Canada's 2014 Home Schedule announced.

[LittleGuy]

Looks like a much lighter year on the home front for Canada(as was widely expected). There still might be room for a game in November though it looks less likely than last year, as AIG wants the full AB side to make a stop in the States, but who knows maybe the Maori will visit again <_< .

The two home games this year will be against Japan(was rumoured) and the already announced Scotland game. The Japan game will probably place in Burnaby though nothing has been confirmed yet, it is part of this year's PNC. Tickets for the Scotland game went on sale today which I thought was comically early I picked one up but it's a bit much to start selling tickets when you don't even have a kick off time announced, that being said hopefully it's an evening match I hate sweating my bag off in that Stadium which seems to reflect heat like crazy.


2014 Home Schedule.

June 7th. Kickoff 6:00 p.m. PDT

Canada vs. Japan, Pacific Nations Cup.
Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, British Columbia


June 14th. Kickoff 2:00 p.m EDT

Canada vs. Scotland, Test
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

 

[Draggs]

Wow that is incredibly early for tickets. Don't want to buy them yet but don't want to miss out.

 

[canadafan]

Willing to risk Canada vs Japan at BC place? If not, why have it in B.C.?

 

[norcalbuff]

I guess that makes the USA home schedule:

June 7th
Scotland in Houston

June 14th
Japan TBA

June 21
Canada TBA

If they were going to cut back on the PNC, they still at least should have had a final between the PI winner and the NH winner at the end of June. Nevermind that the drastic change in format after one year clearly shows the lack of foresight by the IRB.

 

[LittleGuy]

I guess that makes the USA home schedule:

June 7th
Scotland in Houston

June 14th
Japan TBA

June 21
Canada TBA

If they were going to cut back on the PNC, they still at least should have had a final between the PI winner and the NH winner at the end of June. Nevermind that the drastic change in format after one year clearly shows the lack of foresight by the IRB.

I agree, their should be a final's "day" held, where the respective pools face off against one another 1st playing 1st 2nd playing 2nd etc. The IRB is now kind of in a bind, the Tier One visits to North America are crucial for our funding but they screw up the schedule of the PNC dramatically. The rumour mill up here suggested we would play you guys there on the 21st as well, but there were hints we might have one more game in June on top of that as well.

@ Canadafan, I know Rugby Canada have been pushing for a game at BC place at some point but no one is budging on the turf. Don't think it's a huge deal for this particular game, I figure Japan is probably a draw for a crowd that will fit better into Swangard or Thunderbird better anyway.

 

[jonny24]

What's this about a PNC change up? No more round robin?

 

[norcalbuff]

I remember hearing somewhere that the length of the turf at BC Place was just short of what it needed to be. Given that the US played Russia at Allianz Park last month, the fact that it is turf on its shouldn't be a problem.

It probably wouldn't work for BC Place with the timing of MLS and CFL seasons, but another possibility for pitches with artificial turf would be to lay down a grass pitch beforehand like the USA 7s does in Vegas. Of course, they have plenty of time to do that because that stadium is unused at that time of year.

I think Seattle might be a good place to host a finals series for the PNC as it has a good sized PI population (and is cheap to get to from other US location with large PI populations), is close to the BC border and also has decent links with Japan from its Japanese baseball players over the years.

 

[norcalbuff]

What's this about a PNC change up? No more round robin?

Yeah, Samoa added and no round robin. PIs will play each other and USA/Can/Jap will play each other with a "possible" championship match in Europe in November 2014. It's farcical.

 

[LittleGuy]

I remember hearing somewhere that the length of the turf at BC Place was just short of what it needed to be. Given that the US played Russia at Allianz Park last month, the fact that it is turf on its shouldn't be a problem.

It probably wouldn't work for BC Place with the timing of MLS and CFL seasons, but another possibility for pitches with artificial turf would be to lay down a grass pitch beforehand like the USA 7s does in Vegas. Of course, they have plenty of time to do that because that stadium is unused at that time of year.

I think Seattle might be a good place to host a finals series for the PNC as it has a good sized PI population (and is cheap to get to from other US location with large PI populations), is close to the BC border and also has decent links with Japan from its Japanese baseball players over the years.

