The prospect of a 15-hour flight across the Pacific Ocean isn’t something most people would relish, but Andy Tiedemann can’t wait.
The 22-year-old St. Albert native will be making the long trek to New Zealand later this year after being named to Rugby Canada’s 30-man squad for the upcoming International Rugby Board World Cup, being held in venues throughout the country from Sept. 9 to Oct. 23.
Tiedemann said he’s anxious to make the trip across the ocean to experience the game’s biggest tournament in what he called a “rugby mecca.”
“It’s very exciting to think about being in a stadium against the home team, where rugby is basically religion,” he said. “That’ll be a wonderful experience.”
Tiedemann heard the good news a couple of days before the formal announcement was made on Friday, July 8, and said he was elated.
“I was pretty pumped,” he said from a training camp Tuesday in Whistler, B.C., with the rest of Canada’s World Cup squad. “It’s a pretty big honour to go to such an event. … I had to phone home and let everyone know.”
It’s a feeling that he never thought he would experience while working through the ranks of the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
“When I played U17 [for the first time], I thought it was a one-off thing. But they keep calling me back,” he said.
During the selection camp, Tiedemann said he wasn’t sure he would make the squad right up until he got the call from the coaches.
“When you’re at this level, you feel like you’re on the bubble all the time, I think because there’s a good [amount] of talent in the prop position. They take a number of props, but it’s always a big competition.”
Tiedemann is one of five props on the 30-man squad, but he hopes his versatility will earn him some playing time on the big stage.
“I can cover both sides of a scrum, so I feel that definitely gives me a step above for coming on as a sub,” he said.
Canada faces a tough draw in the group stage as they’ll have to square off with not only the host nation, but also two-time runners-up France, as well as Tonga and Japan, both of whom are above Canada in the IRB world rankings.
“We feel like there’s definitely some winnable games in there, though,” he said. “And you’ve got to approach every game like you’re going to be able to win it.”
The latest rankings released Monday placed Canada 16th in the world.
While the World Cup is still about two months away, Tiedemann won’t be sitting idly waiting to board that flight. He has plenty to keep him busy, including a few upcoming matches with the Prairie Wolf Pack in the Canadian Rugby Championship, as well as being part of the Canadian squad in a home-and-home series against the United States in Toronto and Denver in August. Then the squad heads to Australia just before the World Cup to play some pre-tournament matches against regional teams.
“It’s kind of nice, because I graduated this past year,” said the former University of Victoria Viking. “It’s nice to have something to do.”
For more information on the Rugby World Cup, visit www.rugbyworldcup.com.
