} 2013

Second place2/24130
bgcolor="gold"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2014

Champions1/21100
bgcolor="gold"

|{{flagicon|USA}} 2015

Champions1/23210
bgcolor="silver"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} {{flagicon|USA}} 2016

Second place2/22020
bgcolor="silver"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2017

Second place2/21010
{{flagicon|USA}} 2024Draw1/21001
Total2 Titles9/9175111

=Caribbean Carnival Cup=

  • The Caribbean Carnival Cup is annual series that has been played between Canada and Jamaica since 2011.

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
colspan=9|Caribbean Cup record
width=150 |Year

! width=150 |Round

! width=50 |Position

! width=50 |GP

! width=50 |W

! width=50 |L

! width=50 |D

bgcolor="gold"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2011

Champions1/21100
bgcolor="gold"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2012

Champions1/21100
bgcolor="gold"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2013

Champions1/21100
bgcolor="gold"

|style="border: 3px solid red"|{{flagicon|CAN}} 2014

Champions1/21100
Total4 Titles4/44400

=Atlantic Cup=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
colspan=9|Atlantic Cup record
width=150 |Year

! width=150 |Round

! width=50 |Position

! width=50 |GP

! width=50 |W

! width=50 |L

! width=50 |D

{{flagicon|USA}} 2009rowspan=1 colspan=8| Not Invited
bgcolor=silver

|{{flagicon|USA}} 2010

Second place2/32110
Total0 Titles1/22110

See also

{{Portal|Sports|Canada}}

References

{{Reflist}}