Sunday afternoon’s match at BC Place will temporarily become the epicentre of Canadian rugby, with Les Rouge taking on former Rugby World Cup quarter-finalists Japan in the first round of the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup.
Canada arrived in Vancouver in July off the back of an impressive win over Romania in their 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifier, a performance that scrumhalf Jason Higgins felt gave his team a glimpse of what they are capable of.
“Romania was a big win for us. It was incredible. Again, there’s so much to build on from there and we’re trying to figure out what our style is and how we can dominate teams. We have that physicality and we’re just trying to add layers to it.
“We created a lot, we know we won the game, but we missed a lot of opportunities. Just being hard on ourselves can help us be more clinical. We’re good enough to create those opportunities, so now it’s time to take them. That’s our next evolution as a team.
Born in Cork, Ireland, Higgins attended Christian Brothers College (CBC), a competitive Munster school system, before moving on to AIL, Cork’s constitutional college.
During this time at Cork Con, the 29-year-old decided to obtain a Canadian passport through his Montreal-born father, a process that would be the first step in what would be a very productive five-year North American adventure to date.
“My father was born in Montreal and I played in the All-Ireland League (AIL) for Cork Constitution in Ireland to obtain a Canadian passport.
“Then I got a call from the Toronto Arrows, a Canadian professional team at the time, and I started getting excited about the opportunity.
“So I came to Toronto and started playing there, and from there I got picked up by the Canadian selection committee.
“One thing led to another and I started playing in Canada. The rest is history.”
His path to becoming a Canadian representative wasn’t a simple one from A to B. Like many around the world, Higgins saw his plans curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, Toronto wasn’t his first choice as a club, having signed with the now-defunct Rugby New York.
“I originally signed with New York, which was fun because they were talking to scouts like Munster and Leinster.
“They just saw me playing in the AIL and put my name on the line, but that season got cut short early due to COVID.”
Now seemingly out of luck, Higgins used his newly acquired Canadian passport, which became his ticket back to the MLR.
“I was talking to them and I mentioned that I also have a Canadian passport and they put me in touch with Toronto. So it was a long journey.
“So ultimately, I never really played in New York, but that’s why I came to Toronto, and Toronto is the reason I started playing in Canada. So it’s all connected.”
Now in his fifth season in the MLR and with his fourth team, Higgins is well placed to comment on the growth of the competition and its impact on North American rugby.
Mimicking other major American sports leagues, MLR uses a draft system to distribute top college talent throughout the league to create equity. Clearly, this process has paid dividends, with the most recent season running through to completion.
“I’ve seen it grow tremendously. And for me, it’s a more physical league compared to AIL. It’s an incredibly physical league.
“I spoke to Chris Robshaw (former England captain) in San Diego and I asked him how it compares to the Premiership. He said, ‘To be honest, I think it’s just as physically demanding as the Premiership.’ You know, these are big guys who work hard.
“The skill level has gone up a lot. There are a lot of really good players in the league now, a lot of good international players coming in, and it’s just raising the bar. You can see how much more competitive the league has been this year. Every team had a chance to win.
“Previously, we could pick the top two from each category to go, but this year, I felt the competition was a lot tougher.”
While the MLR as a whole continues to grow stronger, the disappointing dissolution of Canada’s only club remains a sore spot for fans north of the border. Given the amount of talent coming out of Canadian rugby, Higgins believes the return of a Canadian MLR team would be a huge boost for the sport as a whole.
“There’s a lot of talent in Canada, and when the Toronto Arrows were there they were a great resource for us, and everyone there really enjoyed their time there.
“(Having a Canadian team) would be great. There are so many Canadians supporting the league across the United States. If we can all come together and form a more unified unit, it would only help Canadian rugby.”
The scrumhalf turned his attention back to the upcoming PNC, feeling the tournament offered a huge opportunity in the short and long term.
“It’s really important that there are more games.
“We need to play more rugby and invest time into getting better, so this competition allows us to play against the best. All these teams are really good rugby teams and the only way we can get better is by playing the teams that are higher ranked than us and getting to their level and continuing that climb.
“I have been working in Canada for four years now, and for the first two or three years I was tested four or five times a year, and this year that number has doubled.
“So it’s huge for us. We’ve already had the July Test, so when we get back together it’s easier to build on the progress we made in July. The short break between matches and other things allows us to really develop. So the PNC is huge, it’s an exciting tournament that we’re really looking forward to.
“Every game is going to be huge and we obviously want to win.
“Winning is everything, and there are strong opponents there, so the performance is what counts because it’s all about building towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“We’re going to fight for every win and every inch, but progression is key, and we want to see improvement every time we step out on that pitch.”
Now in its 17th season, the PNC feels like it has found the perfect combination of a historic rivalry, a consistent schedule and mass appeal with a loyal fan base.
Given the diversity of teams participating, picking a key game schedule is a difficult task, but as expected, the Canadiens are considering their first two opponents first.
“To be honest, every game is huge for us because every game is an opportunity for us to show what we can do and improve. So every game is really huge.
“Of course, the USA game is going to be the one people are talking about because 70% of our squad plays in the MLR. We all know the USA guys pretty well, so it’s going to be a cautious fight, but it’s definitely something to look forward to. But Japan this weekend at BC Place is going to be a big game, so I’m really excited about that.”
Canada kick off their campaign at 2pm BST on Sunday, with all Pacific Nations Cup matches available to watch live for free on RugbyPass TV.
