![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/processed-98F28810-B772-4BC4-A104-62F62D549D61-1024x768.jpeg\")
Canada\u2019s Men\u2019s Rugby Team practices on June 3, 2026 at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton ahead of their World Cup tune-up game against Spain. (Matt Battochio, CityNews)<\/p>\nThe Canadian men\u2019s rugby team can take a page from its soccer counterpart in generating buzz for the biggest stage in their sport, says one of the rugby team\u2019s veterans.<\/p>\n
Canada plays the first of three rugby matches at home in July on Saturday against Spain at Edmonton\u2019s Clarke Stadium.<\/p>\n
The Canadians host Portugal in Edmonton on July 11 before facing Zimbabwe on July 18 at Winnipeg\u2019s Princess Auto Stadium.<\/p>\n
The matches are part of the Nations Cup, which is a new biennial competition featuring 12 countries already qualified for the 2027 Men\u2019s Rugby World Cup in Australia.<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s Men\u2019s Rugby Team practices on June 3, 2026 at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton ahead of their World Cup tune-up game against Spain. (Matt Battochio, CityNews)<\/p>\n
Saturday evening\u2019s match against Spain in Edmonton starts a few hours after the Canadian men\u2019s soccer team plays a round-of-16 knockout match against Morocco in Houston in the FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat our soccer team has done is amazing. They\u2019ve kind of created their own destiny, their own pride wearing a soccer jersey,\u201d said hooker Andrew Quattrin of Holland Landing, Ont.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a bit of that that we need to do. Our World Cup, in quotes, probably starts this Saturday, in terms of we need to make some buzz about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada fell short of a berth in the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and didn\u2019t participate for the first time in tournament history.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old Quattrin is among a handful of Canadian veterans who played in the 2019 World Cup in Japan.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/processed-E2127593-72BB-4FB1-9912-AF56F65FD0FE-1024x768.jpeg\")
Canada\u2019s Men\u2019s Rugby Team practices on June 3, 2026 at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton ahead of their World Cup tune-up game against Spain. (Matt Battochio, CityNews)<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that the team\u2019s qualified, I would say that there\u2019s a good energy among the crew,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing pretty fortunate to go to 2019, it\u2019s actually quite amazing because I don\u2019t think the guys really know what\u2019s in store yet<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I could just capture that experience in a bottle and just have a sip of it every six months when you\u2019re feeling down because it\u2019s just such a great experience, so amazing, you just want to live in that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently 25th in the world, Canada is the lowest-ranked team in this year\u2019s Nations Cup. Spain ranks 17th, Portugal 14th and Zimbabwe 24th.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s last-play penalty kick was enough to beat Canada 24-23 in Edmonton on July 18, 2025, and a week after the Canadians fell 25-18 to Belgium at Clarke Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur first game this week, we\u2019re playing Spain, and we have them in our pool at the World Cup,\u201d Quattrin pointed out. \u201cWe\u2019re playing a lot of teams that are, technically on points, considered better than us, so it\u2019s a good opportunity to just draw a line in the sand and see where we can compete.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to probably shock a lot of people, which is awesome. We\u2019ve got a tight-knit group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s head coach Stephen Meehan was recently granted a contract extension through to 2028 after navigating Canada to World Cup qualification last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A 34-20 upset of the United States last August in Calgary launched Canada\u2019s bid to return to the World Cup. The Canadians clinched it by reaching the semifinals of the Pacific Nations Cup in September.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Quattrin, who played last season for the French club Valence Romans, is among a handful of Canadians in a 32-player pool who have professional rugby gigs in Europe or the United States. There isn\u2019t a domestic pro league in Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably 60 per cent, 70 per cent of the squad works 40 hours a week and then has to hone their rugby skills,\u201d Quattrin said.<\/p>\n
The schedule for November\u2019s round of Nations Cup matches in Europe and Asia will be announced at a later date.<\/p>\n
Canada opens the 2027 World Cup on Oct. 4 against Argentina in Brisbane, Australia. Fiji joins Spain in Canada\u2019s pool.<\/p>\n
The 24-country tournament, expanding from 20 in 2023, concludes Nov. 13 in Sydney, Australia. Canada\u2019s best result historically was reaching the quarterfinals in 1991.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2026.<\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
Add CityNews Winnipeg as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/google-trusted-badge.png\"){kind=icon}