Canadian men defeat Romania in rugby test match in Ottawa

Chalk one up for the home team and a hometown kid.

Conner Keys of nearby Stittsville, Ont., fell for rugby back in 2006 when he watched Canada play Scotland in an A match at Twin Elm Rugby Park back in 2006. Now he plays for Canada and was home to play for his country for the first time.

Canada had an impressive response Friday night at Ottawa's TD Place as they downed Romania 35-22 but that wasn't the case a week ago.

Last Saturday, Canada fell to Scotland 73-12 as the Scots retained claim of the Douglas JL Horn Cup in the decisive romp.

"I don't know if there's any words to describe it really. A test match is a test match for a reason. You go out and do your best, but to get a win like that feels awesome. I can't put it into words really," Keys said.

"This whole two weeks has just been awesome. I played for a couple of clubs here in Ottawa, so I'm pretty fortunate to have such a good community here in Ottawa getting behind it. I love it and I couldn't be a happier guy right now."

It was the first of two test matches in Ottawa for the Canadian side who will next face Japan in Vancouver on Aug. 25 and then the United States in Los Angeles on Aug. 31 in the Pacific Nations Cup.

The two Ottawa summer fixtures will give Canada's roster a sense of where they stand as they begin their path to qualification for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

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