LONDON, Ont. - When the fourth World University Rugby Sevens Championships begin in Porto, Portugal, in July, the Western Mustangs will be well represented.
Rory Tomlinson (Alliston, Ont.), Ross Yellowlees (Vancouver, B.C.) and Matthew McLeod (Lindsay, Ont.) will be members of Team Canada for the event, held July 21-24. McLeod has been named team captain.
" It was a huge honour to be named captain of the team. I'm guessing that I'll be one of the older guys at the tournament. I've been lucky enough to play University Sports for the last seven years, and to Captain this team is one of my most proudest athletic achievements. We have a really exciting team this year."
While looking forward to the event, McLeod keeps a student's mentality on the tournament.
"Hopefully Ross, Rory and I can use the experience that we gain in Portugal to help UWO bring home a gold in 2010."
Western Mustangs men's rugby coach Steve Thomas had only the highest praise for the three.
" They're are all very mature individuals with large skill sets and they will be a massive asset to the team. Their athleticism ,commitment and rugby knowledge will be a great strength to the side and i am sure that they will all benefit from the tournament."
Canada will play in Pool D, with host country Portugal, as well as Kenya and Hungary. Canada's women's team will play in Pool B with Great Britain, Guam and Norway.
The tournament, sponsored by the Portuguese Rugby Association and the Academic University Sports Association, is intended to be a showcase of the top talent in university sports worldwide. The excitement surrounding the event has reached such heights in Portugal that it has been named a national event of public interest by the Portuguese government.
Attention like this is music to McLeod's ears.
" The tournament has grown a lot since it's inception, and this year the 24 team set up should provide for some great rugby and be the best world university championship yet. The talent and skill level at the tournament is really impressive and is a significant step up from anything we're exposed to in Canada, it's a great opportunity to measure up against some of the best student-athletes in the world."
Coach Thomas agrees.
" Rugby is becoming a global game and tournaments such as these will only help to expand the "Rugger" experience with other nations, form lasting relationships and build better individuals. Coverage of this fine sport is increasing and competitions such as this allow players to match skills ,knowledge and competitiveness against emerging rugby nations."
The matches will be held at Bessa XXI Stadium in Porto, the home stadium to Boavista FC, one of the oldest teams in Portugal. With a capacity of 28, 263 seats, the stadium most notably was one of the venues of the UEFA Euro 2004 soccer championships.
For results, tournament information and live streaming video of matches, visit the official site of Rugby Sevens 2010 at www.rugby2010.up.pt
