Every team sport has its usual suspects at the top.
Hockey has Canada, Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Baseball the U.S. and Japan, while cricket has India, Australia, England and the rest of the lads.
Because of cultural history, these rankings tend to remain static.
The International Rugby Board, however, wants to avoid such atrophy and senses a big opening to grow beyond its traditional base of Great Britain, France and the Southern Hemisphere triumvirate of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
An IRB priority has been to grow the game in the so-called second-tier nations and it has thrown considerable funding toward that goal. Thats what the Americas Rugby Championship at Westhills Stadium [formerly Bear Mountain Stadium] is about.
The tournament opens Friday with the U.S. and Argentina playing at 5:30 p.m., followed by Canada and Uruguay at 7:30 p.m. Other doubleheaders take place Tuesday and Oct. 20 at the Langford facility, which is home to the Rugby Canada Centre of Excellence.
Of the four countries involved, world No. 8 Argentina is the lone top-line rugby nation. Canada is currently No. 13, the U.S. 17 and Uruguay 21.
Our goal is to produce ever more competitive World Cups, said tournament director Tom Jones, the IRB general manager for North America and the Caribbean.
This is money well spent by the IRB to help these [national] unions grow.
Each of the four countries has sent national sides composed of their top domestic-based players virtually all their best players not playing for pro clubs in Europe.
This is the chance for young players to establish themselves on the international scene as they look to cement their roles on their senior national teams, said Jones.
These are the players you will be seeing in future World Cups and Olympics.
It is the latter inclusion of sevens, beginning at the 2016 Rio Summer Games, that has helped make rugby a trending sport.
The Olympics are huge for rugby. We dont know yet what the full impact will be, said Jones.
As for Canada, Jones isnt afraid to dream big.
I see no reason why in 50 years time, after were gone, that rugby shouldnt be the national sport of Canada, said the London-born, Ottawa-based IRB official.
He knows people will scoff.
We always tried to position rugby as Canadas other sport, he said.
As worthy a goal as that might be, why not aim for the top of the pyramid? Rugby has everything Canadians like about a sport speed, control, contact, strong values and a minimum of equipment requirement.
Thats a long-term aspiration likely a dream too far. This tournament is about the small steps.
These are our best domestic players and this is a stepping stone for them, said Canadian head coach Kieran Crowley of Mill Bay, a former New Zealand All Blacks World Cup champion.
We want to see them step up.
This next generation is epitomized by Tyler Ardron, who will captain Canada in the Americas tournament.
Its exciting, said the 21-year-old Ardron.
A lot of us have come through the U-20 program [which Ardron also captained].
Now, its their time to go against the big boys. To be playing against the likes of potential future Argentina Pumas is quite something.
We train in Langford and its a great set-up. Now, the Island community gets a chance to come out and see what weve been doing in training day-in and day-out, said Ardron, a Lakefield, Ont., native, who received his first senior national team cap over the summer.
