The Top 14 has seen some renowned coaches pass by its lawns. In the past, Australian Steve Meehan provided his expertise for RC Toulon. This week, he was named coach of the Canadian men's team.
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From the Top 14 in Canada
For the 2015-2016 season, he had been the back coach of the Rugby Club Toulonnaisalongside Bernard Laporte. He then replaced Pierre Mignoni, who would become the manager of RC Toulon a few years later. During his stay in Var, Steve Meehan led the RCT to the final lost to Racing 92 at the Camp Nou.
Around ten years before this adventure in the south, the Australian had already coached at Stade Français. In a similar role, he allowed Fabien Galthié's players to lift the Brennus Shield in 2003 and 2004. In addition, he has also already coached in Japan, England and Australia.
In 2023, the Queensland native had already toured North America. Indeed, he had tried Major League Rugby. He became the coach of the Toronto Arrows, a few months before the franchise went bankrupt and was disqualified from the competition.
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The complicated challenge of RWC 2027
Quarter-finalist in the World Cup in 1991, Canada had everything to become one of the little Thumbs of world rugby. Thirty years later, the North American team is on the verge of collapse. Not qualified for the 2023 World Cup, the Canucks don't want to miss the 2027 boat.
To access the premier competition, Canada will need to do well at the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup. To qualify, the red selection has the sole aim of avoiding the last place, the only place not offering direct qualification for the next World Cup and the place it occupied during the 2024 edition. do not succeed, they will have to go through a play-off phase.
Thus, Steve Meehan's Canada will have to do better than that of 2024 if it wants to afford a trip to Australia in 2027. In the meantime, the federation and Canadian rugby are trying to get back on their feet, after recent years complicated linked to poor management of the oval ball in the Far North.
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