Conache on target as Romania defeats Canada in men’s international rugby test

This article was last updated on November 10, 2025

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Rugby Canada was reminded Saturday just how hard it will be to break back into the second tier of men’s world rugby. Romania, ranked No. 21, defeated the No. 24 Canadians 31-21 in a Test match played in Bucharest.

Canada has qualified for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, after missing out for the first time in 2023 in France, but that has just as much to do about the fact that the World Cup tournament is being expanded to 24 teams from 20.

Graduates of the Pacific Pride Under-23 national development academy, which trains and plays out of Starlight Stadium and Goudy Field in Langford, are being worked into the Canadian lineup as Sam Miller in the front row and Kyle Tremblay at inside-centre made their first career starts for Canada.

There are 11 Pacific Pride graduates travelling with Canada, but that is as much also with an eye toward the 2031 World Cup in the United States.

Already making a major impact is Pacific Pride graduate Matthew Oworu, who earned his 15 cap Saturday by starting at No. 8.

The six-foot-two, 245-pound Victoria resident from Calgary, who began playing rugby in Zimbabwe before returning to Canada and training for five years with the Pacific Pride program in Langford, also plays sevens for Canada and brings a combination of speed and power.

The Canada-Romania match-up, meanwhile, is becoming a rivalry with the annual Test in Bucharest labelled the Cernavodă Cup, in honour of the two nation’s co-operation in the nuclear energy sector.

Romania won the first Cernavodă Cup last year by beating Canada 35-27 in Bucharest after Canada had beaten the Romanians 35-22 earlier in 2024 in Ottawa. Romania is 8-3 all-time against Canada.

“With the Cernavodă Cup at stake it’s a meaningful trophy and an important benchmark for where we want our game to progress,” said Canada head coach Stephen Meehan.

“Our objective remains clear — to advance our identity.”

Canadian tries came from Barnaby Waddell, Mason Flesch and Piers Von Dadelszen, with Peter Nelson making three conversions.

The Canadians played Saturday with a poppy sewn into the left arm of each jersey to commemorate Remembrance Day.

Canada continues its European tour against No. 11 Georgia next Saturday in Batumi and versus No. 20 Portugal on Nov. 22 in Coimbra, with those in the range of nations Canada needs to beat to crack the top 20 in the world rankings.

Also named to the roster for this month’s Tests are Callum Botchar and Austin Creighton from James Bay Athletic Association, Morgan Di Nardo from the University of Victoria Vikes and Victoria’s Josh McIndoe from the Castaway Wanderers.