Saturday, July 11, 2026 (Edmonton, Alberta) – Following a thrilling 42-42 draw against Spain last weekend, Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team fell 38-14 to Portugal, ranked 15th in the world, on Saturday night in Edmonton. 

Canada opened the scoring and trailed by just five points at halftime, but four unanswered tries from Portugal in the opening 15 minutes of the second half put the match out of reach. 

“Today’s performance fell well short of the standards we set for ourselves and the expectations we had going into the match,” said Head Coach Stephen Meehan. “We started positively, with a strong set piece and a well-worked opening try, but errors in possession and key moments allowed momentum to shift away from us, and we were unable to respond effectively.” 

BACK-AND-FORTH BATTLE IN THE FIRST HALF 
Portugal threatened early in the sixth minute when winger Vincent Pinto broke down the edge of the pitch. Canada’s Peter Nelson produced a crucial try-saving tackle, and Portugal knocked the ball on in contact to relieve the pressure on Canada. 

The red and white struck first in the 18th minute when the ball was moved wide to Kyle Tremblay on the wing. Tremblay beat his defender before offloading to Takoda McMullin in support, with McMullin crossing under the posts. Nelson added the conversion to give Canada a 7-0 lead. 

Canada continued to apply pressure midway through the half and came within centimetres of the try line in the 24th minute, but a knock-on at the ruck ended the attacking opportunity. 

Portugal responded in the 29th minute with their first try of the match. The conversion was missed, leaving Canada narrowly ahead 7-5. The visitors seized the momentum in the 37th minute, scoring their second try of the half. This time, the conversion was successful to give Portugal a 12-7 halftime lead. 

PORTUGAL SCORE FOUR IN THE SECOND HALF 
Portugal extended its advantage just over a minute into the second half with another try, increasing their lead to 19-7. 

The visitors added their fourth try of the match in the 47th minute after Canada was penalized at the scrum. The ball was moved quickly to the wing, where Portugal scored in the corner to make it 24-7. Tries in the 51st and 54th minutes capped a dominant opening 15 minutes after the break, extending Portugal’s lead to 38-7. 

Canada scored its second try late in the match when Spencer Jones broke through the defensive line before kicking ahead down field. Brock Gallagher won the race to the ball and grounded it for the try. The score brought the final margin to 38-14 in favour of Portugal 

WORDS FROM HEAD COACH STEPHEN MEEHAN 
“While the result is disappointing, it gives us added determination heading into Winnipeg. Our focus now is on preparing as thoroughly as possible, addressing the areas that let us down, and ensuring we represent Canada with pride in front of our supporters. We showed glimpses of the rugby we are capable of playing, and our challenge is to deliver that level consistently from the opening whistle.” 

“There were also encouraging signs from our debutants and younger players, who embraced their opportunities and gave everything for the team. Canada has a wealth of emerging talent, and it is important that we continue to provide those players with opportunities and find ways to work with them consistently.” 

CANADIAN MILESTONES 
Four players made their Canadian debuts on Saturday. Daragh Doyle and Jacob Ince, who were named in the previous week’s matchday squad but did not come off the bench, each earned their first caps. They were joined by UBC Thunderbird and BC Bears vs. Ontario Blues series standout Cody Nhanala, along with fellow Thunderbird Liam James. 

Starters Piers von Dadelszen and Izzak Kelly each earned their 15th caps, while Dewald Kotze, who came off the bench in the second half, also reached the 15-cap milestone. 

CANADA SCORING SUMMARY    
Tries:  Takoda McMullin (18’), Brock Gallagher (78’) 
Conversions:  Peter Nelson (2)  

NEXT FOR CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM 
Tonga vs Portugal 
Saturday July 18, 2026 
3:45pm CDT / 1:45pm PDT / 4:45pm ET 
Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg 

Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team vs Zimbabwe 
Saturday July 18, 2026 
7:00 pm CDT / 5:00pm PDT / 8:00pm ET 
Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg 

Buy your tickets now at ticketmaster.ca.  

CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM’S MATCH DAY ROSTER VS PORTUGAL 
1. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC (13 caps) 
2. Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / US Carcassonne (30 caps) 
3. Cole Keith (Sussex NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / Doncaster Knights (45 caps) 
4. Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) – Meralomas / New England Free Jacks (14 caps) 
5. Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / SL Benfica (14 caps) 
6. Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds (21 caps) 
7. Evan Olmstead (Vancouver, BC) – Lindfield Rugby Club / SU Agen (35 caps) 
8. Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC (17 caps) 
9. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution (28 caps) 
10. Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC (36 caps) 
11. Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Peñarol Rugby (12 caps) 
12. Josh McIndoe (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / UVIC Vikes (1 cap) 
13. Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) – Hamilton Old Boys (15 caps) 
14. Kyle Tremblay (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC (5 caps) 
15. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Bayside RFC (6 caps) 
 
FINISHERS  
16. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves (14 caps) 
17. Sam Miller (Mount Denson, NS) – Valley Rugby Union / Benfica SL (5 caps) 
18. Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) – Winnipeg Wombats / Hunter Wildfires (6 caps) 
19. Daragh Doyle (Quebec City, QC) – Clontarf FC (0 caps) 
20. Cody Nhanala (Ottawa, Ontario) – University of British Columbia (0 caps) 
21. Brock Gallagher (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC (13 caps) 
22. Liam James (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia / UBCOB Ravens (0 caps) 
23. Jacob Ince (Oakville, ON) – Guelph Gryphons / Taranaki Rugby (0 caps) 

SUPPORT RUGBY CANADA 
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