For the first two weeks of April, three current Saint George’s students went on tour with the Under 18 National Rugby Team. Canada was set to participate in the U-18 European Championships in Quimper, France.

Jack Scher (12), Noah King (12) and Samuel Sirlin (11) departed April first to Toronto to regroup with the team and begin a four-day training camp before leaving to Europe. Each province was represented on the squad with most players residing in British Colombia or Ontario.

“Toronto was a great opportunity to catch up with all the guys, hadn’t seen most of them for a few months.” Says Jack Scher ,”with teammates coming from all over the country, its pretty hard to get a good team gel without time before the tournament.”

After the camp the boys got ready to head to France. On April 4^th the team began the lengthy commute that consisted of two flights and a eight hour bus ride.

The tournament started with a tough challenge against Georgia, the second best ranked team in the tournament. Both Samuel Sirlin and Jack Scher started in the Canada’s first test. Georgia is a rugby nation that prides itself on aggression and it was very evident in the game. In the end the Canadians held tough; however, the game was still lost 43-3.

Belgium was the next test for the well-rested Canadian side. Again two Saints’ boys started, this time Jack Scher and Noah King. The Canadian side put the pressure on early, keeping Belgium on their heels. The lineout, which did not work in the first game, showed improvement like aspects of open play. It was a lack of discipline that became Canada’s downfall. Five yellow cards had the Canadian side shorthanded for a majority of the match. In the end, Belgium came out with the 18-0 victory.

The final game of the Canadian tournament was against The United States. This rivalry is one of the fiercest in international rugby.

“Playing against our rival The United States is going to be challenging,” Sam Sirlin states, “we are going to have to play better than ever before.”

As the team arrived at the field the atmosphere was electric. After two games the team showed signs of embracing the pressure as apposed to creating anxiety. The composure showed on the field as the Canadians ran their game to a tee. Although the Canadians did not score a try in the first half, they remained calm and continued to execute. The kick-off for the second half brought the first Canadian try of the tournament. After retaining possession, a brilliant offload from Victoria’s Jim Newman led to a try in the corner. At the Final whistle, Canada prevailed, 13-12.

Although not the best result, the Canadians have much promise for the future. The three Saints’ boys Jack, Noah and Sam are all very excited to come back to the School team for the upcoming CAIS tournament.