A terrace rugby player has journeyed overseas as the youngest member of Team Canada for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Haydn Evans travelled across the Atlantic to the Isle of Man, located between England and Northern Ireland, to take part in the Games held Sept. 7 – 13.
Canada’s rugby team came fifth in the Games, which hosted eight rugby teams from across the Commonwealth.
It was the first time the sport of rugby was included in the Games, and Evans said it was a fantastic tournament.
“It was just great to be playing at that level of rugby, and we got to play against some amazing teams like South Africa and Australia,” he said.
The Games hosted the sport in the form of rugby sevens, where teams are made up of seven players instead of 15, and matches are shorter.
Coach for the team, Jeff Williams, said the experience was a bit of an unknown for everyone, and a stepping stone for rugby in Canada.
One reason he explained for that is how it exposed young athletes to international competition.
“This is the first time there has ever been a tournament like this in this age group,” he said.
Williams added he was very happy with Evans’ performance at the Games, calling him a consistent player, with a bright future in rugby.
“He was actually one of our more physical guys, we were really impressed,” he said.
Evans currently plays rugby for his school, Shawnigan Lake, located on Vancouver Island.
Next up for the 16-year-old will be the rugby high school world cup, to be held in Japan this June, where Shawnigan Lake is set to represent Canada.