The RFL
Canada back in the rugby league fold
History will be made this Saturday at Dealy Field in New Jersey when a Canadian representative team returns to Rugby League for the first time since 2001.
The Canadian Mounties XIII will join some of the best clubs from the USA’s AMNRL competition in the thirteenth annual War at the Shore tournament this weekend.
The event is traditionally a round robin between AMNRL clubs in the New England region however, for the first time, it will be played as a tournament structure which opened the door for the Canadians to join.
Drawing a New England representative side first up poses a difficult challenge for a team possessing only four players with previous Rugby League experience, but in true Canadian style, they have no plans just to make up the numbers, and will be trying to impress on American soil.
Canada Rugby League Technical director and Mounties XIII coach, Jamie Lester commented on the lead up , “Everybody is extremely excited to give it their best shot during the tournament”.
“We’ve had possibly the same difficulties everyone has had taking League to a new region but the guys who will take the field this Saturday are sure to do the Canadian jumper proud.”
Canada will play its first match at 12:15pm local time this Saturday and whilst no one is sure how successful the side might be, it is of greater importance that the game of rugby league is back in the country. Canada appeared in 2000 Emerging Nations World Cup staged in England.
