Local trio named to national rugby team

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

HEADING TO FIJI - Rowan Class, Andrew Neveu and Cole Harris have all been chosen to be members of the Canadian U20 Men’s Rugby Team. Here they accept a $1,000 cheque from councillor Willie Popp and Mayor Dave Barton; the funds will go towards travelling to the Oceania rugby tournament in Fiji in June. Photo by John Cavers

Three young Uxbridge residents will be representing Canada on the international stage in June as members of the national men's Under-20 rugby team.

Rowan Closs, Cole Harris and Andrew Neveu are all former members of the Uxbridge Secondary School Tigers and the Durham Lords rugby team at Durham College.

Jim Closs, who coaches at the Brock rugby club and is Rowan's father, said the three were invited to trials in Vancouver in February and all were named to the Under-20 team. Prior to that, Rowan and Cole attended a development academy called Pacific Pride in Victoria, and were also members of Canada's Under-18 squad.

"There's never been a time when three guys from the same town were on the same team at the same time," Closs said. He noted that Uxbridge's Amber Edgerton has made the women’s national team, being named to the women's Under-20 squad.

Playing together for the USS Tigers and Brock Rugby Club in Sunderland since 2019, the three won multiple LOSSA championships and earned silver and bronze finishes at OFSAA. With the Durham College Lords, they won OCAA bronze. They also won a National U-19 Championship with Ontario in 2024.

Closs said the three will attend training camp on Vancouver Island from May 11-21, and then head for Fiji on May 22 for the Oceania rugby tournament in June, where they will face such powerhouses as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Edgerton and the women's team will be headed to Ireland.

Noting that the trip will be expensive (Closs figured it will cost each player at least $5,000 for the Fiji trip) Closs has started a GoFundMe fundraiser for the players. He said Monday that the fund has raised over $9,000 so far. On Tuesday, the players met with Mayor Dave Barton, who presented them with a $1,000 donation from the Mayor's Golf Fund. Those interested in helping can visit gofundme.com/f/3-tigers-on-tour-for-canada