By Kath 8/6/04
June 13 2005

English players Henry Paul, Pat Sanderson and Peter Richards are fresh from a 22-19 Twickenham final win over New Zealand on the weekend. Coach Jim Mallinder is looking forward to welcoming them to the squad as England prepares to defend it's Churchill Cup title.

 

 

 

Calgary, Alberta -- Young talent converges on Alberta to test their mettle against the top teams in the world.  As the Churchill Cup begins Canada and the US are anxious to take on two World Champions in the English Men and New Zealand Black Ferns.

 

Calgary and Edmonton, host cities for the Second Annual Churchill Cup have finalized preparations for consecutive action packed rugby filled weekends (June 12^th and 13^th in Calgary; June 19^th in Edmonton).

 

With the inclusion of the New Zealand Maori and Black Ferns in the competition, four nations are represented at the Test level (Canada, England, New Zealand, and USA).

 

Albertans Forrest Gainer and Colin Yukes will be on familiar soil when the Churchill Cup kicks off, and will be part of a 28-man Canadian men’s squad for the tournament in Calgary and their home city of Edmonton.

 

Gainer from the Sherwood Park Outlaws, currently studying at Trinity College, Dublin, is a sturdy prop with a nose for the try-line, while Druids’ lock Yukes was part of the Canucks’ 2003 World Cup squad.

The men’s captaincy for the Churchill Cup will be shared between Mark Lawson and Kevin Tkachuk as they lead a team which includes ten players who have competed in the National Sevens team this season. "We have a team who can run without giving up any physical presence," said National Men’s Coach Ric Suggitt.

The arrival of three of Emirates Airline London Sevens players for the English side would suggest the 15 man game between Canada and England scheduled for June 13 will be extremely fast-paced. English players Henry Paul, Pat Sanderson and Peter Richards are fresh from a 22-19 Twickenham final win over New Zealand on the weekend.  Coach Jim Mallinder is looking forward to welcoming them to the squad as England prepares to defend it's Churchill Cup title.

To add to the international flair of the event, Sky TV will cover New Zealand while the BBC will show England's Churchill Cup campaign live from Canada.  Rugby Football Union Commercial Director Paul Vaughan said: "This is a massive commitment to an exciting fledgling tournament now into its second year. June is a hugely busy time in sport especially with Euro 2004 and we would like to thank the BBC for their commitment to our sport."

Aside from the games, a number of other events and activities are planned - visit www.churchillcuprugby.com for further details