Following his side’s first training session at Broadstreet RFC on Monday in preparation for the 2011 Churchill Cup – kicking off this Saturday – Rugby Canada Head Coach Kieran Crowley is determined to build on last year’s success, which saw Canada make it all the way to the Cup final against England Saxons.

“We’re looking forward to it. We’ve got a lot of work to do in six days before our first game but it’s an exciting time with this tournament and then looking a bit further down the track so the guys have got a lot to play for.

“The Churchill Cup is a great tournament. It’s been critical for the development of rugby in Canada because we don’t get the level of Internationals games that other countries get and we don’t get the chance to get together as a group because of the distances, so the Churchill Cup has always been a primary competition for Canada. We’re treating it within its own right.

“Our hopes for this tournament are that we can build on last year, when we got to our first ever final in the tournament against England Saxons. This year it’s a different set of people and a different tournament – we have Italy A first up on Saturday who will be a real challenge for us.

"From a coaching perspective, we want to build on the way we play the game and ultimately, get some of our players noticed by overseas clubs.”

Rugby Canada open the 2011 Churchill Cup this Saturday 4 June at Franklin’s Gardens when they face Italy A, kickoff 9:30am Eastern, 6:30am Pacific. Following that game, England Saxons will take on the USA at Noon Easter, 9am Pacific