The bulk of the Canadian senior men's team has arrived in Ottawa to begin preparations for this coming weekend's opening round of the Barclays Churchill Cup.
With the west coast players meeting the Ontario and East coast based players in Toronto, the group made the one hour journey to the Nation's Capital with no problems - and went about the business of getting gear and themselves onto the waiting motor coach.
Ottawa native Stu Ault was returning from a Saturday match in Toronto, one of several players on the team that had played in a win by Ontario over touring Leicestershire County. He is excited at the prospect of pulling on the Canadian team strip at Twin Elm, the park where he developed his love for rugby.
"It's always a dream to play in front of friends and family and I am real excited to be given the opportuntity to be part of this team," said Ault, who has been on a long road to recovery following hip surgery earlier in the year. "With the new coach and new players this team is starting on a clean slate and I am excited to see what we can do."
Ryan Smith arrived from France, where he plays for Top 14 side Montauban. He is keen to get to work and play for Canada for the first time since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
"I am in tip top shape, touch wood, and looking forward to getting started," said Smith.
The remainder of the team arrives from Europe late Sunday and on Monday, including players from this weekend's Scotland Sevens, as well as players such as James Pritchard and Ed Fairhurst from England's National Division One.