Kingsley Jones named as the new Head Coach of Canada’s Men’s
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Rugby Canada’s General Manager of Rugby Operations and Performance Jim Dixon announced that Kingsley Jones has been appointed Head Coach of Canada’s Men’s Fifteens Program, commencing in October.
Canada failed to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in the Americas 1 position earlier this summer, losing an aggregate two-game series to USA. Canada will now look to book their spot in the third largest sporting event in the world against Uruguay in a home-and-away series in early 2018.
Kingsley won 10 caps for Wales as a flanker between 1996-1998 and also played professionally for Worcester Warriors, Glasgow, Gloucester, Pontypridd and the highly esteemed Barbarians.
Following his retirement in 1998, Jones began coaching professionally full time. Over the last 14 years he has amassed international test match experience as Head Coach of Russia, along with the Pro12 and eight years in the English Premiership, attaining silverware in both Premiership and European tournaments.
Canada’s Men’s Team is set to face the New Zealand Maori All Blacks in Vancouver on November 3 in a highly-anticipated contest.
Canada will then fly to Europe for their annual November tour, where they’ll face Georgia, Spain and Fiji (details TBD). Along with World Rugby ranking points, these test matches are crucial for helping Canada prepare for a busy 2018, which includes the qualifying series against 18th ranked Uruguay.
The winner of that qualifying series books their spot in Pool D, as the Americas 2 entrant in Japan in 2019 and will face Australia, Wales, Georgia, Fiji while the loser will have one last chance to qualify in the repechage in 2018 to join New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and Africa 1 in Pool B.
