Forward Mason Flesch will lead Canada against No. 9 Fiji in Sunday’s Pacific Nations Cup rugby semifinal in Commerce City, Colo.
The 25-year-old from Cobourg, Ont., has been named captain for the remainder of the tournament with skipper Lucas Rumball and vice-captain Ben LeSage both injured.
“Being given the responsibility to lead the team, lead all my best mates … that means a lot, and we are up for the challenge,” said Flesch, who will earn his 16th cap Sunday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
The game is the first for the 24th-ranked Canadian men since they secured qualification to the 2027 World Cup in Australia by virtue of No. 13 Japan’s 47-21 win over the 19th-ranked U.S. last Saturday in Sacramento, Calif.
The six-team Pacific Nations Cup sends three teams to the World Cup but the qualifying path has been eased by the fact that Fiji and Japan had pre-qualified by virtue of their performance at the 2023 World Cup. Canada missed out on the 2023 tournament for the first time after losing qualifying series to the U.S. and Chile.
No. 16 Tonga, which has also punched its World Cup ticket, faces Japan in the other semifinal Sunday while the 19th-ranked U.S. takes on No. 14 Samoa in the fifth-place game with a World Cup berth on the line.
Canada finished second in Pool B after beating the U.S. Eagles 34-20 on Aug. 22 in Calgary and losing 57-15 to Japan on Aug. 30 in Sendai.
“The team has had valuable time together here in Denver since our match against Japan,” Canada coach Steve Meehan said in a statement. “Players and coaches have been working hard on improving our performances with each game we play and we all want to come away with a performance that we are proud of.
“We’re confident in the preparation we have been putting in and the work rate from the players has been commendable. Fiji provides another good challenge for our team that we are looking forward to.”
Fiji topped Pool A by defeating Tonga 32-10 and Samoa 29-15.
Canada is 3-9-0 all-time against Fiji and has lost seven of the last eight meetings with the Pacific Islanders.
Canada’s last win was a 20-18 decision in Ottawa in June 2013 in Pacific Nations Cup play. The two previous victories came in 1991 (at the World Cup) and 1995.
Flesch shifts from the second row to the back row, slotting in at blindside flanker while Sion Parry moves over to fill Rumball’s spot at openside flanker. Callum Botchar replaces Flesch at lock, making his first career start for Canada.
Noah Flesch, Mason’s younger brother, slots in at centre for LeSage to earn his seventh cap.
Izzak Kelly, Brock Gallagher and Talon McMullin are among the replacements, making the match-day roster for the first time at this year’s Pacific Nations Cup.
Kainoa Lloyd also starts on the bench, set for his first appearance since facing Brazil in November 2023.
Sunday’s game is the fifth for Meehan in charge. The Australian, who took over after former Wales captain Kingsley Jones stepped down in December after seven years at the helm, is 1-3-0 as Canada coach with losses to No. 15 Spain (24-23) and No. 22 Belgium (25-18) in July in Edmonton.
The Pacific Nations Cup is sponsored by Asahi.
Canada Roster
Calixto Martinez, White Rock, B.C., Old Glory DC (MLR); Dewald Kotze, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Cole Keith, Sussex, N.B., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Piers Von Dadelszen, Vancouver, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Callum Botchar, Vancouver, NOLA Gold (MLR); Mason Flesch (capt.), Cobourg, Ont., Chicago Hounds (MLR); Siôn Parry, Cardiff, Wales, Ebbw Vale RFC (Wales); Matt Oworu, Calgary, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Jason Higgins, Cork, Ireland, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Peter Nelson, Dungannon, Northern Ireland, Dungannon RFC (Northern Ireland); Josiah Morra, ɫɫ, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Spencer Jones, Cambridge, New Zealand, Utah Warriors (MLR); Noah Flesch, Cobourg, Ont., Chicago Hounds (MLR); Nic Benn, Caves Beach, Australia, Utah Warriors (MLR); Shane O’Leary, Cork, Ireland, Miami Sharks (MLR).
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Jesse Mackail, Palmerston North, New Zealand, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Emerson Prior, Brockville, Ont., Utah Warriors (MLR); Conor Young, Yamba, Australia, RFC LA (MLR); Izzak Kelly, White Rock, B.C., Capilano RFC; Matt Heaton, Godmanchester, Que., RFC LA (MLR); Brock Gallagher, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Talon McMullin, White Rock, B.C., UBC; Kainoa Lloyd, Mississauga, Ont., United Rugby Sports Club (New Zealand).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.
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