That was the very first test ever played on turf, it was also specially designed for rugby unlike our turf stadiums which are primarily for Canadian gridiron or FIFA approved for soccer. I do think the turf stigma will start to dissapear now that U.S.A. and Russia have played on it without a problem and we've held the ARC on turf in B.C. for the past couple of years, it's mostly about getting those teams and sanctioning bodies over the hump shall we say. I can't beleive the turf is too short at BC place, a CFL field(including end zones) is 150 yards long, well within Intenational rugby standards.

A neutral site championship game would be a bit of a lark, none of the neutral site games in the last few years has been well attended and with the dreadful pitches that some of the European teams have it's unlikely it could be used in a doubleheader type event with a Tier One side game afterwords.

I'm really wondering what Canada's potential 2nd extra game would be, maybe they are thinking of bringing over a lower ranked European side or something.

 

[norcalbuff]

I didn't mean the pitch dimensions. I meant the length of the "blades" of turf were too short. I may be mis-remembering it or it could be nonsense too, of course.

I also loathe the neutral site matches, except ones like the PIs in Auckland which would draw a good crowd. They're awful when they are played in front of 2000 people in North Wales.

The 2nd game could be another match against us if it's not one of the ENC sides.

 

[LittleGuy]

I didn't mean the pitch dimensions. I meant the length of the "blades" of turf were too short. I may be mis-remembering it or it could be nonsense too, of course.

I also loathe the neutral site matches, except ones like the PIs in Auckland which would draw a good crowd. They're awful when they are played in front of 2000 people in North Wales.

The 2nd game could be another match against us if it's not one of the ENC sides.

HAHA sorry, yeah now I can see what you mean, yeah it's very likely since the turf is primarily designed for CFL and MLS. Not much that can be done about that, it would cost even more to get proper turf than to just do as you suggest switch the turf to grass for a while. This has been done at Rogers Centre for soccer fairly recently.

Wouldn't shock me if we played the Eagles up here in a home and away type thing. The 4th game for Canada seemed to be about a 50-50 prospect if I sort of read between the lines correctly, I'd like to see it last year finally we had quite a few games 10 tests and an exhivition match, I'd hate to see us drop back down to only having 5-6 games this year.

 

[jonny24]

Just playing the US yet again makes the PNC kind of pointless...

 

[LittleGuy]

Just playing the US yet again makes the PNC kind of pointless...

Yep, agreed. The PNC is really nothing more than a glamourized normal June schedule for us this year.

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

Yeah, Samoa added and no round robin. PIs will play each other and USA/Can/Jap will play each other with a "possible" championship match in Europe in November 2014. It's farcical.

No Kidding! I just made a post on Rugby Canada's webpage stating this fact.... the whole thing is brutal and I am sick of the tier 2 country's not getting the respect they deserve! Really upset we aren't going to be playing any pacific nations this June!

 

[norcalbuff]

No Kidding! I just made a post on Rugby Canada's webpage stating this fact.... the whole thing is brutal and I am sick of the tier 2 country's not getting the respect they deserve! Really upset we aren't going to be playing any pacific nations this June!

The most frustrating thing about it to me is that the IRB clearly lacked any foresight with the PNC. They either failed to consider the travel and scheduling or they didn't have any long term plan for the tournament. We see this over and over again with IRB competitions for Tier 2 countries. It's not like they didn't have the Epsom Cup to look at previously, either. They also somehow still lack the understanding that neutral site tests are ****, even after 2 years of Mickey Mouse bull**** in North Wales.

 

[alexrugby]

Good luck Canada for tests

Good team to play and good team to watch

Match against Scotland will be something different, let us know if web-live will be available

 

[poopiepeople]

Might as well book June 14th off work now...

 

[LittleGuy]

Might as well book June 14th off work now...

Yeah I got my ticket for Christmas, I think they sold a bunch when they first went on and things have slowed a bit I expect it will pick up again in a couple of months sales wise. No confirmation on where the test on the 7th will be. Looking like an expanded CRC this year, everyone will play each other twice which is great news the unbalanced schedule was silly.

 

[poopiepeople]

I should also get out to some of those games this summer too...

 

[LittleGuy]

I should also get out to some of those games this summer too...

I haven't been in a few years since 09 or 10 I think, it's a good time, I can make it to Burlington or Oakville when they play there fairly easily but the CRC is a t a time of year where I'm super busy.