TORONTO — Wearing the Maple Leaf is a labour of love for the Canada Wolverines.
It also comes with a cost, with players paying their own way for a camp and international rugby league test match against Jamaica in Toronto. English-born prop Louis Robinson dug into his pocket for a return flight from London.
That price of admission was worth it Saturday as the Wolverines defeated Jamaica 28-6, rallying to run in six tries after falling behind 6-0 at Lamport Stadium. It was the first game for the Canadian men since a 16-16 tie with the U.S. in March in Las Vegas.
Captain Blake Mahovic said the Canadians weathered the early storm from a physical Jamaican side.
"We knew that there was going to come a time where our systems were going to take over and we were going to pull ahead," said Mahovic, who quarterbacks the Canadian team from his halfback position. "But we had to get through that initial battle. They really gave it to us. They ran hard all game.
"Hats off to my boys for being able to keep their composure and play at the end some of the best rugby league I've seen in Canada over the last few years."
Mahovic led the way Saturday, scoring one try and setting up two more with accurate kicks.
"Blake is our captain for a reason … The cross-field kicks that he executed, that's professional level," said Canada coach Aaron Zimmerle, who flew in from Australia for the game. "That's what goes on in the NRL (Australia's National Rugby League) and (England's) Super League."
Rugby league is the lesser-known rugby code, often overshadowed by rugby union outside of league strongholds in Australia and the north of England. Rugby league is a physical 13-a-side game that features punishing forward play and artistic attacks by elusive backs.
The 32-year-old Mahovic, who moved to Canada from the northwest of England eight years ago, is co-owner of The Backyard bar in Squamish, B.C. He is also a high school mathematics and special ed teacher.
"Originally (it was) just a bit of change of scenery," he said of coming to Canada. "I was only meant to be here for six months and then fell love with the place and never left."
At club level, he plays rugby league for the Whistler Wolves and union for the Axemen Rugby Club. In England, he played rugby league for Egremont Rangers.
The Canadian team Saturday drew from Ontario and B.C., with the exception of Robinson. Zimmerle can also call on some Australian players with Canadian heritage.
The English-born Robinson, who qualifies for Canada because his grandfather was originally from Ottawa, did not get to play against Jamaica after suffering a concussion in an East-West trials game Tuesday. On the plus side, he got to meet some family for the first time, including his 86-year-old grandfather, prior to coming into the Canada camp.
The 33-year-old Robinson, who played for the London Skolars and now wears the colours of the Southern Conference League's Wests Warriors, first played for Canada in 2011.
"I still enjoy playing rugby," said Robinson, who works in software sales in London. "I'll play it as long as I can."
The Canadian men helped defray the costs for their trip to Vegas earlier this year, each paying between $1,500 and $2,000. The 22-person contingent — 18 players, three coaches and a team manager — included a plumber, welder, personal trainer, wildlife researcher, systems integration consultant, IT specialist, swing-stage rigger, tool-and-die maker, two truck drivers, four teachers and five university/college students.
Zimmerle was born in Surrey, B.C., to a Canadian mother and Australian father, moving to Australia when he was 10.
He went on to play semi-pro, spending time in the reserve grade with the Penrith Panthers organization and then in the regional Queensland Cup and New South Wales Cup.
Today he is a teacher at Palm Beach Currumbin State High School on the Gold Coast. Known for its Sports Excellence program, the school has won several national championships and produced more than 50 NRL players.
While his travel costs were paid for, thanks to help from the International Rugby League, the sport's world governing body, Zimmerle leaves Canada a little poorer.
He challenged his middle forwards to score against Jamaica, with $100 as the prize. He lost that bet with 16 seconds remaining, with the Canadians playing a man down due to injury after having used all their bench.
The Canadian men are headed back to Vegas early next year for another match. But the road to the Rugby League World Cup is currently blocked.
After series of setbacks, the 2025 World Cup is now being held in 2026 with Canada denied a shot at one of the two remaining berths in the 10-team field. Instead, the final two competing teams will come from the 2025 World Series inter-confederation qualification tournament featuring the 10th-ranked Cook Islands, No. 18 Jamaica, No. 28 South Africa and the winner of a European qualifying tournament (consisting of No. 8 France, No. 11 Serbia, No. 17 Wales and No. 20 Ukraine).
Canadian officials have been told to build their domestic game.
"What we need to do is we need to use this time to prepare for the best of our ability," said Zimmerle, opting to see the glass half-full.
The Canada men are currently rated 41st in the world, a ranking largely due to lack of activity although Canadian officials have appealed the ranking given they tied the 31st-ranked U.S. last time out,
The eighth-ranked Canadian women, known as the Ravens, have taken part in two World Cups already and head to Jacksonville, Fla., in November for the first round of women’s World Cup qualifiers.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2024
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
