Canada men's rugby coach Stephen Meehan, right, will see the program through next year's World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.HO/The Canadian Press
With players spread around the globe, from Australia to Uruguay, just assembling his squad is a challenge for Canada men’s rugby coach Stephen Meehan.
Getting players released from their overseas clubs is just one of the issues the Australian faces. Jobs and school also have to be taken into account in some cases.
“We’re also competing against life ... the other conflicting priorities they have in their lives,” said Rugby Canada CEO Nathan Bombrys. “And the players aren’t necessarily doing it for the money. The players are really committing a lot to it but sometimes they are faced with a dilemma.
“I think Stephen’s creating an environment where the players enjoy the experience. They enjoy playing for Canada. They enjoy being together and creating an environment that we can build on. And they’re being challenged. They’re learning.”
Rugby Canada has rewarded Meehan with a contract extension, providing job security as he prepares the team for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Meehan’s existing deal expires at the end of the year. The extension announced Thursday runs through the end of 2028, covering the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“It’s exciting times in front of us,” said Meehan.
While Meehan’s record at Canada’s helm is just 1-8-0, it should be noted he inherited a team that had lost five straight and 10 of its last 12 tests. Meehan has also been on the hunt for new talent, both from inside the country and out.
“Your first 12 months anywhere are always challenging – in a different way,” he said. “You come in and everything is new.”
Canada's,Matt Oworu (centre) runs against Portugal in a 2025 test. Canada's men's rugby roster is often impacted by player availability, leaving patchwork rosters at times, which impacts its overall record.HO/The Canadian Press
There is more work to do in figuring out the talent available.
“I think we have a better understanding. I don’t think that we’re finished, that’s for sure,” said Meehan.
The Canadian men, ranked No. 24 in the world when Meehan officially took charge in April 2025, are now No. 25. But after missing out on the 2023 tournament, the team has made its way back to the World Cup. Canada has been drawn in Pool C in Australia along with No. 5 Argentina, No. 9 Fiji and No. 17 Spain.
Meehan will have a better sense of his talent pool by the end of the year, with nine matches on the Canadian schedule.
His intention is to have a handle on his 33-man World Cup roster by the end of the year, saying “probably a good result would be to know 28 of the 33 players.”
Expanded to 24 teams from 20, the World Cup features a new round of 16 – which doubles the chances of making it to the knockout stages,
There will now be six pools with four teams in each. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the round of 16, while the four best third-place teams will also progress.
At the last tournament, the top two from each of the four pools advanced to the quarter-finals.
Canada will target Spain next year, looking to become one of the third-place teams that get out of the group.
Canada's Cooper Coats (10) tries to break through Belgium's defence during a 2025 test in Edmonton.Jason Franson/The Canadian Press
The two teams are slated to meet next month in Edmonton as part of the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup. Canada will also get a look at Fiji in September when the two sides face off in a truncated four-team Pacific Nations Cup.
Spain needed a last-ditch penalty kick to edge Canada 24-23 last July in Edmonton.
The Canadian men will also host No. 14 Portugal and No. 24 Zimbabwe in July in Nations Cup play in Edmonton and Winnipeg, respectively.
In September, Canada will play No. 12 Japan in Niigata, the latest chapter in rugby rivalry that dates back to their first meeting in Vancouver in 1930. The Canadian men will also play Fiji and a third team, possibly the 16th-ranked U.S., in Asia in Pacific Nations Cup play.
Canada then heads to Europe in November to face No. 13 Georgia, No. 22 Romania and No. 23 Hong Kong.
Canada qualified for next year’s World Cup by reaching the semi-finals of the Pacific Nations Cup.
The six-team tournament sent three teams to the World Cup. With Fiji and Japan already pre-qualified by virtue of their performance at the 2023 tournament, the three best non-qualified teams secured an automatic berth in the 2027 field.
Canada became the 21st team to book its ticket to the World Cup when Japan defeated the U.S. 47-21 in Pacific Nations Cup play.
The Japan victory assured Canada of a World Cup berth, as well as a spot in the Pacific Nations Cup semi-finals where it lost 63-10 to Fiji.
Canada's Lucas Rumball (7) scores a try during a 2022 test against Spain in Ottawa.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Like the women, the Canadian men operate on a “one squad” philosophy with players moving between the sevens and 15s sides.
“We’re working toward an even better alignment,” said Bombrys. “We’ve got a number of players who have been capped in both.
“In Canada, we have good players, good athletes. They just need opportunity. And so by aligning sevens and 15s, we create more opportunities for the players.”
The women are a core team on the HSBC SVNS circuit, while the men are still trying to win their way back to the top tier.
While sides have yet to qualify for the 2028 Olympics, their path will be eased in regional qualifying by the fact that the U.S. gets an automatic berth as host country.
Meehan is expected to play a larger role with the sevens side, which finished out the 2025-26 season under interim coach Christiaan Esterhuizen.
Meehan has a lengthy coaching resume, having worked in Australia, France, England and Japan prior to Canada.
In October 2023, Meehan was named coach of the Toronto Arrows. But, before he landed in Canada, the Major League Rugby club folded after the sudden death of co-founder Bill Webb.
He previously coached in France with Toulon and Stade Français, England with Bath, Japan with Kintetsu Liners, and Australia with the Western Force and Queensland Reds.
He led Bath to the 2008 European Challenge Cup title.