VANCOUVER – Rugby Canada announced Thursday the senior men’s national team will host New Zealand’s Maori All Blacks at B.C. Place Stadium on November 3.
The match will be the second men’s fifteens match to be played on the venue’s artificial turf, however the popular sevens tournament has been hosted there the last two years.
The Maori All Blacks are separate from the senior All Blacks. All players must have their Maori ancestry confirmed in order to represent the side.
The announcement comes less than a week after Canada axed head coach Mark Anscombe following a disastrous 52-16 loss to the United States in World Cup qualifying.
The Canadians, ranked No. 23 in the world, have another chance to qualify for the 2019 tournament in a home and away series with No. 18 Uruguay early next year.
“The Maori All Blacks are one of the most iconic and recognizable franchises in the world,” Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen said in a statement. “We can’t wait to play them in front of some of Canada’s most passionate rugby fans.”