Episode 226: The Challengers

With the Conference Finals for MLR 2025 done, Stu & Jeff go over the performances of each team that were playing to make it to the Championship Final in Rhode Island...well, almost every performance.Attention then turns back to Canada for the 2025 edition of the coast to Coast Cup, and Head Coach Stepohen Meehan announces his training squad for the July test series in Edmonton.

The Conference Semi-Finals for MLR 2025 took place, as home advantage paid dividends to the four teams that advance to the Conference Finals. Stu & Ed go over the action, including some cracking tries, and some dubious calls from the TMO.Attention then turns towards Rugby Canada, who released their longlists for both the men's and women's senior XV training squads. For the men, we have the return of Evan Olmstead and Shane O'Leary, while the women have the returning Sophie de Goede looking to make an impact. The question now is who will Stephan Meehan and Kevin Rouet have in their upcoming matches, respectively?

Down in Nadi, Fiji, Canada participated in their 2 remaining matches of the Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge. Their match against Fiji was their biggest test, and a poor start to the match gave Fiji a huge lead going into the half. While Canada outscored the Fijians in the second-half, the hosts remained victorious. Canada's final match against Tonga saw them bounce back with a dominant win, as the Canadians finished the tournament in second.Back in North America, the 2025 MLR regular season has concluded. The lads look at the teams that made it to the playoffs, as they make their predictions for who will lift the Shield in Rhode Island.

The 2025 Pacific Four Series concluded in a unique way, with Canada and New Zealand tying their match, and relying on points difference to determine this year's champion. Despite Canada's best efforts against Australia, the Black Ferns ran rampant over the USA, as they claim the title, yet Canada remain undefeated in 2025.We also take a look at U20s fixtures, as the women conclude their friendly series in Ireland with a loss, and the men's began their Oceania U20s Men's Championship with a win over Samoa.

As the 2025 season of Major League Rugby has truly entered the business end, Stu and Jeff go over the performance of the Canadian players, as well as pondering why certain players are not even in the matchday 23, nevermind the starting 15.They also take a look at some results in the Shute Shield, as well as Tyler Duguid's heavily-rumoured decision to play for France this summer.Then, attention turns towards the Canadian women, as the U20s start off their friendly series against ireland with a win, and the Black Ferns look to pull out all the stops to reclaim their Pacific Four Series crown.

All the Canadian rugby action has been taking place in the United States this past weekend, and it looks as though the US is becoming the 11th province!On Friday, the Pacific Four Series kicked off in Kansas City, as Canada opened their defence of their PAC title against the Eagles. A tight, rusty affair had Canada blitz out in the final quarter of the game to take the victory, 26-14.On Saturday & Sunday, LA hosted the Championship final of the SVNS, with both Canadian teams taking part in different tournaments; the women were in the Championship pool, looking to become World Champions. Up against 2 of the ebst teams in the world, Canada fought back to make it to the Bronze final, beating the hosts to take a medal from the series.The men, meanwhile, were in the Relegation Pool...or were they? With a sudden change to next season's SVNS announced, the Men were now competing to appear in Division 2? Either way, despite their best efforts, the men came up short, and will have to go through this whole rigamarole again, in an aim to make the World Championships next season.True North, Strong & Free!

With the first match of the 2025 Pacific Four Series set to kick-off, the lads look at the rest of the games set to take place, changes to Canada's expanded squad, and the return of the legendary Portia Woodman-Wickliffe to the Black Ferns.

Both women's and men's sevens teams for Canada have been in action recently - the women have concluded the regular season of the SVNS series, while the men have finished within the top 4 teams of the Challenger Series.This means that in Los Angeles, both teams will be competing, yet in separate tournaments - the women will be competing for the Championship, to become the best team in the world, while the men will be in the Play-Offs, and rejoin the SVNS series next year.The lads then conclude with the recent goings on in Major League Rugby, including the location of the 2025 Grand Final!

In this episode Stu sits down with the two guys leading the Yukon Rugby Federation in Whitehorse - Charlie Feht, and Eric Fekete.Over the interview, they discuss Yukon Rugby’s unofficial beginnings in 2015, tours to Anchorage, becoming an affiliate of BR Rugby, and their plans to become the first Territory to take men’s and women’s rugby teams to the Canada Summer Games.

Down in South Africa, the Canadian Men's Sevens team has been taking part in the Challenger Series, as they seek to finish in the top 8, with a sight to return to the SVNS Series.Stu, Jeff, and Ed go over the team's progress over the first 2 rounds, both held in Cape Town, as well as discussing some broadcast issues with MLR, and some Canadians on the injury list.